The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1916-09-01
How the Wilson
Administration Has
PenaliZed Patriotism.

Having in view the possibility of
further aggression upon the territory
Of the United States from Mexico and
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 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.
sicily had to start 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.
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; it
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, OF
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, q 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 L. 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 NAV
60 a. far as he likes In that direction.
Second. q purpose of the mobiliza.
ton on the border and in the camps
Il 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.
Cd for actual war service; not for
military training. Deceit was prao.
tdced.
Opposing in the open legislation for
universal military service. the admin.
tstratton by It's acts has established
what In essence u q system of com.
pulsory military service. It Is a sys.
tenn ali the more vicious because II
operates only against the patriotic,
whereas 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
II was incumbent ON this nation to
burd up its TINY regular army and put
IA other military resources In condl-
ton for use. National safety demanded
nisy And Jet, In December OF that
yssy, four months after the European
var began, Prssi6sn4 Wilson went be-
fbrs Congress and declared that all