El Nuevo mexicano., 1916-06-01
An Injustice

VT sN# I'll HNH A.H# N Wt.h4M fN
Al number OF eastern newspapers have
been going on the assumption that the poor
showing of the New Mexico National Guard
was due to the fact that members Of the or
sanitation refused to. answer the call to the
border. This impression should be correct
ed. The failure of recruits to enlist is bad
enough; the action of the Texans, men en-
listed in the guard who refused to serve is
worse and New Mexico should be spared
that stigma at least.
The New Mexican believes that the time
to nave brought the New Mexico National
Guard into a state of preparedness was long
before the call came. This campaign for
recruits should have been inauguarated
raany months ago when marching and drill.
ing bodies of men at home, the blare
of bugles and range practice would have
more easily attracted recruits, while the
strong possibility of border service al
ways acting as a stimulus. Had the
Guard been recruited long ago system
~aticalIy and vigorously to its full strength
with able-hodied men. there would have
been no defections when the call sounded
and we should not now have the handicap
of rounding up unframed raw recruits r.
go at once into service to fill up a skeleton
orgnnization. he blawe for the situation in
he FINAL Analysis goes chiefly back to for
mer legislatures.
That, however, is water thst has passed
over the dam. We are facing a present sit
nation which must he net. The relatively
rrralI city of Santa Re with it's 5000 popula-
ton has done well with its 200 odd mel
IT can do still better. If every other town
and esreciallv the mining camps and coun-
try towns are properly canvassed we feel
sure that the 300 recruits needed will be
sorthcoming. 1t is the old story Of unpre
paredness, the disease which has infected
states as well rs the nation.
The New York Sun is one of the newspa-
.rers which has jumred to the conclusion
all TIE members of the New Mexico
Guard have not done their duty.
rhe Sun says:
''The 116 members of the National Guard
OF Texas who did not respond to the call OF
the president for service on the Mexican
border are to be court-martialled under the
Dick law, and punished for their disobedi
ence. The strength Of the Texas organiza-
ton at its latest official INSPECTION was las
officers and 2.091 men. 1t aurears that an
n~rcximately 5 per cent of the total on tn
rolls refused to answer the federal sum
mons.
mo figures are given for the Arizona
and New Mexico Guards, which we're called
cut with the Texas troops. but it is said Ari-
zona's record is not so good as that OF the
Lone Star State. Only seventy-hve Arizona
ot8cefS and men nave Deen sworn INTO Lne
United States service, but this gives no ade-
idea Of the number who reported, as
there is nothing to indicate how many we're
rejected on examination. It is fair to as
sure that in all three states the response
was about the same, and it is not likely that
the Texas record of 5 per cent of the
strength falling to show up is worse than
any other state would make. Illness. abb
selce from home. and other causes win ac-
count for the non-apnearance of many OF
these men. as it would in other similar or
CARNATIONS.
"rhe disquieting thing about the Texas
is that its nominal strength is onlv
one twenty-eighth of / per cent of the popu-
Iation, and that its numbers have suffered
an actual reduction in the last year, during
the opportunity for active service was
constantly imminent. 1t would have SEEM
ed safe to predict when the situation On the
border became acute that the state and its
would bring their Guard to the
highest r1ane of efficiency, in preparation
eventualities, but this natural precau-
was neglected, and consequently the or
military forces of the state now cut
an unimpressive figure"