River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-09-07
How the Wilson
Administration Has
penalizeed Patriotism

A0t
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 q 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 $4,000 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; 1t
Is costing the individual citizen SOL
diers many millions more. They went
to the front believing the cry. "Your
country needs you," for war service.
They sacrificed advancement in their
civil occupations, severed home ties,
suffered. in thousands of instances,
great financial loss The less pa
triotic, who did not believe the cry. or
hntfnVinO e. ~.{R
fatten at home on these losses.
The real purposes OF the call are
slowly developing. They are two in
number:
First, patrol of the border to do
the work which President Wilson's
friend. Carranza, finds 1t 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 muir.
der OF American citizens on Mexican
soil Is another matter. Carranza may
go as far as he likes in that direction.
Second, 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 cali was issued. The idea
was promulgated that men were need.
ed for actual war service; not for
military training. Deceit was prac.
ticed.
Opposing in the open legislation for
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.
tenn all the more 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
classes of men.
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 its tiny regular army and put
It's other military resources in cOndi-
ton for use. National safety demanded
this. And yet. in December of that
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 to
ness First came an enactment to
increase the regular army by 10000.
But the body Of the country. and even
all parts of the Democratic admins
tration. could not change front 50
quickly as the head. Recruiting for
the regular army Jagged. Not yet
have the 10000 been secured.
The need pressed. A new national
defense act, providing for still more
men in the regular army, was enacted.
But still the men were not forthcom-
ing.
Suddenly and without warning tho
administration issued its call for mo-
Utilization OF the citizen soldiery. It
seemed stin obsessed with the Bryan
notion that an army could be created
by presidential ukase.
When the call went out the govern
ment did not own enough uniforms,
shoes. socks. blankets. hats. wagons.
trucks. horses. mules and other things
essential to equip the men called: IL
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-
fore looking?
Only the $4,000 patriots who be-
iieved that their country needed them
for national defense: only the men
vino are making the great sacrifices.
The whole disgraceful story may