Page:Frank David Ely -Why defend the nation? Sound Americanism... (1924).pdf/51

Rh misfits by the elimination of the haphazard methods which brought them about needs no argument.

The present Plan of Defense is so sensible and so eminently practical that it appeals to all who are familiar with the difficulties of mobilization, organization, and training at the outbreak of war.

A further reason why it is not contemplated to assign the complement of enlisted men to units in advance of an actual emergency is that it not only seems unnecessary as above stated, but the enrollment of two millions of men would seriously interfere with industry and agriculture, and would further require a very greatly increased overhead in additional personnel and expense for the Regular Army to enable it to handle the added details; and unless training could be imparted to the man, and maintained, there would be no real advantage in the pre-enrollment. Such training if given would vastly increase the annual appropriations necessary, running up military costs when it is the universal desire that these be kept as low as consistent with assured safety in defense. With trained officers available, and with Congress able to quickly authorize the draft, men can be rapidly enrolled, the physically unfit eliminated or assigned to light duties for which they are qualified, and all who are accepted for service rapidy trained. Such is the medium ground which appeals alike to officers, members of Congress, Administration leaders, and all other informed persons; and there can be no question of the soundness of the reasoning.

Any large body of selected men that is organized and directly affiliated with government is a strong factor for good government. Identification with any branch of government places it in sympathy with all of the government. For many reasons the Officers’ Reserve Corps of the Organized Reserves (in main of the American Legion), physically fit, and that fact established by medical examination prior to recommission, and again sworn to uphold the Nation, is the strongest single factor in this country for assurance of future good government. Its members are many times more numerous than those of the other components of the Army, and they are all in position to exercise the rights of franchise, which many of the others cannot. Nation-wide, built up from proved and virile men in trade, com-