Arizona republican., 1914-02-16
COMPANY B |S
 AFTER MEMBERS
Lieut.. Clyde Pickett Ad- dresses Strong Letter to Old and Prospective En- listed Men and Points Out Some Facts


 Company B National Guard of Ari- zona, as well as to a number of young men apparently eligible for membership in the local militia com pany. Lieutenant Clyde Pickett, com manding the company, brings out some very vital points with relation to the National Guard of Arizona as a whole and to Company B in par ticular. It is but part of the cam paign Lieutenant Pickett has inaugu- rated to increase the membership of the organization and at the same time raise the standard.
 Signing the communication, The Company Council" Lieutenant Pick cit says:
 Dear Friend:
 T am writing you this letter in an effort to interest you to some eX- tent in the National Guard of Ari- zona Perhaps you are prejudiced against the national guard, or militia as it is sometimes called.
 If that is so I will try to dispel, at least, a part of that prejudice The national guard is national or ganization and is under the rules and regulations of the war depart ment; it has to conform to the re- ouirements of the regular army.
 In case of war with Mexico (which by the way is not very remote), the national guard would go to the front at the same time the regulars did.
 +l,n,. ion do you realize who would do the fighting? The regular army avail able for duty in the United States today numbers about 30,000. The na- tional guard numbers about 10000. How long do you think 30,000 men would last against Japan's 1,OOO,OOO or more? Of course, we would have volunteers. but do you think that we would send a lot of volunteers who have not had any military eX- perience: who do not know how to march 20 miles a day without having sore feet: who do not, to a certain extent know how to shoot at an enemy 1000 or more yards distant; who are not disciplined and. as consequence, would be of about as much use as mob; and above all who do not know the rules of sani- tation and. consequently, have their ranks reduced by the ravages of ty- phoid fever?
 No. indeed These volunteers would have to be sent to a training camp and trained for from two to four months before they were sent to the front And who do you think would be their officers7 Most of them would be selected from the na- tional guard
 And in the meantime the regu- lars and national guard have done all the fighting. Perhaps the war would be all over before the vol unteers had learned to march four abreast.
 You say that Americans are born fighters, You are mistaken. You have read the school histories, etc. of the revolution and civil wars, his tories which tell of the braveries Of the Americans.
 "Of course. they say that the Amer jeans were always the bravest and best, We always want our histories written that way but at the same time. we should not blind ourselves to the truth It is a fact that the school histories give very flattering record of all our wars. but read of the war of 1912 and you will find if was a disgrace to our nation
 And, too; it must be remembered that the men of the revolution were pioneers who were trained to the dangers of Indian warfare. Every man in those days had a gun and knew how to use it.
 How many young men of today have been brought up as were the young men of 30 years ago and more?
 The national guard teaches its members to drill, to shoot, to cook for themselves Gf it should ever become necessarv). It teaches them to take care of themselves under any circumstances.
 Tt develops their bodies and helps them to develop their minds. It as- sociates them with men who are in
  parts of the world.
 Tt takes them to camp every year where they meet men of the regular army, where they are in the same camp and have the same duties as the regulars. Each alterating year they are taken to camp somewhere out of the state. And at these pamns thev pet good nav which is the regular army pay and also a very liberal pay from the state.
 "We will soon have drill pay which will be 25 per cent of the regular army pay and will amount to from $1OO to S25O (according to rank) for each drill
 Here in Phoenix plans are al- ready completed for the building o1 large armory. The armory vii accommodate four companies of in fantry, the band, the signal corps the hospital corps and the store rooms
 Tt will also be available to tho public as a convention hall or fol other large gatherings. Men who be long to the national guard will have access to the shower baths, readint and club rooms at all times, and t' the athletic room and indoor targe range at certain times.
 Now for a little history of Com pany B which was. 1 believe. frs organized nearly 40 years ago ant was composed largely of Indians.
 sIt cpant YnoSt of it's time runninl