East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-08-25
AN ARMY OF PEACE.

The devasting forest fires which
are raging throughout the northwest
hase given the United States troops
located in this territory the first real
work which they have been called
upon to perform since the Filipinos
were subdued. Their life in the bar
racks and in their encampments is at
best an artificial one. Paid to fight
they have only imaginary foes with
which to engage and their daily ex-
istence is one of parade, maneuver
and drill in preparation for a crisis
are called upon to perform a service
for their country. They are called
into the field to fight, to conquer and
to save. True this service is not one
which they have been taught to ex-
pect, and it is not one for which the
government has expended so much
effort and money in training them,
but it is nevertheless one of inestim-
able value and one fraught with dam
ger and hardship.
This utilization of the military for
ces for a work for which they were
In nowise intended has caused the
San Francisco Examiner to specu-
late as to other services which they
might perform while awaiting the
time for which they are held in re-
serve. The paper points out in ad-
dition to fighting forest fires, the
army could become a great factor in
combating disease by attacking the
germ breeding swamps, and that II
could be made great instrument In
the conquering of the desert by put
ting it at the disposal Of the recla-
ton service. "a big army" it goes on
to say.."with modern machinery, un-
der perfect sanitary conditions, might
well be put to work at our swamps,
where there is too much water, and
at our deserts, where there isn't wa
ter enough. An army such as they
have in Germany, wasting time march,
ing UP and down, could destroy all the
mosquitoes in the United States in a
short time. And that would destroy
malaria. And that would save as
many lives as are usually destroyed in
a big war.
"a big army, well drilled, well paid,
working for the people, could wipe
out the swamps that breed disease
and mosquitoes and yellow fever. 1t
could wipe out by irrigation the des-
erts which are the earth's plague
spots. It could reclaim millions and
hundreds of millions and thousands
Of millions of dollars worth of valu-
able farm lands.
It could not only fight the forest
fires by putting out flames, but pre-
vent future fires by cutting proper
lanes through the great forests.
What a glorious thing It would be
Il a country like ours had really
great standing army Of useful men,
fighting nature. fighting the heredi-
tary enemies of the human race, not
fighting each other, nor butchering
each other in the old brutal way!
1--WE could have such an army in
this country. an army Of fifty thou
sand or of five hundred thousand,
ar army that could be made bigger
in times when employment was lack
ing. smaller when the workmen were
needed outside Of that national army,
"such men could be armed, II you
choose. and they could be drilled. not
ten hours a day. but one hour or two
hours a week. Instead OF numbering
thousands. they could number hun
dreds of thousands, all usefully en-
pioyed The nation could serve no.
tice on the other countries saying,
Ours is a peace army; we are fight
ing for the human race against nat
uraI enemies. We don't want to