Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-06-01
A CITIZEN ARMY
By Frederic J. Haskin

can, or will. If he is in good circum-
stances, he can take care of all his
own expenses, get his military train
ing, and do his duty as a citizen. If
he is some one equally willing but too
poor to go to any extra expense, the
corps will do it for him.
1t is claimed for such a system that
it is based on real justice. Men OF
wealth have most at stake in case of
war. They have most to lose in dis
aster, most to protect under any cir
cumstances. 1t is no more than their
duty that they should come forward
with the money to equip defenders,
if the defenders are willing to give
their time, which is all they have, to-
ward making themselves efficient
Moreover, wealth comes to most men
late in life, when they are past the
lighting age. They can do their share
by helping some youth with a smaller
bank account to learn to handle a
rifle.
Many large employers of labor have
been won over There is one detach-
ment of the corps which consists of
1900 bakers. All these bakers come
from a single big bakery, and their
uniforms are furnished them by their
employer. Several of the department
stores have uniformed as many of their
employees as cared to join. One jewelry
store has sixty-four uniformed men in
the field.
Recruiting is still going on actively.
Sometimes as many as hundred men
join in a day. To stimulate interest,
unique exhibit has been set up on
the ground floor of one of the big
downtown office buildings. 1t includes
all sorts of souvenirs of the European
war, in the shape of helmets, rifles,
big ugly-looking shells, a model camp,
an aeroplane, even the somewhat dis
] nn gri1n Hfrtt Of n hn1 col or
attended by a pretty Red Cross nurse.
This last however, is a part of the
contribution of the PENNSYLVANIA
Women's Division for National Pre-
paredness, which Is cooperating in
the exhibition as are half dozen
other organizations of kindred pur-
pose, such as the State division of the
Navy League.
In spite of the fact that il is by way
of being a protege of wealth and So
ciety, the Citizen Army is democratic.
The men who are backing it are in
dead earnest, and efficiency is the
only yardstick. Some young scions of
Philadelphia's first families are serv-
ing in the ranks, under the command
of men who work at a trade. One OF
| the best captains in the organization
! spends his working hours laying
bricks.
The obligations incurred by the
man who signs his name as a recruit
are of course less definite than those
he undertakes to fulfill when joining
the National Guard. He Is not
| pledged to any course of action except
that he promises to defend his coun-
| try, and to work faithfully at acquir-
ing a military training. Nevertheless
the leaders of the corps believe firmly
! that their men can be counted on
in any contingency that may arise, as
witness their telegram to the Secre-
| tary of War.
The unique feature of the Citizen
Army is the use it has made of the
! resources of men of wealth. BY pay
ing all expenses for those who can not
pay their own, even down to making
! good loss of salary when an en-
| ployer will not give time off without
taking it out of the pay envelope, the
system puts military training within
reach of anybody who wants 1t. 1t
has put the question of preparedness
! squarely up to the citizen himself,
leaving him to answer it in an un-
mistakable way by his own actions.
The Citizen Army hopes to grow
until 1t is national organization.
Plans are already made for starting
corps in many other cities, among
them Baltimore, Washington and
! Pittsburgh. In each new city the
same double problem will have to be
ldCeu lndI was solved in Philadelphia
-frst to how to arouse the people.
ana second how to secure the Good
Grafton of men of means. The uIti-
mate goal is an organization a mil
hon strong, covering the country.
Ihe men who want that CORPS have
no particular desire to keep it in their
own hands. They want preparedness
Ihey are willing to work with anv-
pody who is working for prepared
ness ready to affiliate with anythine
that promises to further the end. THEY
ask nothing better than to have their
corps taken over by the governr,ant
Ihey believe that what the country
really wants is nonmilitaristic citi-
zen army. They are tyring to show
that it can be done.- ''''"