The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-25

GUARD ON BORDER
FOR DRILL, NOT
FOR FEAR OF WAR
Militia Sent to Mexico Under
False PretehSeS.
Government Was in Distress
and Needed Men.
NOTHING DOING AT SO CTS. DAY
Uncle Sam Couldn't Persuade
Soldiers for Regular Army.
Frank FARRELL Brings Latest
"Inside" Report From Capital.

When the report came over the
wire Monday afternoon about United
States Senator Townsend's sensational
charge that the national guardsmen
were taken to the Mexican border I'M
der false pretense, Frank FARRELL. pub
licity agent of the Santa Fe railway,
expressed surprise that Townsend was
so slow in bringing his accusation to
the attention of the public.
That's an old story in Washington"
said FARRELL, who lately was in the ma
tional capital on business. politicians.
whom I know, were talking about it
two weeks ago. True, they were not
SO rough in their verbiage as is Sen
ator Townsend, but the language they
used easily could have been translated
to mean false pretenSe.
Having a couple of boys on the
border" FARRELL continued, st was con-
siderably interested in the subject, and
asked a good many questions. From
the information cleaned, I came to the
conclusion that the guard was needed
on the border for drill, not for fighting
purposes, and that the units would be
relieved from duty in January, barring
accidents.
while admitting that the guards
men were taken to the border more or
ants seemed to be of the opinion that
no other method would have brought
about the result desired by the adj
miEiStratiOn.
In Distress.
1.-The government was in deep dis
treSS over it's failure to induce men
to join the regular army for SO cents
a day. and, not caring to establish the
precedent of offering soldiers at least
as much as is paid to unskilled labor
ers in town and on the farm, conceiv-
ed the brilliant and economical idea
of getting up a scare over a phony
war and calling out the national
guard The activity of horse thieves
on the border gave the administration
the necessary excuse, and the native
patriotism and Unborn proclivity of
youth to turn out for a scrap, did the
rest.
1.-The guard responded promptly
schoo1boys and others rushed to the
defense of the flag, which never was
in danger, and enlisted both the
guard and with the regulars, and 1907
900 troops poorly equipped, or not
equipped at all. were taken to the
border in haste to protect the country
against horse thief invasion In the
excitement congress voted for feder-
allied militia, which it likely would
not have done in time of peace. The
Mexican attack at Carrizal apparently
condoned, and several minor shooting
government, helping to keep up the
interest of all true patriots in the Dor
der difficulty.
'swhen the powers at Washington
decided that the country needed a
better nucleus of an army. the ques-
ton of offering respectable wages for
regulars, or getting up on the blind
side of the national guard. and using
it at the old rates, was discussed at
length, and the guard scheme adher-
ents won The opinion prevailed that
the guard would object to being trans-
formed into a standing army in peace
time so it was arranged to spring
the Mexican peril in the belief that
the patriotic streak in the average
citizen would make it possible for him
to try anything once.
Six Months of Training.
"a six months period of training