The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-02-10
AMERICAN SOLDIERS SHOULD BE TRAINED LIKE
 LIONS, NOT LIKE LAMBS
(Editorial by Alfred Lawson. )

(Editoria1 by Alfred La.wson.)
 There will be an awful day of recl- i oning for the people of the United | States of America some time in the | future if this peace prop poganda con- tinues in this country while at the | in foreign countries, if our rising | young citizenry are brought up with 1 laernib-like virtues, while the sons of 1 our competitive neighbors are satura- | ted with the qualities of the lion.
 It is all very we'll to be a peace low 1 ing citizen on condition that you have the kick in your front door to back it up, but woe unto you if you have l! not the corkscrew counter swat to l deliver when the other fellow for some l reason best known to himself sudden ly aims wicked thrust at your pros porous Hooking solar plexus,
 A fight never lasts very long be- tween a trained and untrained fighter any more than 1t is an extened affair between a lion and a lamb. A swish and a. gurg1e and the contest abruptly ends with the lamb getting all of the pity of the lion and the lion getting all of the lamb.
 Had the gentle lamb in the begin ming of it's career been taught to fight he would not only have saved himself a lot of unnecessary inconvenience during the past few thousands of years, but he also could have served some more dignified purpose in life than to merely tickle the pa4a.tes of his nearest and dearest relatives.
 Amy one of thos lion 1ik nations of Europe could whip peaceful lamb like America after this war is over with as much ease as a real lion could devour 8 lamb the day after he had a strenuous fight with one of his own kind, or with as much ease as Jack Johnson could have whipped an un-l trained blacksmith the day after he had defeated the mighty Jeffries.
 The best sort of training for fight CTS is to have real fights and when these European countries emerge from the present war they will at least know how to fight, and should any little dispute between one of them and the United States of America take place which would lead to war. then may heaven help this country unless we too know how to fight.
 What are we going to do about it over our rights to extend our 1ner- chant marine with ships bought from Germany, for instance? Give in, or fight?
 Give in. eh? All right. then what are we going to do about it when our Is seriously questioned? :? .Give in. or fight
 Give in again, eh? Always give in | Well, if that is the case how long do you suppose it will be before our opin- 1 ions upon international affairs will be treated with about the same sort of 1 respect and consideration as the opin- 1 ions of peace loving China2 Some of you say fight? But how can we fight we have not been train l ed for fighting, nor do we even be- 1 lieve in it. We have no army worth
 
 1 little ammunition, and not enough l factories in America to turn out suf- 1 ficient arms and ammunition to sup 1 ply an army of a million men in less than two years. It would also take at least that much time to train the men properly if they could be gotten together.
 l But just there is another hitch. How are you going to get a million i men to go to war after you have been constantly teaching them how sinful i it is to fight? Furthermore, you have been teaching them that those sol diers who are now fighting for their various countries in Europe are mur- l dering one another.
 How then can you justify calling upon American citizens to go to war and murder the citizens of other coun- tries? Is it any less murder for American soldiers to kill foreigners than for foreigners to kill each other. and if so, why?
 I Do you think American men will go to war if they are to be classed | as 1nurderers? If not, what becomes 1 of your patriots and who will do the fighting for America?
 | Do you think it will be a very in spring sight to have America, invad- , ed by a tyrannicaI, enemy. then call upon patriotic citizens to arise and fight fortheir country and none of them arise.
 This country has got to be ready to fight if necessary and there is nc 1 more reason why the brave men who i come toward to fight off the inter | natioaI burglar should be termed a ] murderer any more than a policeman who shoots down the desperate crim- 1 inaI who enters our residence at night for loot.
 We must meet the situation as ii
 comes up and if we find in this age
 that international burglars or bullies
 invade our country we have got tc
 be able to handle them roughly, ol s they will cerainly handle us roughly
 In order to rough it with the intruder
 so that we do not get the worst o.
 it, we not only need some of the lion. 1 characteristics but also the very lates and best of mans modern weapon:
 and a. a.thorough knowledge of the ar of using them.
 l Let America be prepared for an.