The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-08-31
ROCKIES AND REGULARS

The Times-Union has been busy of
late trying to convince its readers
that our regular army was not much
good, and was differed by a set of
cads; and that on the other hand the
national guard was all it should be,
and then some. So far as we can
make out, the Army and Navy Jour-
nal crowd and some other people have
been doing exactly the opposite. The
Star has not a. bit of sympathy for
either side in this dispute-it thinks
the army, what there is of it, is as
good as there is, and the national
guard is doing nobly. They are all de-
tenders of our country, and any man
or any newspaper that tries to foster
ill-feeling between them, is in poor
business.
In efficiency, however, it is useless
to dispute that it will take a long time
for men who have stepped out of the
walks of civil life to compete with
trained soldiers. The following prayer,
which has become very popular
among the guardsmen on the border,
shows how the men themselves look
at it, and there is no better basis of
opinion:
"Oh, Lord, our Heavenly Father, we
are not going to ask much, for many
of US know not how to pray. But we
do need thy help, Lord, dow nhere on
the border, and we pray that Thou
will send a lot of peanut shells down
here as head covering for our officers.
We are sure, oh, Lord, that peanut
shells will cover entirely their brains
and, in most cases, be too large.
Eve ask, most humbly, oh, Lord,
that they be instructed to drill them
selves before attempting to drill US.
For, oh, Lord, after three weeks of
work in a hot direct sun drilling five
hours day, a regular army sergeant
came around and told US we were do
ing everything wrong, and he showed
us in five minutes an easier way and
gave US orders we could understand
and learn quickly.
ooh, Lord, show our officers how
they can feed men and give them
enough to eat on "a cents day which
our government allows US. We know
it can be done. Our regular army is
proof of that; but, Lord, clerks, sales
men and foor-walkers who are cap
tains and lieutenants in these outfits
know not how to do it, and we, dear
Lord, we suffer for their ignorance
and this while they get from $3.50 to
$3.50 per month, while we who are
willing to fight for our country, little
as we know how, get only SIS.
"Oh, Lord, then we ask that you
send cooks, cooks who can cook, not
factory men or chauffeurs who think
they are cooks and who bake oul
beans half enough and bakers who
can bake bread that does not weigh
three pounds to the slice-wet ana
soggy.
"Oh, Lord, send US a quartermaster
captain who knows how to order sup
plies and when to order them, for me
need food every day, oh, Lord, not
three days week.
And, oh Lord, in closing, we ask
that you take the shave tall lieuten-
ants out of the regular army and
make colonies in our National Guard,
for they know how, if only a little, to
take care of us and feed US, and take
sergeants and corporals from the reg.
ular army and make them captains
and lieutenants, for they know how to
drill US.
I'VE love our country, our freedom.
and our fag-the proof of this is we
are here ready to fight, but, oh, Lord, |
we ask in exchange for our time that
We be taught by competent instruc-
tors and fed and clothed by men who |
know how.
"Oh, Lord, we realize we have ask
ed little, and still, oh, Lord, it means
much to us; we are not chronic kick I
ers; we do not want porter house
steaks, or even milk or sugar in our
coffee, but, oh, Lord, we do want and
most humbly ask the treatment, the
'ood and the care that is taken of our
ocular army soldiers
|,