Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-12-31
A Woman Plea For
The National Guard

Editor The Journal:
AS a and peace advocate. I wish to in
your editorial of Saturday Developing the
National Guard
believe in peace 1 do not believe war; be-
Iieve in deciding in dispute between nations
by an international board of arbitration; advocate
the worlds disarmament. In this. believe speak
representatively for the great majority Of women.
But 1 10 believe in disarmament Of the United
States, while the rest of the in
and increases its arms. Power to preserve is
essential to peace. Weakness invites The
worlds disarmament is coming; but IL waits upon the
worlds further development of ethics Meanwhile
the one way individual nation to maintain the
peace be able to fight for it,
But there is another side to this which
stressed by General Leonard c. Wood in his recent
visit to Atlanta both his speech at the chamber
of banquet and in his address at the Tech
He urged, will be remembered, military training
for young in schools and colleges that in
case of sudden war, country would be able to
call into the field sufficient body Of trained sol
diers. So much for the advantage to the country.
But he also advantage this training to
the young men themselves. And this is point which
we may all very wisely consider.
The virtues bred in by military training, and
by war-horribe a is-are too precious to oe
surrendered. How shall keep these virtues and
abrogate war? The question is up to our times We
cannot answer in a minute General Woods plan
the development of our national guard through
reserve force trained in schools and col
leges kept thereafter in touch with depart
of to be available on call without
being fixed part of our regular army is for the time
being, part of the answer
of Dress precision movement, cooperative action
submission authority, proper habit Of commando
these are of the physical and moral benefits
which military training and discipline than
other imparts.
above these minor virtues shine out those
splendid qualities of courage selfsacrifice readiness
to protect the weak-to do and die--that have made
the name of the soldier of glorious to
blind us evils and The soldiers fight
is an honest fight. Far nober to hit and slay,
equal ground in the open with gun and sword than
hit slsy, of us do in sU-called
with the secret stab of backbiting words, the dis
titled poison the tongue rebuke punishment CT
the weak who may not answer back of the
science bound who will not If must have war, let
it be that sword and gun and not of thought and
speech intriguing deed. History affirms that the
type of character evolving from the former and
evolved by higher than the type produced by
and producing the latter. In the case,
as aliens; in the other, wolves and foxes. We
ought to fight evils and not each other. But If fight
we must, let 1T be with musket and saber,
and wagging tongues and sharp business
deals While developing ourselves to the
point where we will fight evils only and not
other let all peace advocates in country at
least remember that only sure way to preserve
peace ouseves and for other peoples who look
to for it, is to make it plain that we are able
ready and willing set up rousng good fight for it:
MYRTA LOCKETT AvARY