The Coconino sun., 1915-01-29
Should Increase National Guard

is the cause of considerable justi-
fled agitation in regard to the
preparedness OF the United States,
should we be called upon to de-
fend our country from an inva-
sion. While this possibility, is
not great and is not given a seri-
Gus thought by some, it could
happen in so short time that we
would be practically helpless until
an army could be enlisted and
drilled.
The following is an editorial
from the Baltimore Sun on the
National Guard:
This country's hostility to a
large standing army is partly in
herited from English thought and
feeling, and partly due to the con-
viction that it is unnecessary by
reason of our isolated position.
In England large standing army
has been viewed for generations
with suspicion, because of the fear
that it might be used against the
liberties of the people. And even
in the face of the tremendous
forces organized on the Continent
and ready for use almost at a
moments notice, British states
men refused to institute compul-
sorry military service or to increase
the regular military force to any
thing approaching the numerical
proportions of the German, French
and Russian Armies. This atti-
tude is in accordance with English
traditions and with the spirit
which has inspired English politi-
cal development, which has placed
the preservation Of popular free
dom above the fear Of attack or
the desire of aggres sion. But
what the English might have
done--and what they probably
will do after this war--was to
provide for the systematic en-
couragement and stimulation of
military training by such generous
expenditures and by such recogni-
ton as would have tempted all
classes of citizens to become mem
bers of volunteer organizations
Had this been done as thoroughly
and persistently for the last ten or
fifteen years as the situation de.
manded, Great Britain would no,
have been forced to wait fol
months to put forth her power
until she could lick" raw recrait:
into shape, and until the hay
foot, straw-foot" men from hel
, shops and factories and fields hac
learned the rudiments of military
education.
. We are not likely, in the neal
future at least, to find it necessary
to call a million men together
against an invading enemy. Bu
if the unexpected ever should
happen, it is vitally important tha
we should not be in the condition
in which Great Britain found her
self at the beginning OF this war
There is a safe middle course be-
tween British Army unprepared
ness and German overpreparedness
and that is by increasing our vol
unteer militia forces and bringing
them up to the highest standard o.
efficiency. This is course which
is in strict accordance with the
principles and genius of our gov
ernment and which is free from
the dangerous tendencies of mill
tarism pure and simple. The
man who belongs to our National
Guard is not set apart or separa'
ted from his fellow-citizens, as is
the case, to some extent, with the
man who becomes a professional
soldier. He does not lose touch
or sympathy with civil life, he
does not change his viewpoint as
citizen. He is still one of the
people, and his soldiership is only
small and incidental part of his
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