El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-12-28

VI dependence was won with sword
and preserved with the bayOnet,
there are those among us who profess
70 DeleYe we are secure from attack
ny HoSIlIe power because we represent
a new era of civilization that our eX-
ample of square dealing and brotherly
and big brother love for all nations,
MAKES US immune from the prejudice
of racial feeling or competition. God
FORBID that such doctrine gain follow
ing OF lnat such milk fed natiOnaltsm
ever be IN the ascendancy in our
country.
There is constant warning of our
lack Of preparedness to protect our
selves not only in a military but in a
personal sense. Take for instance the
telegraph page of The Herald for one
day this week-first. we find a quota
ton from president WashingtOns mes
sage to congress, December 3, 1898,
containing the expression: There is
rank due the United States among
nations, which will be withheld, if not
absolutely lost by the reputation of
weakness. If we desire to avoid in
suit we must be able to repel it; if we
desire peace, it must be known that we
are ready for war;
Another dispatch is dated London:
Under the direction of the lord mayor
an organization of professional and
business men, aged 40 or more, is to be
formed under the title of the national
guard The national guard is to be
organized because Of the possibility Of
invasion by a foreign enemy On the
same page, in bold type, is an account
of lone man robbing two banks in
large city, lodging "a fusillade of
bullets from the bank cashiers revolt
yer, directing "a shower Of shots" at
three officers standing in the very
door Of the room he was in, then
jumping past two of the officers, who
were not injured by his fire, and max
ing his escape. Think of it, one man
lodged fusillades of bullets, jumped
through a door, past armed officers
who were looking for him What
those men to avoid Insult by repelling
it," to join a national guard" for de-
fence Of the home in case of invasion.
The idea of compulsory military SER
! vice is obnoxious to American demOc-
| racy, yet some means must be devised
| to secure for America a reserve upon
which the country may depend in case
| of hOstilities with a military power.
! Heretofore our wars have been fought
! by volunteers, who, because the greater
! percent came from rural districts, were
more or less prepared; that is, they
! knew how to shoot and to care for
! themselves in the open without home
! comforts. But how about the vOlun-
! teer of the future? Our population is
! the cities. Many Of our boys, even men,
/ have never shot n gun or spent a
/ night out of doors In the event Of
. war. are We going to send them
| against the foe with no preparation
| whatever? Are we going to offer them
| to the slaughter Of the enemy to the
ravages of disease without a chance to
/ defend themselves?
| X
! There is now being advocated the
D i -
J public schools, beginning with the first
! year in the high school I hope that
/ the movement will gain strength and
| the practice become a regular branch
| of our public school work; then that a
/ course in woOdcraft similar to that en-
braced by the boy scout movement be
added thereto. Such training would be
invaluable to the nation in case Of need
! of reserve army and at the same time
prove an interesting, healthful and red
| blooded recreation for our boys. How
| ever. many of our boys are through
/ the public schools; some will never at
| tend high schools, and we have many
/ men who will be available for military
duty, in case of necessity, for many
years yet-all of whom need training.
x \
The future may be provided for by
/ training our boys through some means
I yet to be devised. The only way we
! can take care Of the present is to in
/ terest our volunteers Of the immediate
future in hunting and target shooting
/ with rifle and shotgun. We still have
! public game in sufficient quantity to
( make the sport interesting. Our own
! locality is especially favored in this
| respect Get yourself a gun; get your
] boy a gun, get the wife a gun and take
/ her along; go out in the big outdoors
/ and learn how beautiful nature is; how
/ much health she has to give you; how
] easy 1t is to throw off the vexatiOns
( of sordid business cares, and best Of
/ all, how insignificant is all effort of
man when compared to the grandeur of
/ the big outdoors God has made.
x
Geo. B. oliver. Rev. c. W. Webdell
\ and J. A. Morriss will spend a day
hunting quail near Sierra Blanca. FL
! Paso hunters will be very much inter
| ested in the reports brought back by
! this party, as nothing has been heard
of game conditions in the district to be
| visited
Authentic reports have reached me
] that there are some ducks and great
! Selden, N VI. Ft. Selden is 60 miles
up the valley and the roads are very
! good for automobiling.
= \
! Joe Spivey killed two bobcats in the
crater of an extinct volcano near
! Alden. N. NJ, last week. In speaking of
| the hunt, Mr.. Spiyey said: People Of
! Ell Paso do not know Of the many
natural wonders we have near US. This
/ old crater is one of the grandest and
most aweinspiring sights I ever saw.
! It is located near Norwood Halls head
| quarters ranch, on the borderland auto
route, within easy distance of FL Paso,
| over roads that are the very best. It
| is well worth a visit People don
| have to ride up and down the same
/ valley road every Sunday"
X X
W. H Shelton, of the Shelton-Payne
Arms company, says: Hunters must
be laying off This has been the most
quiet week in the hunting line since
| the quail season opened" Inquiry at
other sporting goods stores ELECTS the
same reply.
A. L. LittelL Dayton Phillips and the
writer spent the day, December Is.
hunting in the upper valley. A mixed
bag of Is ducks, &c quail and five rab-
bits was secured. Since mallard, gray
back and Rudy ducks were the kind
secured, I take it that the recent cold
~asF1 nnr 2 fhn Tn ne