The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-28
MRS. HENRY SMITHS SON

Mrs. Henry Smith of Winamac. Ind, wrote letter to President Wilson complaining of the hardships her son was compelled to undergo as a mem Der of the National Guard on duty in Texas. Sb3l N4
 The President, in his reply, has ex- plained to her that the National Guard is at the border mot for the purpose of drill, but for the purpose |of protecting the, country" and that Fhes" cannot believe that the men or the National Guard would wish to pc exchsed from 1t, or would lose heart because of the discomforts and incon- venience of the service"
 If Mrs. Herry Smith were wise woman, she would not be writing to the President bewaihng the triflins hardsi1tps to which her son is obliged to submit as a member of the Nation al Guard. She would be, down on her knees thanking God that the Presi- dent is exerttng every honorable ef- fort to bring about peaceful solu- ton of the difficulties with Mexico, and that her boy is not already out on the fighting line with the boys of 400. 900 other American mothers.
 The F1ardships to which the Nation& al Guard is subjected on the Texas frontier are about equal to the hard ships of an ordinarily strenuous vaca- ton in the Maine or Minnesota woods;. but war is serious business. When Mrs. Henry Smith thinks about the petty inconveniences to which her son is subjected. let her. think also of the millions of boys in Europe who are in the trenches and who are dy- ing daily by the thousand in the midst of the most ghastly warfare known to human history.
 Let her think of the boys lying on the field with arms blown off, or legs blown off, or faces blown off, perish ing in horrible agony for the lack of medical assistance which cannot reach them.
 Let her think of the millions of boys in Europe who after this war is over will be crippled for life Or with health shattered doomed to eke out a wretch ed existence as hopeless invalids,
 Let her think of the millions of mothers who are not worrying be- cause their boys have to eat army Nrations, but who are worried day and might lest they will never see their boys again alive.
 Let her try to visualize the hourly terrors of a war in which 5000, 900 or 10, ,0O0, ,0O0 men have already been Kill- ed or wounded--most of them boys like f1er boy.
 Then let her remember that except for the statesmanshfp of Woodrow Wilson the body of her own son might be lying today int an unmarked grave in Flanders or France.
 Mrs. Henry Smith, with true mater nal solicituid9, Naturally thinks 1t is a great nuisanc( that her boy should have to swelter. In the heat of Tex. as summer and live off coarse food. son are very small in comparison with what they would be if the United States had undertaken armed inter- vention in Mexico! Her own troubles, too, are very small in comparison mt tn what they would be if she were watching the newspapers every day for the lists of dead and wounded in the fighting.
 There are millions of Mrs Henry Smiths in this country with boys who would be subject to military duty if the United States went to war. When they are disposed to find fault with the policies of the President, let them devote a little prayerful consideration to the millions of Mrs. Henry Smiths in Europe whose boys are now only memories. But for President Wilson these American mothers would be drinking the bitter dregs or that same cun--New Ynrk W.ofld.