Evening star., 1914-01-29
Representative Tells District
Business Men to Co.
Operate With Guard.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
WILL NAME COMMITTEE
Advantages Of Service in Nations
Second Line of Defense"
Cited by Speakers.

The Washington Chamber of Com
merce is to have a committee on the
National Guard. Action looking to the
formation Of such a committee was
taken at meeting Of the executive
committee this afternoon after a talk
by Representative Kahn of California
chairman of the National Defense
League, in which he urged the CO.
operation of the business men of the
capital in furthering the work of the
National Guard organization.
A Leftwich Sinclair made a motion.
which was unanimously adopted, that
the executive committee recommended to
the board of directors that d permanent
committee be created, to be called the
committee on national guard, or COM
rnittce on militia affairs, and that the
chairman of the executive committee
further appoint a committee of four to
draft resolution for submission to the
Chamber of Commerce similar to that
lately adopted by the Chamber of Com
| merce of New York for the same purpose.
William T. GUIDE, chairman. appointed the
drafting committee as follows: Chaplin
| Brown. A. Leftwich Sinclair, Capt
James f. Oyster and John F. Slavin.
Way to Maintain Peace.
"The surest way to maintain peace is
| to be prepared for war" said Mr. Kahn,
land the duty Of encouraging our Ma
tional Guard ought to appeal to every
patriotic citizen. It is our second line
of defense:s 1T is now In close touch with
our regular army and is a genuine force,
one to be relied on in emergency.
In my judgment. when an employe
spends two weeks of the year in serving
with the guard he is performing a serv-
ice for his employer no less than If he
were at his desk or machine. for he is
really helping guard his employers prop
erty and that Of his employers customers
as well. And. for another thing, service
in such an organization renders a man
more efficient servant for his employer
from every standpoint-mental. moral
and physical. Therefore the desire to
only be acquiesced in, but it should be
stimulated
Lauds District Guard.
Mr.. Kahn spoke in the highest terms of
the guard of the District of Columbia
The armory in Washington is not fitted
for an organization as good as yours"
said he, but no matter what it's lack of
facilities may be. 1t is good place for
young men to congregate''
Representative Joseph B. Knowland of
California, member of the executive COM
mittee Of the National Defense League.
said that he concurred in Mr.. Kahn's
views
Speaking of the acknowledged value
of military school training for bows,
he characterized the guard as a mill
tary school for older men and for
those who had not had the opportunity
to attend such institutions when
younger. Il served three-year en-
hstment." said he. ''and have expert
enced the manifold advantages Of the
training myself
Col. Harvey. commanding the I'd Regi-
ment of the National Guard of the Dis
trict of Columbia, spoke of the help re-
ceived in the past from the business men
of Washington, and said the only thing
lacking was a little more direct encour-
aeement. He referred to the spirit in
Massachusetts, where a young man is
hardly considered to have reached his
majority unless he has served at least
one enlistment. nor to have done his duty
by his commonwealth.
Cites Growth of Militia,
Col. Ourand of the 1st Regiment spoke
of the great development in the work of
the militia since the Spanish war I'VE
have gotten down to solid business now
We not only train young men to drill
but instruct them in sanitation, personal
hygiene. cookery and a great number of
useful arts. That We may maintain the
previous standard of the District militia
in the general maneuvers scheduled to be
held near Washington next SINNER we
earnestly request the cooperation of the
business men of the city
Representative Kahn recently presented
this matter to the committee on public
order OF the Washington Board of Trade
which has taken it up with the executive
committee of the board, before which Mr.
hY1 will