Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-04-04
ADDRESS IS GIVEN
ON PREPAREDNESS
Captain Walter r. Cupp
Speaks to the Council of
Women Voters.

At the meeting OF the Boise chapter,
National Council OF Women Voters,
last night Captain Walter r. Cupp, OF
the Idaho National Guard. spoke on
the subject. THE Responsibilities Of
Good citizenship. taking as his theme
personal preparedness from a national
standpoint.
The course Of his discussion en-
bodied the ideas suggested In these
quotations.: from Calhoun, Protection
and patriotism are reciprocal. from
French, every man has his value
from the German and Danish, Every
man is the architect of his own for
tune" and from Tacitus. THE nature
Of sovereign power is not to endure a
rival"
He said he would preface his remarks
by saying that he did not believe in
training the boy to kill but that in his
work with the Boy Scouts his aim was
to instill patriotism and to train them
to be physically, intellectually and
morally perfect so that they will make
the best citizens.
From a national standpoint every
man has his value and the citizen who
Is prepared for military duty is the bet
ter citizen In time OF peace for he is
equipped to take his place and assume
the responsibilities that must neces-
sarily be his" said the speaker
Every man has duty TO perform and
he must either assume his share of the
burden or thrust it on another. The
man that is physically strong and i'm
tellectual is prepared to care for him
self under all circumstances and will
not shirk his duty when called upon
in time of crisis. II our boys are
properly trained to be good citizens and
to properly care for themselves under
! all conditions they need only have a
, gun put in their hands and be taught
to shoot to make soldier, but that this
should be taught only when necessity
demanded in time Of national need
II is not the military preparedness that
is the most essential thing but the pre-
paredness of the individual that is the
most important"
Like Growth of Plant.
Mr.. Cupp said, in speaking of Amer
ica's national growth, he would COM
pare it to the growth Of plant, having
its termination in the declaration Of
independence, the constitution and ma
4 tional organization. The first strong
growth was the making Of new states
expansion OF territory and the expIor-
alton and development of the country.
Then, as a plant becomes rootbound
after a vigorous growth, the nation be-
came rootbound and began to drift
until it was necessary to repot the
plant and the struggle OF the civil war
was the process whereby the equality
OF all men was secured
Then there began the new growth
again in the reconstruction Of national
purpose and establishment Of unity
said Captain Cupp. Now the organi-
cation and Capitalization of political
! power is carrying us on to another
rootbound stage where the national OBJ
| jeetive is lost sight of and we are
merely drifting without any national
purpose, nearing another crisis where
we must decide whether our nation is
| going to be a world empire or true
/ democracy. Shall we attempt to pro-
/ tect our citizens in all parts Of the
world or like Switzerland say we will
not expand but will remain intact: let
every one beware. Or like China hold
to an idealistie view of peace and re-
/ fuse to be prepared to meet the crti-
cal time when It comes2 China has
been an example of a pure democracy
without any preparedness and when
outside nations began to trespass upon
her it became necessary for her to call
! in the Manchu tribes to protect her
and thus was gradually controlled by
| them. She now sees the necessity OF
maintaining a preparedness which viii
enable her to enforce her rights as a
nation and people.
Lost Standing Among Nations.
/ by refusing 10 assume our national
obligations we have lost our standing
with other nations of the world and
unless we are prepared to protect our
country and people we will have to pay
the bills of this great war in Europe.
There IS only small percentage Of
our men able to properly assume the
burden of self protection, in this hour
and every man should strive for the
proper training TO enable him to take
his place and assume his portion OF
the national burden.
I'VE should know what our congress-
men are doing with our government
and they should have the right to the
| council of TIE people they represent
Every citizen hould take an inter-
est in public affairs and should exer-
else his right and assume his respon-
sibillty in doing his share to make the
/ whole unit"
At the business meeting the council
went on record as fayoring playground