Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 171, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 July 1919 — COL G. H. HEALEY URGES TRAINING [ARTICLE]

COL G. H. HEALEY URGES TRAINING

FORMER RENSSELAER EDITOR ALSO ASKS U. S. TO ACCEPT LEAGUE OF NATIONS. Washington, D. C., July 19. —Col. George H. Healey, United States infantry, of Rensselaer, Ind., in writing from France, urges that America adopt universal military training and also accept a league of nations of some kind, “to prevent such a disaster in the future.” He wrote just after he had made a tour over much of the devastated regions of France. Col. Healey, before responding to a call of his country, was a republican newspaper publisher at Rensselaer, and is well known in republican state politics and national guard circles. His address is American Expeditionary Force, A. P. O. 762. I “It seems to me that two important questions confront us nationally,” writes Col. Healey. “One is to support a league of nations that does not hamper us too much in the exdrcise of pur own development or impose on us too much the solution of questions largely European.” “The other,” he continues, “is the determination of what our military force shall be and how the greatest good shall come to the greatest number by making our training as nearly universal as possible without involving too great a cost or taking too i much time from preparation for or ! engagement in civil pursuits. We must understand now that it is not safe to disarm the nations at this time.” , A Col. Healey wrote from the D Auvours rifle range at LeMans, France, upon his return from the Hindenburg Hne and Rheims, Marseilles, Nice, Monte Carlo, Menton and along the Riviera. Everywhere were ruins and devastation. Future Mu»t Be Protected.

“Surely we Americans will want to do every reasonable thing to prevent such disaster in the future,” he continued. “I am sure that our country will support any measure that is planned to this end and that protects our own nationalism while stabilizing the nations of the world. I feel that European jealousies are not ended. I doubt if they ever will be, but a contract with the power of enforcement will be the most effective discipline that can be applied, and American citizens have a duty to the future as well as a feeling of satisfaction- at the service just rendered. It calls for the thought of every man, every woman, and the innovation of divine assistance that such- atrocities to humanity can not be repeated. “I wonder how any terms of peace could exact recompensating homage for the terrific disaster. Surely those responsible should feed on husks. Surely there should be expected from those responsible a spirit of contrition. Without it I find it difficult to feel confident of the future attitude.” AH Should Do Bit. In urging universal training—that every young man do his .bit— Col. Healey writes; “It is essential that we understand just how feeble was our military establishment when we entered the war. And, again, it is necessary to know that while our soldiers fought with wonderful courage and splendid results, that they did not alone win the war. On the contrary, -we. had 5,000,000 allies who had fought almost four years. We procured much of our fighting material from them, we were largely trained by them and we had them on both sides of us much of the time. But we put into the fight a dash characteristic of Americans that astounded the Germans. And they came to realize that America had the men, the spirit, the decision, and that this was more than they could endure. x x n u '“But we paid a great toll be-; cause of oiir lack •of preparation! and we paid a price that we will realize better when the figures are . all in and comparisons can be made as to the cost of getting up a hur- . ried army and of maintaining train- ■ ing during years of peace.- I can j see nothing but good resulting from j universal training. (Of course, w>ho have had the training will be excused.) The advantages of a free country are equally distributed. The responsibilities must be equally ( demanded. The benefits in im-j proved physical condition, better discipline, better knowledge of our. own defects, better education and our ability as a nation to better command the respect of the world suggest need of training by every, physically fit male of proper age. “I believe that every nation needs th a power to protect its institutions, just as every country needs laws | and the power to enforce them. Na-. Hons will continue to be sensitive , of these institutions and will re-1 sent infringement, but they can ' not protect them if they have been ! mollycoddled.” ’ County Clerk Jesse Nichols has r purchased from Isaac Tuteur a lot on the west side of South Weston street between Harrison and Rutsen and will erect a bungalow upon the same.