Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-08-27
EVERY PATRIOTS Duty
NATIONAL GUARD A PREPARA=
TORY SCHOOL FOR SOLDIERS.
Organization of Country's Young
Men Provides Way for Protec-
tion of Our Government.

The National Guard is a prepara-
tory school for citizen soldiers, writes
Col. James Jackson, I. S. A., retired
in the Spectator. The colonel's ar
ticle will be read with more than or
dinary interest in Polk county, where
he is well known. He says the Ma
tional Guard affords the opportunity
for citizens to become proficient IN
the ways and means of national de-
fense. The people of this nation, its
citizens and voters, have decided that
they do not want and will not main
tain standing army Of sufficient nu-
merical strength to repel a serious at
tack by any of the strong military
powers of the world. Clearly then,
since they will not do it, the duty
devolves upon the citizenry Of the
country. To perform the duty intel
ligently and successfully, the citizen
must have a military training, for
raw soldiers would be as helpless as
children when confronted with the
modern, trained soldiers. A careful
study Of the history of the United
States will prove this beyond a ques-
ton. IF it is desired to repeat the
experiences of this country with
green troops, as at the battles OF
New York, Guilford Court House, Eu-
taw Springs, Cowpens, Camden, and
later at Buffalo, Niagara, Bladens-
burg and Washington, we can con
tinue to depend upon raw levles with
which to meet trained troops, and the
day of our great humiliation as ma
ton is not far off. You cannot make
an efficient soldier in day, any more
than you can make a doctor, a lawyer,
or a mechanic in that time. War
has become business, and it requires
thorough previous training to make
an army proficient in that business.
The people of this county have no
right to expect that military green
horns can protect their property,
their territory, their wealth, their
commercial interests, their homes and
firesides should we become involved in
a conflict with any Of the predatory
powers of the world, and such con-
flict is more than likely to occur with
in the next few years.
1t would seem to be tl> duty of
every patriot, who cares for the well
fare and perpetuity of his country, to
gain a military training that he may
be prepared to meet with effective ac-
ton any emergency that may arise or
any serious threat that may be made
against the nation IS life or interests.
To make the nation safe, and immune
from attack, every citizen "liable to
military duty should receive some
military training; should, if possible,
serve an enlistment in the national
guard some time between the ages of
II and 25 years. This would not in
terfere with his business, and the
training he would receive would be
of great benefit to the man personal
ly and add much to the value of his
citizenship. Where service in the ma
tional guard is not practicable, mill
tary training in the schools should be
substituted. The point is, that it is
the duty, duty involved in the citi-
zenship of every able-bodied man, to
become a trained soldier; then and
only then has he put on the full pan
oply of American citizenship ready to
do his whole duty to his country in
peace or war. A citizenry thus train
ed would be the greatest insurance
for long continued peace that a ma
ton could have.
The national guard was organized
by officers of volunteers who had held
high commands during the civil war,
and who noted the utter helplessness
of the national government at the
commencement of this war. They
thought to provide way and an or
ganization, through which the young
men of the country could become
trained soldiers. without taking them
away from productive industries, and |
so give some stability to the govern
ment and the country in similar emer-
gencies. 1t has not done as much for |
the nation as it was capable of, prin-
cipally because the people, from pres
idents down, were obsessed with the
idea that this nation did not need and
never would need trained soldiers.
Notwithstanding the fact that no man
can put his finger upon any battle in
he history of this country won by
raw levies against trained soldiers.
Is it desirable to risk the life and
of this republic, its value
10 the world and to humanity, upon
such unframed material, when we can
Just as well have the best soldiers in
he world at comparatively little cost
to this great and prosperous country
Undoubtedly the American people
nave banked largely on the security
afforded by the nations position on
he globe, between great oceans, and
concluded they could neglect the duty
,f preparing for defense without dan
yer to the republic; but the time is
past when this physical location can
Ne considered proof against attack.
md if this nation is to continue to
i've on through the ages both nation
Il and state governments should see
o it that the citizenry be made eff
ieient for defense. 1t is neither right
-. ,,,st tbat a fau- ratriotia cifizans