Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-03-02
CANADA TRANsFO RMEO
Change for the Brttcr among the
People <otcd Everywhere ns
Result of Military DriIi.

Americans Of the United States. he
ing urged to preparedness" by circum-
stances. may do worse than consider
some physical miracles which arc being
wrought in canada 10y military training.
Recently "A few companies of the khaki
clad. marching past my domicile, held
my surprised attention. writes j.. W.
Thomson in tho Boston Transcript. About
threc months ago had CHANGED to watch
for some Is minutes the same lads III
awkward Squads" some hlundernElH
trying to form fours.' others to fright
face" or left face" others to wheel
this or that way at command. The amaZ-
ing thing was then, not their awkward
ness. but the slouchy physical condition
of considerable proportion of their
whole number. Through the governments
lowering of the standard of height, chest
measurement, teeth. eyes. etc, a lot of
chaps had been enlisted who looked sadly
feeble. small. ili-shaped, to any spectator
who remembered the magnificent men that
came to early calls. Watching the awk-
ward squads, stood about me number
of big lumbcrmcn and the like, mostly
middle-aged or old. OF those nearest
asked ruefully: rs this training
ground for children and imbeciles?"
"I.oolis dashed like IT," one replied, while
others grnncd. approaching the apparent
absurditN Of trying to make serviceabe
soldiers of much of the enranked human
material. Well, those very same fcebles,
of whom it seemed incredible that forci-
Hes could ever he made, ma rched by yes
to-day with heads high, briskiy, In rude
health, brght-eyed ruddy. in good step.
as capable of enduring hardship and bat
| tie as ever the Princess Pats regiment
of September, 1914.
! True many OF them were short, which
set one TO rejecting that good little 'uns
can shoot as well as good big 'uns, while
/ less likely to he hit by bullets. shrapne.
or shell cments. 4 curious air Of pride
! and huoyancy was remarkable in not a
few of the "shorries." They felt big.
/ They had been reckoned fit. despite be-
! ing of such stature as God allotted. The
girls wouldn't he sneering at their size
| any more, 1t has ever been notorious
! that little men are often valorous, VEN
/ tureSome, eager for combat FalStan tes-
titled to that, He cared naught FOR the
bulk and big resemblance of man-giVe
me the spirit. Master Shallow" But 1t
was not because of their littleness. any
more than because of their previous
feeblencss and slouchiness, that these
chaps had become wonders in quarter of
"a year.
They had been put through sound
course of physical exercise every day; wei
fed; forced to abstinence, not only iron
drink but from loafng and dawdling and
late hours. They had won deep slumbei
every night by hard work IN drill and
long marches They were made all over
again." regenerated, put in the straight
course to long, healthy, vigorous life. T'
gain so much II would have been wei
worth their while to get into the ranks
even If war were never possible. That !!
what one wished could he seen and un
derstood by Americans in general. Thu
proof tends greatly to make even thu
, softest paciticists comprehend that there
more in preparedness than the gettin:
ready for a nations defence. Strict mil
itaiy training is educative in a. or the
most beneticient way. Not merely ha'
those chaps of yesterday become strong
. clear-eyed, hearty, wholesome in body
Out mentally and spiritually developed
through enforced obedience. promptitude
endurance; through aspiration to stripes
: or commissions; through the new sens
of comradeship, friendliness in associa
ton, pride In their corps; through recoe
= milton of the mannerlness OF saluting thei
officers and receiving, as of equal right
no less courteous salute in return. Th
= lads had ceased to be shiftless units in
' democratic mob. They were no longer o
= the lookout for sights from hetter-offs
no longer eager 10 resent such Imagine
j.. or real annoyances. Each was in his rigl
n place, knowing his work and his duty
f conscious of serving his people and hi
n country, aware of deserving Just treat
!, ment and secure OF getting it: therefore
n mood to give the same all round. Indeed
the deCenCY and mannerliness of OF
usual Canadian soldiery may we'll he r.
membered as a glory to them in genera
though many OF them may never hear
gun fired to Kill.
e Were every possibility OF future war
u end with this one the sages of all mai
II kind might well set about trying to pc
+ suade the human race to keep or tai
to compulsory military training, for a
~ well-grown lads and all able-bodied me
e mp to say 40 years old. The compulso'
y feature could not he judiciously elimi'
e ated, That is what would get into |,
IS ranks multitudes who could not be fetc
y ed by mere persuasion, nor by gener
l. sense of benefits to accrue. nor by the
individual perception that they'd he be
tered Ivy such training 1t is impossible
h by sermonizinG. or through general al
ID individual conviction that drunkenness
NJ foolish and harmful, to induce all mout
Of to shut against whiskey /, is impossib
despite general and individual certain