The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1916-08-25
HOW the Wilson
Administration Has
IPenaliZed Patriotism

u tie United States from Mexico and
the necessity for the proper prctec.
lon OF mat frontier" President VII
on. on June rs. called out the mobile
n an Of the National Guard for fedora
service.
lie did not call them out al thei
existing peace strength. but Al We ,
strength which Is practically doubIp
Lacking a system Of reserves. the
National Guard organizations immedi
ateIy mad to start q campaign OF re-.
'rultlng. TO bring about the desired IN.
'rease IN their numbers.
Patriotic young citizens. under the
urge OF the cry Your country needs
YOU, volunteered Tor service In graft.
lying numbers. According to Senator
Chamberlain. chairman OF the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs. the re-.
suit Is that about l"5.O 900 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
NH'"N NHF fAhtl URuTeH.
The movement Is costing the public
treasury m nv millions OF do'lars: IL
&c costing the individual citizen sol.
diers many millions more. They went
10 the 'front.' believing the cry your
country needs YOU for war service.
They sacrificed Advancement In thew
"iv'l occupations severed home ties.
suffered IN thousan Is OF Instances,
great financial loss The less ia
triotic. who did not believe the cry or
believing declined 10 make sacrifices.
fatten at home on these losses.
The real purposes Of the call arc
slowly developing. They are two IN
number:
First, a patrol OF the border TO do
the work which r. q fident Wilson's
friend, C~arranza. finds u impossib q
to do Because the recognized govern.
ment in Mexico Is too ineffective &c
keep It's 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 mu-
Ter ~ American citizens on Mexican
soil is another matter. Carranza may
90 as far az he likes In that direction.
Second, a purpose OF the mObiliza
non on the border and IN the camps
Is to train citizens 60 perform effective
military service. The regular military
establishment OF the nation is mani.
testify too sma'. 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 we're need.
ed for actual war service: not for
military training. Deceit was prac.
ticed
Opposing in the open legislation for
universal military service. the admin.
istration by It's acts has established
what In essence is a system Of com.
0ulsCr" military service II IL a svs.
TEN all the more vicious because Il
operates only against the patriotic.
whereas a legalIzed universal training
system ~equalizes the burden OF mill
tarv 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 lntolerah,e.
intelligent men realized the fact that
II was incumbent on this nation to
build up It's 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 vent be-
fore Congress and declared that all
agitation for military preparedness
was hystertcal; that We were ado
uuatsly prepared.
After q while the administration
changed rs mind and profeased to
believe in the necessity for prepared.
ness. First came an enactment 20
Increase the regulaT army by 10000.
But the body OF the country. and even
all parts OF the Democratic admits.
tration. could not change front 50
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 SIN mor
men In the regular army, was enacted.
But still the men we're not torthcom
ing.
Suddenly and without warning the
administration issued its call for mo
bilization OF the citSen sOldiery Il
seemed stiil 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.
rrucks. horses. mules and other things
essential to equip the men called; Il
had made no provision for transport
ng the troops called to the points
where they we're required.
Who suffered most by this amaE'
ing lack OF foresight this leaping be-
sors lOoking7
only the 1885 OO patriots who be-