The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-03-24
Plea Made For Preparedness AT Brotherhood
Meeting Last Night
ADDRESS BY CIVIL WAR VETERAN
Old Soldiers and Members of National Guard
Were Guests at Presbyterian Mems Banquet;
Paper By Captain Scott

The judge regretted that the mar
ried men and business interests OF
the country did not take more in
terest in the welfare of the nation as
, a whole. The business men were too
busy making money. There seemed
to be a parting of the ways between
the men in charge of the business
interests and those who were In
charge of the government. They did
not cooperate here as they did in
Germany. There was an unwhole-
some hostility between them. They
should get together.
The speaker remarked that a
small army of trained soldiers
| would be able to get a much larger
army of green recruits pretty badly
| unused up" America could no
longer look to the ocean for pro-
lection against foreign aggression.
Europe had air balloons that would
cross the ocean in seventeen hours.
Submarines were now in existence
that could go 5000 miles. Telephon-
ing was going on from New York to
Honolulu, and he believed the time
would come when man could speak
around the world. Distances were
! being rapidly reduced.
The Judge spoke of the lack of
military students in this country.
Not enough men were devoting their
time to the study of military prob
lens, so that they could guide the
nation in case of danger.
A sharp rap was taken by the
speaker at the prevalent custom of
promoting men in the American army
not for what they knew or had &C
complished but for social reasons, for
pleasing the ladies and for dancing
we'll at the balls.
He said the government had long
been negligent in managing its mi
litary affairs. But the president had
taken tour about the country, and
had ascertained what was the real
feeling of the people and now there
was change of front.
Startling Statements.
The speaker made some startling
statements about the Mexican sit
uation. He would not be 81 all sur
prised if the Mexicans should be on
the American border before the
Americans were aware of it. America
had stolen Texas from Mexico. Mexi-
cans hated Americans and it was no
wonder. Who could blame them?
He would not be surprised at any
time to see the adherents of Carran-
"a and Villa join hands and fight
America. He feared that Americans
were destined to stay in Mexico and
He closed with plea for better
financial support for Company H.
Mankato business interests should
lend their influence to remove the
financial handicap under which this
company had been laboring. Mankato
people should make it possible for this
company to make good record, in
case it should be called upon to as
sist in defending America.
Captain Scott's Address.
Captain SCOTS address was as
follows:
'The question of home prepared
ness appeals to the national guards
man more than national prepared
ness, if possible. There is a certain
amount of civic pride in connection
with home preparedness that he pos
sibly does not feel in national af-
fairs. The question of having the
citizens of his home town, back of
him and ready to boost is an import
ant factor in the struggle of keeping
together company of national
, guardsmen.
''The fact that the guardsman is
willing and does put in great deaf
of time in drilling and getting in
struction in the proper care and
handling of fire arms, one night each
week of the year, besides ten days
at camp of instruction each year,
with no pay except for the ten days
camp, which amounts to fifteen dol
lars should mean something to the
citizens of a town or city where a
company is located.
when the fact is universally
known to the men, that we do not
get anything from the city for the
maintenance of a company, being
even compelled by the present city
commissioners to pay water rent,
which is quite an item when these
things are considered, is it any Won
der that we have hard struggle for
existence. Then the question of en-
ployer is vital in home prepared
ness. We find men here in Mankato
who will not hire a young man if
they know he is a member of the
national guard. We have trouble
every year in getting men excused to
go to camp. Employers have the
nerve to tell us that they cannot pos
sibly run their business without the
young man in question, and when
we. take them by force, they tell him
when he returns that they have sue
ceeded after stupenduous effort in
getting a man to take their place, and
their services are no longer needed
The officers of the guard get into hot
water with the business man if they
do take them, and they have trouble
with the officers higher up, if they
do not
Lot of Officer Hard One.
$50 you see that without the uni
versal support of the citizens, the
lot of an officer of the guard is hard
one. These questions are source of