The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1914-12-31
WOULD MAKE A SOLDIER OF
EVERY YOUTH IN THE u. s

Chicago, Dec. 24-Military service
during the youth of every male citizen
of the United States was suggested as
a means of providing sufficient re-
serve army by Col. H. 0. S. Heisland
acknowledgement of the central depart
ment of the army in an address here
tonight.
Colonel Heisland said the United
States was totally unprepared for war,
urged that the regular army and the
national guard were inadequate and
protested against what he termed
false history taught the country. He
declared that the wars against Mexico
and Spain were the only ones the
United States had won and that the
United States never really whipped a
foeman worthy Of our steel.
IF at this minute" he said, every
one of the 10000 regular soldiers in
the United States cavalry, infantry,
coast and field artillery were assem-
bled in New York city, there would
not be enough men to man the guns
there on war footing.
"And if every one Of the $4,000
national guardsmen were assembled in
New York city there would not be
enough TO protect those guns from at
tack. Those guns as they are now
situated are greater menace to New
York than protection because all a
foe would have to do would be to turn
them around and point them at New
York city and begin firing"
"For the purpose of defense, !
would have every male citizen of the
United States in the early period of
his life give sufficient time to the
United States to qualify himself in the
essentials of a soldier. would have
him learn how to shoot and how to
march. would have him learn how
to take care of himself in the field,
how to pitch and roll his tent, how to
ride horse, how to cook and take care
Of his health and above all learn to
submit his will to that Of his COM
mander and would have him do that
with very small pay.
''But the trouble with our people is
they are suffering from false teaching
and preaching.
''In our school histories we teach
that in the war of the revolution and
of 1872 we whipped England; that in
the war with Mexico we whipped her
and that in the war Of our own rebel
lion we rose up from the fields and
farms and marched right out and put
down that rebellion.
"True, we whipped Mexico. We
whipped Spain. There is a slang
phrase about taking candy from a
baby and that is what we did. We did
not whip Great Britain in the war Of
the revolution. Great Britain was too
busy at home and quit because she
hadn't the slightest idea what kind OF
real estate we had here.
I'm the war Of 1912, we were humil-
lated and our capital burned and Great
Britain, because she was too busy at
home, quit without insisting on her
rights.
"In the war Of the rebellion, two
great mobs Of the finest citizenry that
ever stepped up to the lannon's mouth,
went TO the front without knowledge
Of organization or warfare for four
straight years and at the end the one
with the longest purse and the great
est number Of men triumphed. 1t was
war. II was conflict Of
mob organization.
"What we want today is to teach
our people that we did not really ever
in the history Of the world whip foe
worthy Of our steel for we never have.
But we have in US the power. for there
IS not really good American who is
not ready to die for his country.
plead for training Of every citizen 30
hat II the time ever comes when we