Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-07
MODELLING A CITIZEN ARMY
BY FREDERIC }. HASKIN
One of the Days Best Cartoons.

y FNIIO ~
PHILADELPHIA. PA. May O.
ihliadeiphia is mobilizing. While
most of the nation is discussing pre
paredness. Philadelphia has 10000 men
ready IN theory at least, To take the
heid. When the recent Sussex crisis
arose with Germany. the leaders OF
me iocai army wired Secretary Baker
! that their 10000 stood behind him
| The organization is formally known
as i'hiiadclphia's Citizen Army. and in
, tends eventually TO recruit up TO a
strength of $4,000 Moreover. in the
large plans which inspire the founders.
| Fhiladelphia's corps is to be only tho
! nucleus OF national citizen army of
| 100000 men
Locally. people speak OF the corps
AS "DreNel Riddles Citizen Army" or
F.. more Familiarity as "Biddlc's Armv."
! Therein lies the whole story. For this
IL unique army. paradoxical army.
II is one mans army, yet IL gets more
men than the National Guard It is a
! fich mans army, Yet in some ways II
( is an ideal army TO, poor man 10
/ join.
TIL army had its birth in Mr. ~ J.
! breNel Biddle's brain. He is a figure
. pretty we'll known to American news
+, paper readers, his exploits as an anna
! icur boxer, combined with his sudden
! determination to found "A world wide
! chain Of Bible classes. having given
I material for much picturesque copy"
Less we'll known perhaps IL the fact
! that his Bible classes have been pushed
along until they number 10000 mem
! bcrs. Now he is pushing his army in
| something the same way
The original idea nf the corps, and
! tho idea that still aniniatcs it's lead
! ers. was simply TO ''sho" Congress
/ that il can he done" Several months
ago IL became apparent that the coun-
/ try wanted preparedness, but the pow
/ efS that be seemed unable to decide
! just where To begin ana what TO do.
I Philadelphias Citizen Army is in the
! nature OF concrete suggestion. a
lahoratory demonstration OF how citi-
zen armies are built.
/ BEING we'll endowed with this worlds
| goods and in close touch with men OF
! wealth. Nh Riddle was in position
/ To put his ideas into practice. He
| wanted to get the rank and file OF
! Philadelphia out and give them mill
J ,ary training. somewhat after the
Swiss or the Australian fashion, with
/ out interfering with their regular
/ work. II the citizens of Philadelphia
/ really wanted An army corps WAS tho
! Implication, lie, them come out and
| form one, Without waiting for instruc-
! lions from authority.
Government Lends officers.
At first il looked az IL they didn't
want one After lengthy negotiations,
| number OF officers were loaned by
! tho government to act ms administers.
Thousands OF recruiting circulars were
! sent around. explaining tie scheme and
! setting the first meeting Al Lans-
| downe, a country place near Fhiladcl-
| phia Thousands of dollars were spent
! to get publicity. Front-paSe adEer-
! tisemcnts were inserted in the news
| pa pcrs When the day arrived. 1t found
Mr. Biddle at l.ansdownc with ten ON
GERS The recruits were there. too
as many as sixteen Of them
The new army was apparently
| fiasco II looked like failure, But Mr.
Riddle remembered his Bible class cN-
pcrience when he had started with
four men He looked over the sixteen
recruits. and they were a heterogcn-
eous collection, especially from the re-
liEious point of view There were
| three Jews. four Roman Catholics. An
! atheist or two. and members Of several
| Protestant denominations. Ncrcrthe-
less, the aggregation were called on TO
start the army by saying the Lords
Prayer. This they did. and the first
drill was postponed while the recruit
ing campaign went on.
Before long the tide began to turn.
and enough men came out to start the
| drilling, After two weeks. names were
pouring in. until now. stated before.
the corps numbers 900, with fair
prospect Of getting the $4,000 set for
goal.
The work consists in bi-weckly drills
with strenuous weekend drills at
| I.anSUowGe. SATURDAY ana sunday are
devoted to the latter, and into these
two days the men in charge are con-
irving to cram twenty-eiEht hours of
| military practice Of one kind or an
| other. Tents, food and equipment are
furnished.
In the matter of meeting expenses.
| the corps is calling on the wealthy men
| of Philadelph campaign has just
been launched to raise 100000 to
| cover the cost Of prospective expan-
No 20 Il,
shall pay az much rs he can. or will.
! II he is in good circumstances. he can
| take care of all his own expenses, get
| his military training. and do his duty
as citizen II he is some one equally
| willing, hut too poor to 20 to any
| extra expense. the corps will do il for
him.
|. Based on Real Justice.
1t is claimed for such a system that
| II is based on real justice, Men of
wealth have most at stake in case OF
| war They have most to lose in dis
| aster. most to protect under any cir
| cumstances. II is no more than their
| duty that they should come forward
with the money to equip defenders. If
| the defenders are willing to give their
| time which is all they have, toward
| making themselves efficient. More
| over. wealth comes to most men late in
| life, when they are past the fighting
age. They can do their share by help
| account to handle a rifle.
Many large employers OF labor have
heen won over. There is one detach-
meut of the corps. which consists of
| 100 bakers All these bakers come
| from single big bakery. and their
uniforms are furnished them by their
| employer Several of the department
| stores have uniformed as many OF their
| employees as cared to poin One Jew
| elry store has sixty-four uniformed
| men In the field.
Recruiting is still going on actively.
Sometimes as many as hundred men
| Join In a day. To stimulate interest,
unique exhibit has been set up on