Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1916-08-31
How the Wilson
Administration las
PenaIized Patriotism

> Having IN view the possibility o
further aggression upon the territor,
Of the United States from Mexico anC
the necessity for the proper protec
ton of that frontier" President VIII
son, on June Is, called out the mobile
arms of the National Guard for fedora
service.
He did not call them out at theil
existing peace strength. but at wal
strength. which is practically double
Lacking q system of reserves. the
National Guard organizations immedi
ately had to start a campaign OF re-
j crutting. 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.
| flying 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" Tor 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
believing, declined to make sacrifices.
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 10 another matter. Carranza may
go as far as he likes In that direction.
Second. q purpose of the mobiliza.
ton on the border and in the camps
q To, ro I'm nj 10 opea
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 for
military training. Deceit was prao-
ticed
Opposing in the open legislation for
universal military service. the admin
fstration BY its acts has established
what in essence is system Of com
pulsory military service. It is sys
tenn ell the more vicious because II
operates only against the patriotic,
whereas q legalized universal training
system equalizes the burden OF mill
tary service among ali 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
It 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 we're ade-
quately prepared.
After a while the administration
changed its mind and professed to
believe in the necessity for prepared
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 so
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 we're not forthcom-
ing.
Suddenly and without warning tho
administration issued it's call for mo-
Obligation OF the citizen soldiery. 1t |
seemed stifl 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; 1t
had made no provision for transport
ing the troops called to the points