The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-12-26
LOOKS LIKE HE'S RIGHT
Returning Iowa Guardsmen, Accord
ing to Des Moines Story,
Won't Take New Federal
Oath.

he said, was the cause for the break
ing up of the machine. The men, he
said, were enthusiastic last June be-
cause they thought they were going
into Mexico, and when they didn't,
he prophesied they would lose their
taste for the khaki uniforms, and the
practice marches
That his prediction was not wild
one is borne out by the story which
appeared in the Des Moines Capital,
regarding a poll being taken by the
Capital among the returned soldiers
Of Iowa as to whether they would re-
enlist or take the new federal oath
which binds them to the six more
years of soldering. THE following
excerpts from the Capitals story
gives something of the sentiment of
the men at Fort Des Moines:
The state of Iowa may just as we'll
begin now to organize a new brigade
of militiamen-the boys that are
coming back from the border have
done their bit and they're through
Unless the war department, the
government, congress or some one
else can find y~or manufacture
one to avert the catastrophe now In
the off1ng, 80 per cent of the states
present fit fighting men will have
laid down their rifles and turned in
their uniforms within a month after
they reach home.
Captain Edgar Ridenour OF the reg
ular army, inspector instructor OF
the Iowa troops, announced at Fort
Des Moines today that the 375 guards
men of the Second battalion, First
Iowa infantry, who reached Des
Moines last night, and the 750 Of the
other two battalions of the First, who
will arrive tonight, will be asked to
take the new military oath. 1t is the
oath of the new defense act, which
became effective last July.
Must Take Oath.
If they take it, they stay in the
guard. If they don't, they are out OF
military service altogether.
If they take it, they tie themselves
I'd for three years more in active
service and three years after that In
the reserve.
II they don't take it, they go back
home as civilians, not required to
serve the remainder Of their present
enlistment.
And they are not going to take 1t.
Officers in the national guard want
to remain. They draw good salaries.
Many get more money than they
earn in private life They live well
and with many comforts in the army.
They do not want their commands
DESTROYED by refusal to re-enlist. They
are always optimistic about the sp1r-
its of their men. They generally OBJ
ject to any information going out
that the guardsmen are dissatisfied
or are going to leave. 1t is not sur
prising that the poll was stopped to-
day.
A General Answer.
nut the question, why are you
going to leave?" to guardsmen IN
all of the four companies at Fort Des
Moines today.
And this is the general answer as
far as 1t can be made general:
"They took us down to the border
and put US in camp. We didn't do
anything but drill and work. And
they worked us to death. They kept
it I'D until that big maneuver. Then
they let down. We didn't see any
service. We just drilled and worked.
And we have had enough Of that
we'd all go back right now If there
was actual service in Mexico. But
we're through with the training
camp. We've had enough