The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-08-19
How the Wilson
Administration Has
PenaliZed Patriotism

- 0NhhOP O0A AC4AO oAA
the necessity for the proper protec-
ton of that frontier" President Will
son, on June Is, called out the mobile
arms of the National Guard for federal
service.
He did not call them out at their
existing peace strength, but at war
strength, which is practically double.
Lacking a system of reserves, the
National Guard organizations immedi-
ately had to start a campaign of re-
cruiting, to bring about the desired in
crease in their numbers.
Patriotic young citizens, under the
urge of the cry, your country needs
you," volunteered for service in graft.
tying numbers. According to Senator
Chamberlain, chairman of the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs, the re-
suit is that about 135 900 citizen sol
diers have been mustered into the
federal service and are now on the
Mexican border or in camp in their
home states. There may be more, but
the administration refuses to make
known the exact figures.
The movement is costing the public
treasury many millions of dollars; it
Is costing the individual citizen sol
Tiers many millions more. They went
10 the front believing the cry, "Your
country needs you" for wal service.
They sacrificed advancement in their
civil occupations, severed home ties,
suffered, in thousands of instances,
great financial loss. The less pa.
%.riotic, who did not believe the cry, or
believing, declined to make sacrifices,
tatten at home on these losses.
The real purposes of the call are
slowly developing. They are two in
number:
First, a patrol of the border to do
the work which President Wilson's
friend, Carranza, finds it Impossible
to do. Because the recognized govern.
ment in Mexico is too ineffective to
keep its own citizens in check and
prevent them numbering Americans
on American soil, the American gov.
eminent undertakes the costly task of
doing that work for them. The mur-
" "a AA4O AASoA SALANOh0 III 4CAlCa
soil is another matter. Carranza may
go as far as he likes in that direction.
Second, a purpose of the mobiliza.
ton on the border and in the camps
is to train citizens to perform effective
military service. The regular military
establishment of the nation is mani.
testify too small for the actual military
needs. To this extent the cry, Your
country needs you," was correct.
But these facts were not made clear
when the call was issued. The idea
was promulgated that men were need
ed for actual war service; not foI
military training. Deceit was prac
ticed.
Opposing in the open legislation fol
universal military service, the admin
istration by its acts has established
what in essence is a system of com.
pulsory military service. 1t is a sys
TEN all the 20 vicious because II
operates only against the patriotic
whereas a legalized universal training
system equalizes the burden of mill
tary service among all men and all
CldSSGS OI m0u.
When, in 1914, Europe plunged into
the greatest war of all history, and
conditions in Mexico grew intolerable,
intelligent men realized the fact that
1t was incumbent on this nation to
build up it's tiny regular army and put
it's other military in condi.
ton for use. National safety demanded
ALs1 ~I ~AA =. - H.
year, four months after the European
war began, President Wilson went be
fore Congress and declared that all
agitation for military preparedness
was hysterical; that we were ade'
quately prepared.
After a while the administration
changed its mind and professed tC
believe in the necessity for prepared
ness. First came an enactment tc
increase the regular army by 10000
But the body of the country, and even
all parts of the Democratic admins.
t~ration, could not change front 81
quickly as the head. Recruiting for
the regular army Jagged. Not yet
have the 10000 been secured.
lie uSCu pISSo6u. "A hSH udIlOudi
defense act, providing for still more
men in the regular army, was enacted.
But still the men we're not forthcom
ing.
Suddenly and without warning the
administration issued its call for mo
bilization of the citizen soldiery. 1t
seemed still obsessed with the Bryan
notion that an army could be created
by presidential ukase.
When the call went out the govern
ment did o own enough uniforms,
shoes, socks, blankets, hats, wagons.
trucks, horses, mules and other things
essential to equip the men called; it
had made no provision for transport
ing the troops called to the points
where they were required.
Who suffered most by this amaz-
ing lack of foresight, this leaping be-
fora 1OOkiuU7