The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1916-08-17
low THE WILSON
ADMINISTRATION HAS
PEHhLIzED PATRIOTISM.

Having IN view the possibility Of
further aggression upon the territory
OF the United States from Mexico and
the necessity for the proper protection
Of that frontier" President Wilson 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 system of reserves, the ma
tional guard organizations immediate
ly had to start campaign of recruit
ing to bring about the desired increase
In their numbers.
Patriotic Young citizens under the
urge Of the cry, Your country needs
YOU volunteered for service In graf
flying numbers. According to Senator
Chamberlain. chairman OF the senate
committee on military affairs, the re-
suit is that about 10000 citizen sol
diers have been mustered into the fed.
eral service and are now on the Mex
lean 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: II
is costing the individual citizen soldiers
many millions more, They went to the
front believing the cry, Your country
needs you" for war service. They sac
riliced advancement In their civil occu
pations, severed home ties, suffered In
thousands of instances great financial
loss. The less patriotic, 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.-A 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 pre-
vent them numbering Americans on
American soil the American govern.
nY.fr L. he nf
doing that work for them The muir
der of American citizens on Mexican
soil is another matter. Carranza may
90 as far as he likes in that direction.
Seccnd-A purpose of the mobiliza-
ton on the border and In the camps
Is to train citizens to perform effective
service. The regular military
establishment Of the nation Is mani
testify too small or 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 mill
tary training. Deceit was practiced
Opposing in the open legislation for
universal military service, the admin.
by its acts has established
what In essence Is n system Of com
pulsory military service. 1t Is a sys.
tenn all the more vicious because It
operates only against the patriotic.
legalized universal training
system equalizes the burden of mill
tary service among all men and all |
'lasses Of men.
When in 1914 Europe plunged into
he greatest war Of all history and con.
litions In Mexico grew intolerable Ia.
elligent men realized the fact that II
vas incumbent on this nation to build
ip its tiny regular army and put It's |
,ther military resources in condition
or use. National safety demanded
his. And yet In December OF that
ear, four months after the European
var began, President Wilson went be.
ore congress and declared that all
citation for military preparedness
vas hysterical that we were ade-
uately prepared,
After awhile the administration
hanged It's mind and professed 10 be
eve in the necessity for preparedness.
'irst came an enactment TO increase
be regular army by 10000. But the
ody Of the country, and even all
arts OF the Democratic administra
ion, could not change front so quickly
s the head Recruiting for the regu
IT army Jagged. Not yet have the
0. 600 been secured.
The need pressed. A new national
efense act, providing for still rlore +,
zen in the regular army, was enacted
ut still the men were not forthcom-
u.
Suddenly and without warning the i
issued its call for mo- /
ilization Of the citizen soldiers. II ,
aemed still Obsessed with the Bryan /
otion that an army could be created
Y presidential ukase. 4
When the call went ont the govern !
ient did not own enough uniforms. C
loes. SOCK. blankets hats, wagons, "A
ueks. horses, mules and other things "
,sential 10 equip the men called. II
ld made no provision for transport
z the troops called TO the points