The Winslow mail., 1916-08-11
How the Wilson
Administration Has
PenaliZed Patriotism

Having in view the possibility OF
further aggression upon the territory
of the United States from Mexico and
the necessity for the proper protec.
ton of that frontier" President Viii,
SON, IN June l8, called out the mobile
arms of the National Guard for fedora
service.
He did not call them out at their
existing peace strength. but at wal
strength, which is practically double
Lacking system Of reserves. tbs
National Guard organizations immedi
ately had to start a campaign of re
cruiting, to bring about the desired In.
crease In their mum bers.
Patriotic young citizens, under the
urge OF the cry. Your country needs
YOU" volunteered for service in graft
flying numbers. According to Senator
Chamberlain, chairman of the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs, the re.
suit Is that about $4,000 citizen sol
diers have been mustered into the
federal service and are now on the
Mexican border or in camp in their
home states. There may be more but
the administration refuses to make
known the exact figures.
The movement is costing the public
treasury many millions of dollars; it
is costing the individual citizen sol.
diers many millions more. They went
to the front believing the cry, "Your
country needs you" for war service.
They sacrificed advancement in their
civil occupations. severed home ties,
suffered. in thousands of instances,
great financial loss. The less pa
triotfc, who did not believe the cry or
believing, declined to make sacrifices
fatten at home on these losses.
The real purposes Of the call are
slowly developing. They are two in
number:
First. patrol of the border to dc
the work which President Wilson's
friend, Carranza finds 1t Impossible
to do. Because the recognized govern.
ment in Mexico is too ineffective t6
keep its own citizens in check and
prevent them numbering Americans
on American soil. the American gov.
ernment undertakes the costly task OF
doing that work for them. The mur
der Of American citizens on Mexican
soil is another matter. Carranza may
go as far as he likes in that direction
Second, a purpose Of the mobiliza.
tion on the border and in the camps
is to train citizens to perform effective
military service. The regular military
establishment OF the nation is mani
festly too sma" for the actual military
needs. To this extent the cry, "Youl
country needs you." was correct.
But these facts were not made clea1
when the call was issued The idea
was promulgated that men were need
ed for actual war service; not fol
military training. Deceit was prac
ticed.
Opposing in the open legislation fol
universal military service. the admin
istration by it's acts has established
what In essence is system OF com
pulsory military service It is a sys
tenn all the more vicious because II
operates only against the patriotic
whereas legaliZed universal training
system equalizes the burden of mill
tary service among all men and al
classes Of men,
When, In 1914, Europe plunged into
the greatest war of all history. and
conditions in Mexico grew intolerable
intelligent men realized the fact that
1t was incumbent on this nation te
build up it's tiny regular army and put
It's other military resources in cordi.
ton for use. National safety demanded
this. And yet. in December of that
year, four months after the European
war began. President Wilson went be-
fore Congress and declared that al
agitation for military preparedness
was hysterical: that we were ade
Guately prepared.
After while the administration
changed It's mind and professed to
believe in the necessity for prepared.
ness. First came an enactment to
increase the regular army by 10000
But the body of the country, and even
all parts OF the Democratic admins.
tration. could not change front SO
quickly as the head. Recruiting for
the regular army Jagged. Not YET
have the 10000 been secured.
The need pressed. new national
defense act, providing for still more
men in the regular army. was enacted
But still the men were not forthcom.
ing.
Suddenly and without warning the
administration issued it's call for mo
bilization of the citiSen soldiery. 1t
seemed still obsessed with the Bryan
notion that an army could be created
by presidential ukase.
When the call went out the govern.
ment did not own enough uniforms
shoes. socks. blankets. hats, wagons.
trucks. horses mules and other things
essential to equip the men called; 1t
had made no provision for transport.
ing the troops called to the points
wharn thew ware rnnuirnd