Evening journal., 1912-08-22

have said that the movement 10
not military. / do not mean to give
my readers the impression that Boy
Scouts must never serve their coun-
try in time of war. But | do mean
that every Scout while a boy is to
do everything in his power to bring
about a desire for peace amongs. the
nations.
You may say that this is more than
boy can do Il does indeed look
like a stupendous task for a boy but
we who are living In this cosmopolitan
country have chances every day to
make our foreign neighbor feel that
our Uncle Sam will be just as kind
and generous to him as he is to us,
II only he will be an honest and re-
spectful nephew.
We are now crying Peace, peace"
Can we hope to put down and crush a
custom that has been in vogue in this
old world for over 5000 years in tho
course of one or two generations2
Some may be of mind to think so.
but for my part. | can but say, that
many years and generations will como
and pass away before the world will
recognize the advisability of settling
disputes by arbitration only, and until
such a time shall arrive let our boys
stand ever prepared to answer the
call of their country and say here
am I, take me-
Must they have had any preliminary
preparation I'm military tactics to be
allowed to offer themselves to their
nation in It's hour of greatest need?
None whatever But they must have
the heart 10 face such hardships as
such a life presents. They must know
when, how, and where to stop and
make their bed for the night they
must, i'm a word have such know
ledge of the inside workings of mother
nature as will allow them 10 take
proper care of their health, for on the
firing line, a sick man is of no moro
use than a dead one.
Many of the men of both the Union
and the Confederate force died and
, found a soldiers grave without ever
having fired a shot or even heard one
fired in defence or against the cause
and why? Simply because those men
had not prepared themselves to cope
with the guerilla war fare which sick-
ness and disease we're waging on our
forces in the field Ii has been
said that at Fortress Monroe alone one
hundred men died in one day from
eating crabs along with other food
! with which they we're not supposed to
, be taken and thus poisoning them
selves.
If course there are many things in
! a soldiers life which appeal 10 a boy
5 Sand some of these have been introduce
] ed into the scout work very much
simpliied and in the form of games,
which can do no possible harm.
{ How much better our great nation
5 will be- when the Boy Scout movement
{ has touched the life Of every boy and
man mot to mention the mothers and
r sisters) in this vast country. That
{ old chivalry which many have sought
e for in vain is being famed into fame
~ in this worthy organization. Whole
4 sale destruction of our forests is look
v ed down upon by true Scouts. Every
r thing that goes to build up a good
= character in a boy is being gradually
y introduced in the work and as each
, boy must do some thing for some
= body ever day" II looks to me as II
D in few years there will certainly be
S something doing,
S Is the Boy Scout movement good
e for our country and our boys? The
! boys themselves have answered Il, and
E the whole nation has seconded il; and
! who is left to question it?