The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1916-09-07
the Wilson
Administration Has
PenanZedP Patriotism

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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 o call them out 1t their
existing peace strength, but ct val
strength. which is practically double.
Lacking a system of reserves, the
National Guard organisations immedt-
ately had to start a 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.
Tying numbers. According to Senator
Chamberlain. chairman Of the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs. the re-
suit is that about 1876. 900 citizen SOL
diers have been mustered into the
federal service and are now on the
Mexican border or in camp in their
nome 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.
Hers many, millions more. They went
% the front believing the cry. "Your
country needs you" for wal service.
they sacrificed advancement In their
civil occupations. severed home ties.
suffered. in thousands OF instances,
great financial loss. The less pa
:riotic. who did not believe the cry. or
believing, declined to make sacrifices.
.atten at homo 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
TREND. Carranza. finds it impossible
to do. Because the recognized govern
ment IN Mexico Is too ineffective to
keep its W 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 may
go as far as he likes in that direction.
Second. a purpose Of the mobiliza.
ton on the border and in the camps
10 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.
ed for actual a service; not foa
military training. Deceit was prac.
ticed. ,5
Opposing in tho open legislation TO,
universal military service. the admin.
istration by its acts has established
what In essence is a system Of com.
pulsory military service. It is a sys.
TEN all the more vicious because Il
operates only against the patriotic,
whereas a 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
It was incumbent on this nation tc
build up its tiny regular army and put
its 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 went be,
fore Congress and declared that all
agitation for military preparednesi
was hysterical; that We were ade
quately prepared.
After = while the administration
changed its mind and ,professed ID
believe in the necessity for prepared
ness. First came an enactment I'd
increase the regular army BY 10000,
But the body Of the country. and eve1
all parts Of the Democratic admins,
tration. could not change front "a
quickly as the head. Recruiting TOD
the regular army Jagged. Not ye1
have the 10000 been secured.
The need pressed. A new national
defense act, providing for still more
men in the regular army, was enacted,
But still the men wer not forthcom,
ing.
Suddenly and without warning tho
administration issued It's call for mo,
Utilization Of the citizen soldiery. d
seemed stn obsessed with the Bryan
notion that an army could be created
by presidential ukase.
When tho call went out the govern,
ment did o own enough uniforms,
shoes. socks. blankets, hats. wagons,
trucks. horses, mules and other things
essential to equip tho men called; Il
had made no provision for transport.
ing the troops called to the pointa
where they required.
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