New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1916-08-18
Dow the Wilson
Administration Has
IPenaliZed Patriotism

luTlHeI aggression upon the territory
Of the United States from Mexico ant
the necessity for the proper protec
ton OF that frontier" President vii
son. ID June 10. called out the mobile
arms OF the National Guard for felera
service.
He did not call them out at theil
existing peace strength, but at wal
strength, which is practically double
Lacking a system OF reserves, thu
National Guard organizations immedi
ateIy 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
'ying numbers. According to Senator
Chamberlain, chairman OF the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs, the re
suit Is that about 1856 900 citizen sol
Tiers have been mustered into ths
federal service and are now on the
Mexican border or in camp IN then
aome states. There may be more, but
The administration refuses TO make
SHOWN the exact figures.
The movement Is costing the public
treasury many millions OF dollars; l,
S costing the individual citizen sol
Tiers many millions more. They went
o the front believing the cry, "Your
country needs you" for war service.
They sacrificed advancement in their
,ivl 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 home on thes. 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
friend, CarranZa. finds it impossib' 6
TO do. Because the recognized govern
ment IN Mexico is too ineffective to
keep Its 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 mur
der OF American citizens on Mexican
soil Is another matter. Carrsnza may
go as far as he likes in that direction.
Second, a purpose OF the mobiliZa,
ton on the border and In the camps
Is tn train pitizaus tn norfnrvp aHa.,iya
military service. The regular military
establishment OF the nation is mani.
testify tOo SINAI! for the actual military
needs. To this extent the cry, Your
country needs you" was correct
But these facts we're not made clear
when the call was issued. The idea
was promulgated that men were need
ed for actual war service; not for
military training. Deceit was prac
ticed.
Opposing In the open legislation ,ol
universal military service, the admin
istration by IT'S acts hae established
what in essence is a system OF com
pulsOrY military service. II is a sys.
TEN all the more vicious because II
operates only against the patriotic,
whereas a legali2ea universal training
system equalizes the burden of mill
tary service among an men and all
classes of men.
When, in 1914, Europe plunged into
the greatest wal OF all history. and
conditions in Mexico grew intolerable.
,,,nl1f1Ir. r1an rno1;-al a.. c.. 49,.
II was incumbent on this nation 70
build up its tiny regular army and put
its other military resources in condi.
ton for use. National safety demanded
this And vet. in December of that
veal fonr months after the Furopean
war began, President Wilson went be
fore Congress and declared that al
agitation for military preparedness
IA hysterical; that we we're ade
quatelv prepared.
changed its mind and ~professed to
believe In the necessity for prepared.
ness. First came an enactment To
increase the regular army BY 10000.
But the body Of the country. end even
all parts Of the Democratic admins.
~tration, could not change mont 20
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 Still more
men in the regular army. was enacted
But still the men were not forthcOm.
Ing.
Suddenly and without warning the
administration issued Its call for mo
bi.izatiou O.: the citizen soldierv Il
seemed sun obsessed with the Bryan
notion ina, an amy could be created
by presidential ukase.
When the call went out the govern
ment did not own enough uniforms.
shoes, socks, blankets. hats, wagons.
trucks. horses, mules and other things
essential to equip the men called: It
had made no provision for transport,
ing the troops called 10 the points
where they wers required.
Who suffered most BY this amas
ing lack of foresight, this leaptng b.
fore looking?
Only the 1875. 600 patriots who b.
that their country needed them
for national defense: only the men
who are making the great sAcr1ncee.
The whole disgraceful story may
summed up In the phrase. the
administrators has psnafissd patriot
.sm.
True, Il Is accumuhtinS. by sub
terfuge, q reserve Of trained soldisN
but events have demonstrated that Il
,ried wolf when there was no vol.
should II he forced to cry "wolr
gain. when the wolf IL at the door.
will be the RESULT