The state herald., 1916-10-27

18th. working on this theory Of easy
asa unprspared.for mobilization. he
commsnaed the entire National Guard
to mobllise Immediately. After ten days
q naximum effort just IL per cent Of
tas men were started for the border.
Over 80 per cent Of the Guard were
se sSssd to be unfit for duty. Many of
tne men who started for the border
nad never received = single days trnln-
!nE. Many had never fired rifle.
Mo.s OF the cavalry reEimcnt. bad mo
hSs hos.s.; nc aan. Half the artillery batteries
which. after three months, 10 per cent
oi the men have not received their
olouses and 90 per cent have not re-
ments on the border have learned with
wonderful Quickness and are In fine
shape Some have made no improve
meht; Few have proved utterly
20 unframed and so unfit for command
that they could not tench and guide
and help over difficulties and care for
their men. who became little better
than q mob.
Best Men profitcd.
The best men in the best regiments on
the border have profited much have
prorited more than men who go to the
eNceilent Plattsburg and similar mill
tafy training camps have profited. But
now, after over four months, n first
class National Guard officer, who is
with his regiment on the border. writes
me; Here we have all the organized
troops IN the country on the border and
they only total very small force. part
OF which Is Ineffective; should say
that after three months. we have be-
tween 10000 and $4,000 useful troops In
all" In other words, rffrr iiiree
months we did not assemble ma ARMY
nt to resist n single German or Jnpnn-
csc army corps, such as could he landed
In New York In n f0rtniwht or In San
Francisco In month. President will
son hns refused to read the dreadful
lesson written In fire and blood across
the face Of the world during the last
two yenrs and n quarter. lie has left
us shame fully unready to protect our
selves or do our duty by others.
The SWISS system.
Switzerland is more genuinely dem
ocratic republic than we are. and there
nothing that has helped her people
more. physically. mentally and moral
~. or that has done more to perpctu-
ate and increase the genuineness of her
democracy. than the universal training.
OF the kind l advocate. which her sous
have received. So far from being mill
tarism. this kind OF universal training
Is healthy and efficient antiscptic to
miIitarism. An army so trained. which
would consist of the citizenship OF the
country In arms. would never he used
FOR aggression. Its only purpose would
be for seif-dsfense. Every intelligent
lover OF peace. every peace lover whose
of from sheer hysterical timidity and
folly. ought to welcome the calling into
being of such n system.
Switzerland In the time OF the Napo-
leonic wars was trampled on by all OF
the surrounding belligerent nations.
saw gigantic battles between them
fought on its territory, and was finally
annexed by one of them and Its young
men drafted into her armies. The pres
ent war. 100 years later. has seen her
territory respected. although had she
not been ready she would have unques-
tionabIy suffered the fate OF Belgium
The renson for the difference is that
100 years rEo there WINS NO universni
training among her men. nor nny aptl-
tutle for Nar ON thr part of the milton.
which therefore fell "a Geipies. prey to
soe military powers. Now there is uni
verrni servtces the people are trained
20 defend themselves, mud because Of
the fnct that they had been thus trnin-
ed, that they were efficient. thnt they
had prepared their strength, aud were
ready to use their strength. they were
spared the necessity of using II.
UniversnI Trainlsx.
advocate universal military training
as much because of what II will mean
for this nation In peace. ms because Of
what u VIII mean to this nation ia
war. Washington said. "A free people
ought not only to be armed. but dis
ciplinad." This Is simply another way
of saying that there should be univcr-
sal obligatory military training for our
young men; and surely we noed the dis
cipiine. all of us. in civil life Just ns
much as In military life. Such train
Ing Is emphaticnlly American. emphat-
ically democratic, emphaticaily anti
militaristic; and every young man who
enjoys II viii be a better citizen In time
OF peace. better able to hold his own.
and more desirous Of doing his duty by
his fellows. At present only those who
can pay for II can get such training
and discipline. This Is unjust. Al pres
ent, In the event OF the outbreak OF
war. the officers commissions must.
boys who have fitted themselves for
the Jobs. Therefore under the present
system. instead OF having all the boys
without amy regard to whether their
parents are or are not people OF means.
treated alike and the best men made
officers, we find commissions limited
to those who can afford TO pay for
their training. Inevitably under pres
ent conditions, II a war came svery
much larger proportion OF the officers
would he chosen from this class than
from the class with less means. In nd-
dition to this. the shirk. the coward.
home and would try for the Job the
patriotic man left when he went to
the front ! have actually seen. even
have been sent to the front In the Ma
tionnl Guard have had their Jobs taken
by men whom. ] am sure. no mere APP
peal to patriotism would ever be able
to get TO the front.
The Thing to Do.
The democratic thing ls to give all
Of the men. rich and poor. n chance
on equal terms to prove the stuff there
10 In them. SO as to secure each man
his rights. Then. In order Co exact
from each man the full performance
Of bis duty. ninkr the lazy msn. the
s~if1sh nsnn. the mere greedy money
Eetter. TIE poitroon Hnc the partfist do
their part of the work of war. when
war comes. aud run their full si,rr~ oS
the danger. Instead of sitting nj ease
at hom~ 90 profit by the courage aud
s~if-.acrifirr Of their more patriotic
brothers. This is lmperativciy needed.
from the standpoint of the nation. II
will secure our national efficiency In
war. II win Immensely help our indi-
vIduai efficiency In time OF peace. II
Will benefit us individually In soul.
mind ana body. II Will make the aver
age man more solf-rerpccting and law
abiding, better able TO shit for him
self. and to work for and In conJunc-
tion with others.
There ~ no more thoroughly demo-
crntixing agent than the dog tent. I'm
h.r N eystaFn of uulyprnul training n N