The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-12-21
Federalized National Guard is Unjust
in Principle and Failure in Practice

when that is done, would take plenty
Of time to work out some other and
better plan of augmenting the regular
army.
AFFECT Failure Says Senator.
Il believe the liberalization of the
rational guard has been complete
and abject failure" said Senator
Borah. with no reflection on the
| Individual members of the guard, the
scheme has failed to give us a really
efficient national force. The mobili-
cation on the Mexican border has
| demonstrated that
In the first place, it will be recalled
that a large number of national
guardsmen refused, on the president
call to take the federal oath, and l
took it the first time who declare
they will never renew it. Look at the
large number of national guard Off
GERS who have resigned since they
went to the border. The officers, in
many cases, have been able to get out
by this means, but the men in the
ranks are tied by their enlistment, and
can not leave.
! Then, too, it is a fact that recruit
ing for the national guard has come
TO standstill. Men are no longer
willing to enlist, in spite of the efforts
put forth to raise new regiments, and
especially to fill those regiments thai
have gone to the border. 1t is motor
ious that many of these regiments to-
day are not recruited to their full
strength, and there is no prospect that
they will ever be filled.
Take Advantage of Patriotism.
MANY of the national guardsmen
now on the border feel that they are
carrying more than their share of the
burden of defense; they have come tc
believe that they are bearing the Other
mans burden, and among the
guardsmen on the border, or who
have been on the border, there is q
strong sentiment in favor of gen.
eral and fair apportionment of this
burden. Those men hold that because
they, in moment of patriotism, vol,
Iunteered their services, they have beer
forced to do duty that should be more
widely distributed.
"A good percentage of the men nov
on the border have duties to which
they should be devoting their atten'
ton, and it can hardly be regarded a:
fair that they should have to neglec
their business while the great mass o
the manhood of the nation is let 81
scot free from that disagreeable duty.
Many Want Releases.
81 have been showered with letter.
from the fathers and mothers of boy
who should be in school or in offices
asking that measures be taken to Sc
cure their sons release. Such a de
mand on members of congress alon
establishes an almost impossible sit
uation. The fact that public senti
ment does not support this mobiliza
ton, and the fact that the men VIII
are now in the national guard and o
the border want to get out, an
threaten to get out at the first op
portunity, never to return, is one
the best proofs that the federalize
national guard is a failure.
"But not the least of the Objection
/ to the plan is the cost. There Is n
justification whatever for spendin
from $50 1000, 900 to $75,OO0,000 a yea
of the peoples money in maintainin
: a force such as the federalized nation
/ al guard, especially after we HAY
, witnessed the spectacle The soont
that law is repealed the better 1T WI
/ be for the country"