The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1916-04-21

OF the American people to a large
standing army.
Men Must Be Prepared.
The main point, as army men view
II, is that this ride OF Colonel Dodd and
his 400 troopers shows what real pre-
paredness means for the individual.
and II is further urged by the men OF
the service that this physical condi-
tion which is necessary 10 make men
indure under all conditions cannot be
attained by Natsnal Guardsmen or by
volunteer forces until they have been
given months OF daily training after
the same manner that IL Is given to
the men who follow the flag as regu-
lars.
Apparently the effect will be here
after 10 impress upon the country that
real preparedness consists in prepared
ness Of men. il takes continued serv-
ice to keep men hard and flt for work
which may come Unexpectedly. The
sixty-four-year-old colonel who made
his fifty-five miles in seventeen hours
and then fought for FIVE hours has
been an active soldier for forty-four
years, this time including his service as
a cadet at West Point. Dodd is one OF
the few officers OF high rank In tho
American army who never has had
swivel chair" service except for a
period OF time which is negligible.
Regular Is Always Fit.
II is learned from officers who have
made a study OF the whole prepared
ness situation that II is their belief
that II congress should authorize q
regular army of 250,0OO men. which
would mean an army all told OF about
100000 men. the people could rest
content that this country would be
safe from foreign invasion. II is no.
at all likely, judging from what one
hears from congress, that such force
years to come, but admission Is made
by the lawmakers that the mainte-
nance OF an army Of this size would
cost less than to support a more elab-
crate soldier-raising scheme which in
wolves simply partial preparation for
are found in civil life.
The army men say, and they point
to Dodd's achievement to sustain Il.
that the regular of all branches is At
for instant service In the field. He Is
trained daily in all military breaches
and the physical exercise which he
gets. the regularity Of his hours and
his substantial and good food keep him
ready for emergencies. This naturally
enough is not true OF the civilian SOL
dier who gets month or so Of train
ing every year and has the rest OF the
time to do what he likes with him
self.
Brave Army Post Women.
An army post after the troops have
been ordered into the field Is perhaps
one Of the best places in the
world at which to find a text
for peace propaganda. The chances
are, however, that the women and
children OF an army post would
object to having their manifest anxi-
eties made the subject of discourses.
Army women and children say
"good-by" to husbands and fathers
with cheerful faces, and II there are
tears afterward 1t is more than pos
sible that resentment would come II
any use were made Of them In what
might seem to be an attempt to turn
the militant>ones from their duty.
The cavalry the other day was or.
dered from Fort Myer, which is Just
across the Potomac from Washing
ton, to the Mexican border with the
possibility. perhaps even the proba-
bility, that the service tour might be
extended into the field where other
cavalrymen already had taken up the
chase Of the Mexican bandits. The
quarters at Fort Myer still are occu-
pied by the families OF the fighters.
When women of an army post thus
are left behind with all the anxieties
and uncertainties connected with the
case they make great showing Of
courage. Bridge parties, teas and
kindred social affairs still are the or
der, but many wrong card is played
and many possible trick overlooked
by some ordinarily expert woman
bridge player when she sits at table
with her thoughts on the border in
stead OF on the game.
The condition OF things at Fort
Myer today is duplicated at many
other posts in the United States. The
men have gone and the women and
children have stayed. The newspa-
pers are read eagerly enough by the
ordinary civilian in order TO get news
from Funston, or Pershing, or Dodd,
but the army women take the morning
and the evening paper the instant that
they can get 1t and read the head
lines. with something that is not far
removed from dread.
In Washington and at Fort Myer
there is not evident in army circles
the dreadful anxiety that was so mani
fest during the Spanish war. The cas-
ualties in '9s on the battlefield were
not very great. although a consider
able number of officers were killed or
wounded. The gripping anxietiea or
AnA to