Alaska sentinel., 1907-01-10

4
 President RooseveIt's letter to Rear
 Admiral Thomas, commenting him for his stand in the matter of the damage
 suit of a sailor who was excluded from public place of entertainment be- | cause of his uniform, and inclosing
 check for S100 toward the expenses of
 the suit, calls renewed attention to the discussion which Is going on In the country over the attitude manifested toward enlisted men in the uniform of
 the United States. When soldiers or sailors are on parade or when, in time
 of public danger, they march to the scene of war or press forward to pro
 tect persons or property, they win pub | lie applause. Thousands have their
 emotions quickly stirred by the sight of the lines of blue and the flying flags.
 It Is strange that the same soldiers or sailors, when out of ranks mingling
 with their fellow citizens, often fail to
 receive the treatment accorded to the
 meanest civilian. The soldier in war
 is hero; in peace, it sometimes seems
 as If no one wants him around. The
 President makes a strong statement
 about the personnel Of the soldiers and sailors: There is no finer body of
 men in all our country than the enlist
 ed men of the army and navy of the
 United States, and I cannot sufficient ly express my indignation and con-
 tempt for any man who treats his uni. form save with the respect to which
 1t Is entitled" If all agreed with the executive on this point there would be
 no insults offered to uniformed repre- sentatives of army and navy. There is great difficulty in getting good men to join the army and navy. The rough and tough' often try to enlist, while
 men of fair common school education,
 physically qualified, are hard to get
 The requirements of enlisting officers are severe. Not one-quarter of the
 men who apply are accepted. Among them are some low grade men so far
 as personal habits go, but as a rule they are even in this respect up to the average of citizenship. Still the temp tations offered to them, owing to their
 mode of life, are trying and some of them yield easily. It Is easy to show
 disrespect to the uniform if the wearer
 of 1t forgets his own obligation to it, but this does not often happen. The average American seldom comes in con- tact with soldier or sailor. His opin- ion Is likely to be adverse toward an
 enlisted man because of slanderous
 stories he has heard or owing to popu-
 lar notions falsely entertained. For
 the soldier or sailor as a class he has little regard, because he
 knows little about life in the
 navy, except as he has read of 1t in the tales for the marines," and possibly does not believe in
 standing army. It is not difficult for
 the plain citizen" to show lack of re-
 gard for the uniform, even though be
 knows the wearer of 1t has sworn to
 preserve, protect, and defend the con-
 stitution and the country, If need be,
 with the sacrifice of his life. With the
 new spirit in favor of larger and bet ter army and navy must come more
 general respect for the men who make them both respectable. The attitude of the President and admiral toward
 the case of the sailor at Newport will
 have great effect In creating a public
 sentiment opposed to discrimination against any worthy man In the uni form of his country.