Excerpt from To Increase the Efficiency of the Military Establishment of the United States: Hearing Before the Committee on Military Affairs House of Representatives Sixty-Fourth Congress First Session on the Bill to Increase the Efficiency of the Military Establishment of the United States, January 14, 1916

Mr. Beckinridge. Mr. Chairman, there is no formal statement which I have to make. The Secretary of War thought that inasmuch as the other officials of the War Department were being called to the witness stand it might be well for me to appear before the committee to submit to such questioning as the members of the committee might desire to direct, along the line upon which they had been making an inquiry.

The Chairman. If any members of the committee desire to ask the Assistant Secretary any questions they may proceed.

Mr. Olney. I would like to ask the Assistant Secretary a question in regard to the State militia, in connection with the report of the Massachusetts commission as to impressing upon the different States the need of compulsory drill in the various States of the Union. I would like to ask the Assistant Secretary if it does not seem as if we were going quite far enough in this matter under the terms of the bill as at present outlined. I would like to ask the Assistant Secretary in regard to any plans he might suggest along that line in reference to a compulsory military service in the schools in the various States.

Mr. Breckinridge. I think that any advice along such a line as that, Mr. Olney, would be thoroughly gratuitous from me. As the Secretary of War has pointed out, the Government has no jurisdiction over the school systems of the States, and as the program that he has put forward has been based entirely upon putting the control; of the military forces of the Nation under the Nation, and excludes the idea of adequately being able either to persuade or coerce the State in building up the military forces of the United States, I do not think I could offer any sound advice or helpful advice to the States in working out a military policy when I think it must be worked out by the Nation.

Mr. Kahn. Mr. Secretary, of course, you are thoroughly in accord with the Secretary of War in regard to the policy he has suggested to this committee.

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