The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-25
PRIDE IN The ARMY
The President Says It Is the Best
5.- in the World for Its Size.
A TALK TO NATIONAL GUARD
The Qualities That Make Man a
Success Are the Same ms
in Private Life.

See Girt, N. j., July 25.-The president
arrived here yesterday on invitation OF
Governor Murphy to visit the encamp-
ment of the Second brigade Of the Ma
tional guard of the state
At the conclusion of the review
he was escorted to $ a stand adjoin-
ing the parade ground, and there ad-
dressed the assembled troops and the
multitude. which had gathered, and which
numbered nearly $4,000.
In opening his address President Roose-
welt complimented the national guards.
bearing and proficiency, and continued: q
A man is of use as a national guardsman
for just exactly the same reasons as he
is of use as citizen; and that is. If he sets
| to work with his whole heart to do his duty
for the time being, to make himself thorough
ly proficient in the line of business he has
taken up. A national guardsman who joins
only to have "a good time pretty generally
does not have good time, and certainly
makes a poor hand at being guardsman.
I earnestly hope and believe, continued the
president, you will never get into battle, but
| If you do it Is going to be mighty important
to hit the other fellow: and you are going
to be able to do it largely in consequence of
the way you have put in your time, knowing
your rifle until it is just part Of yourself,
| until you can handle it, take care of it and
| army in the past that our troops have always
used their rifles efficiently. We have prded
ourselves upon having an army OF marksmen.
Our army has given us a just pride in 1T,
because its constant and jealous effort mas
been to take care Of itself in the field and In
all that pertains to the duties OF a soldier.
| / think, gentlemen, that much help can be
| given to the national guard Of the states by
the action Of the United States government.
1 want to see the national guard armed with
| the best and most modern weapons. want
| to see the infantry with the Krag- -Jorgensen,
| and want to see he artillery with the three
! point-two gun of the regular army. am
| happy to say that bill has been passed
| through the lower house which will enable
| the national government materially. to aid the
| national guard of the different states. Al the
next session I firmly believe that we Will get
| it through the United States senate, and then
| l can guarantee the signature of the presl-
dent Laughter and applause) -
| 1 think that our people have not always
appreciated the debt they were under to the
| national guard. A man who goes into the
| national guard and does bis duty fairly and
| souarely there puts the whole country under
| an obligation to him.
| Always in our history it has been the case,
| as it will be in the future, that if war should
arise it is to be met mainly by the citizen
| soldiers-the volunteer soldier. We have IN
|
with the type Of enlisted men we have in 1t,
an army which firmly believe for it's size,
is uneuualed in the civilized world, and l am
sure that I can challenge the most generous
| support from the national guard for the regu-
lar army of the United States.
But that army is, and of necessity must be,
| so small that in the event OF serious trouble
in the future the great bulk OF our troops
must come, as in the past they have come,
| from the ranks of the people themselves; and
! in forming those regiments the good done
| by the presence in them Of men who have
| served faithfully in the national guard cannot
be overestinniated Those men are ready. 'Ihey
! train others to do the work that IS needed.
| And another thing ladies and gentlemen, the
same qualities that make a man success,
that make him do his duty decently and hon
! estly in national guard regiment, are funda-
| mentally the qualities that he needs to make
| him good citizen in private life.
No doubt some of you were in the Spanish
American war A voice: Yes, many of us.
| The only trouble with that war was that
there was not enough war to go around
| (Laughter)
A voice: '"You got your slice" "
! did, continued the president. I was one OF
/ the lucky, ones.
/ After relating the anecdote OF the am
! bilious soldier who entered camp at ram
pa, Fla, at the beginning of the Spanish
| American war and was set to work dig
| ging kitchen sinks, President Roosevelt
eontinued:.
| "Just as it is in the army, so it is In
citizenship. If you are content to go
through life waiting for chance to be a
hero, you may wait and the chance may
not come, The way to be a good citizen
is to do we'll the ordinary, everyday,
humdrum work that comes to citizen