Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-09-21
A PLEA FOR MILITIA
ANOITS PUBLIC INTEREST
What is Causing Lack Of Interest
in the Militia is Not a Lack of
Patriotism.
TRAINING, THE COMMON NEED.
The Keystone of the Arch of Inter
national RelatiOns---"To Pre-
serve Our Peace Let Us Pre-
pare Ourselves for War"

serve Our Peace Let Us Pre-
pare Ourselves for War"
lBv r. Hammond Elliott
PART III.
What is causing this lack of interest
in the militia? Is is lack of patriotism ?
No, II cannot be that, for when we look
back over the pages of history and see
the response always given to the call of
the country for volunteers to uphold its
honor and TO meet its needs and its
emergencies it is seen that the Amer
leans have the necessary patriotism.
but il lies latent and needs the stim-
ulance of some great need TO call it
forth. The patriotism which inspired
The Whig Club. of Anne Arundel
county, Md, and the Minute Men of
Massachusetts, who were really the first
organized militia, is still with us and it
only needs a clearer understanding of
the needs of the country for greater
military preparedness to arouse it.
There must be other causes for this
lack of interest. Thoughtlessness and
carelessness on the part of the men.
RNoSAbAs HtAANnNAA OblGAAAOl W AllONt uti-
der age, or their employers disapprov-
al to some employees and the lack of
civic interest in the militia organiza-
ton. II is amazing when we know the
facts why any young man should re-
frain from securing the training Of
fered by the militia, for he has every
thing 10 gain and nothing to lose. II
there was war he would in all prob
bility, go anyhow, so why not go train
ed, and be better able to take care of
himself and be of more value to the
country; not TO mention the greater
chance the trained man has of coming
unscathed through a campaign than
the unframed man.
The government furnishes all the
necessary equipment from shoes to ri
fle, and the ammunition to shoot in the
rifle, and IL requires absolutely no fl
nancial outlay on the part of the re-
cruit. In fact, it pays him when he
goes on camp or tour of active duty
He has the use of armories built by the
State and equipped with pool-tables
pianos, bathrooms, athletic courts
shooting galleries, shower baths. re-
creation and smoking rooms and every
thing that person could possibly wish
for their enjoyment He meets a CON
genial lot of assOciates-good. clean
healthy intelligent young men, for the
militia has no use for the man who is
not clean and healthy physically, men
tally and morally. It realizes that the
healthy, clean-living man returns more
for the money invested than the other.
and they try and secure the best
Then, too, the military training secur-
ed develops the men physically, in
creases their power of endurance,
teaches obedience to discipline, trains
the powers of observation and makes
the soldier direct and accurate in his
speech and actions, in addition to the
greater chance for promotion the train
ed man has in case of war
AS for parental objection, it is but
natural that parents should feel some
timidity in allowing their sons to join
an organization devoted to the grim
and serious business of war, but any
parent, in case of war, would not like
to see his son remain at home while
his friends and associates marched
away to do their duty in answer to the
call of their country, and he would
probably urge him to accompany them.
{ so, why not send him with the advan-
tage Of being trained, as / have men
toned above, and be comforted by the
knowledge that at least he has this
in his favor
For the employer who discourages
military training among his employees,
will say that even from a business
point of view he is wrong and guilty of
bad judgment. The thoughtful bus
mess man protects himself and his
business in every way; he insures his
life, his stock and store against fire
flood and wind; he investigates and
puts his money in reliable institutions
and investments,yeth how much thought
loes he give or how much does he pay
for his war Insurance. which is the
most important of all, for, in case Of
var. all his insurance and other pro-
tections become weakened and void
and he would be left,in too many cases,
a penniless and ruined man
1t is all very well to say: "Oh,
We'll never have a war, so what's the
use of preparing for that?" But a blow
always falls when least expected. The
men of Belgium and Poland little
thought that they would be engulfed in
the wave of war and ruin which has
swept over them. Prepare for the eX-
ignecy. Every man whom an en-
ployer encourages to obtain military
training and every one whom he al
lows leave for a week or possibly ten
days to attend a military camp of in
struction is one more man to protect
him and his business in case of war.
The small financial cost to him, which
hardly averages $15 per man, per year,
and often not that, for the men will
arrage their vacations so as to take in
the camp, in which case he loses moth
ing but their services, should be con-
sidered as a good investment, the same
as he considers his life or fire insur-
ance premiums. Think along these
lines, Mr.. Employer, and you will soon
see on which side your advantage lies.
As to civic help there is very little TO
saw for il is we'll known that If the