THE PLATTSBURG IDEA

"I hope to see established in my administration a comprehensive system of voluntary training for at least 100,000 men each year," said President Harding. This is to be accomplished by opening civilian training camps in the nine army corps areas for one month's duration, any able-bodied man under thirty-five being eligible for enrollment.

It is needless to comment on the Plattsburg plan of supplying men trained in times of peace who are able to serve as officers in any emergency. Too many of us know from experience the complete success of the plan to warrant a repetition or details. To the men who conceived the Plattsburg idea and put it into execution the country is greatly indebted. At the present time there is a feeling that one emergency just past precludes the possibility of another for ages to come; that even if this is doubtful, there are enough trained war veterans to take care of any situation that might arise.

The answer that the advocates of President Harding's plan for voluntary service would make to these optimists is that no human being can foretell emergencies. More than one sober man feels that this country has a troublesome path ahead for some time to come; and agrees with the President that this nation should be strong enough to fear no one. Such opinions come not always from jingos and alarmists, but from men who know much more than the rising generation about the future. Moreover the permanent military policy of the country calls for a standing army of only 150,000, smaller and more economical but entirely adequate if there are thousands more capable of "springing to arms" in short order. It is folly to trust this country's destiny alone to an army of 150,000 men. What President Harding feels is that it were worse folly to maintain a gigantic force if volunteers can be found able to back this permanent nucleus by training during the summer. We do not need to be persuaded into admitting the benefits of such training; perhaps we do need to see our duty in doing what we can to maintain the Plattsburg plan--by far the most serviceable and economical--for the nation's defense.