St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1916-04-05
Call 100. 900 Men At Once.

Call 100000 Men At Once.
The Caledonian believes Congress
should authorize and instruct the
president to call 100. 600 men to mill
tary service at once. the men so call
ed to be divided among the different
branches of service as required to
bring each department into a state of
preparedness and efficiency. The
term of enlistment should be three
years and the men called promoted
TO officers upon their merits.
For months the matter of prepared
ness has been agitated but nothing
has been done to give the country
preparedness. Congress has author
lied an increase of about 10000 men
to the regular army but no such adj
dition has been made. The painfully
impotent condition of our navy, the
only organization that could defend
us from attack by a foreign foe, has
been made common knowledge, but
the senate has passed a bill authoriz-
ing a government armOr plate plant,
an act that will make impossible any
addition to our naval strength for
years. Meanwhile we have been at
tackled on American territory by
Mexican bandit, American citizens
have been massacred both upon our
own soil and in Mexico. Germany has
brazenly violated her pledges to re-
and is openly engaged in campaign
of determination of neutrals citizens
upon the sea. Germany seems to be
making a slow but steady advance
against Verdun and defeating the al
lied powers of Europe. If Germany
wins the world is at her mercy and
the women and girls of the United
States would be undergoing the un-
speakable horrors that have been per-
petuated upon women-kind in the
path of their invasions of Europe.
America has acted, effectively we
trust, for the punishment of Villa but
it has not raised a hand to prevent
unrestricted outrages upon American
citizens by Germany, and Germans
believe we are too cowardly to do so.
1t will not change it's policy until it is
convinced we are able to compel her
to do so. On the contrary, it will
further humiliate and offend the cOun-
try that will not defend itself. De-
spite these facts Congress waits upon
the president and he is potteringly in
vestigating each individual outrage
and allowing this country slowly to
drift into a disastrous international
war.
The country is not prepared to equip
100000 men for actual service. not
prepared to send a fleet to sea to des-
troy an invading host, not prepared to
man the coast defenses. not prepared
to construct battleships. submarines,
aeroplanes. anti-air-craft guns, not
prepared to supply ammunition or to
mobolize large armies. 1t will not be
prepared for any of these things I'M
less our congressman are ready to
subordinate personal politics to ma
tional necessities. If we wait until
things before we call for the men we
shall never get the men.
We sincerely hope that the 100000
men. to be called for military and
naval service would never have to
fight a single battle but they would
give this country a nucleus of trained
men who could act in case of neces-
sity. We believe such a force would
be the strongest guaranty of peace
and honor the nation could have. The
hazard of unpreparedness must be
evident to all. To leave the country
exposed to IL would be a crime as
black as the treason of Benedict Ar
mold. This country must act or fail.
Therefore we appeal to every mem
Der of Congress without regard to
political Affiliations to act for the safety
and honor OF his country. Give us
preparedness in men. in equipment and
in training that will ward off murder.
insult, destruction and give us power.
honor and protection.
Editor Tobin of the SWanton COur-