The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-07-03

or six months, and then for ten dayt
every year for the next ten years
Within few weeks. Secretary Bak'
err has said, my belief is that educ
cational institutlons Of our country
should see to 1t that every boy hat
Il lnstilled into him that one OF the
cardinal duties, II not the paramount
duty, he will assume with ciuSen'
ship, is the obligation to defend his
country in time OF war; and II this
IL Il duty, as | believe 1t is, then cor
tainly the boy should be trained to
perform that duty when the time
comes for him to do so, 1t is essen
TALLY u democratic principle that
every citizen should be willing TO
contribute his personal service to the
common defense" That sounds sem
sible. Some such system seems abso-
lutely necessary, and the training
would be OF inestimable benefit ply
sically. Thousand Of wrecked bodies
would now be strong had they been
subjected to military discipline. The
recruiting officer of the United
States marine corps in New York re-
ports that out OF Hop applicants
for enlistment the first three months
of the present year, only S16 were
able to pass the physical examination.
Only one man in every 35 physically
1T to be marine. 1t is true that
the percentage of the acceptable APP
plcants was lower in New York City
than anywhere else, but 1t was low
enough everywhere to reveal a pre-
ponderance of the unfit that argues
forclbly for preparedness as n meanl
of raising the average physical con-
dition OF the young men of the coun-
try. That would be benefit beyond
calculation. Then IL war broke over
the land. they would not go forth az
so many Of our own young men are
going forth, unframed and unprepar-
ed, like sheep to the slaughter"
Fourth. But back Of the military
training, back OF all industrial mo-
blllzation is that without which all
the rest will be ineffective: National
character.
In vain will any preparation, MILL
tary or Industrial, II we do not pre-
pare ourselves physically and moral
ly, for our high trusts and RESPONSE
bllities.
We must be men, We must be
Americans, we must be patriots, be-
fore we are soldiers or mechanics.
We are becoming fabby, or we are
in general danger Of becoming habby
in spirit as In body. The statistics
here quoted show 1t. The curse Of
Indifference is upon US. We are roll
ed In prosperity till VIC have forgot
ten the meaning Of sacrtace-till the
thought OF dying for a principle is
alien to our nature.
That means failure when the SUI
preme test shall come. 1t means de-
feat when the bugles of defense are
on the air. It means foreign domin-
ion should the strong aggressor
come. 1t reduces to this: mo ma
ton ever amounted to anything II
Its sons did not have the fighting
edge; II its women did not feel as
the mothers Of Washlngton's Contin-
entails felt, MS the mothers Of the men
who followed Grant and Lee felt"
as the mother feel today Of the men
who fell at Vera Cruz, and who are
falling along the Mexican border.
Men who are not ready to fght for
the right, II the time ever comes,
men who are not willing to lift the
sword in defense Of the country which
has made the mwhat they are, are
not fit themselves to live In land
that Is based upon freedom and jus
tlce.
This is the spirit that must make
the nation over today; that must
merge all natlonalltles into one;
that must bind all clashing interests
together; that must subordinate the
Individual to the state, the local to
the national; that must prepare all
citizens to meet all issues as Ameri-
can patriots; that out of the warning
chaos must evolve new heaven and
new earth, new nation, new
American, In which antagonisms Of
race and prejudice and caste and pur-
pose shall be no more. This is the
new campaign to which we are I'M
vited. 1t is a struggle for the pre-
serYation Of the Union!