The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-11-03
MILITIA BOYS VIEW
SITUATION UNFAVORABLY

Having enlisted for little home
military training, and expecting moth
ing more interruptive than possible
call to quell mob rising, the state
militiamen suddenly found them
J selves absorbed by federal authority
and sent far from home and business
to spend number of weary months
learning how to mobilize. 1t is sort
of heresy to complain of military dis
cipline, once you are in for it. But
II things have gone properly with the
mobilization, surely it will be no
trouble at all to fill up the ranks
Iof the state militia units when the
present guardsmen are mustered out.
1t remains to be seen.
A Few Parasangs
One cavalryman writes of the daily
routine:
| Usually the per diem program
Con hike) has been as follows: Rise
and feed oats to horses at a. NJ
then revelille and mess. After chuck
ing away a meagre modicum of hard
tack, potatoes, coffee and bacon
(sometimes) we rushed our packing
and saddling, loading wagon trains
oho 6CAO1 Oh CdhlA6 0utlCO,
falling in by troops at about 7.30.
Then we "policed" the camp site
cleaned it up-and reformed the
troop to await our turn at watering.
Arizona's scarcity of water caused
much chatting delay, for it takes some
time to water 1000 horses when only
IS to SO can drink at once. We
generally hit the road about $50
to a. m.-two hours later than
dough boys" (infantryJ get under
way-and marched until about or
$50 p. M, or sometimes only 10
O'Clock, sometimes as late as 5, de-
pending upon the length of the jump
to the next water hole. Our lunch
we ate in the saddle. since it consist
ed only of sandwich or package
of hard tack. Often, too, we'd get
nothing more till about or p.
layed. In the meanwhile, after hit
ting new camp site, we would UNI
saddle while the stable crew stretch
ed a picket line, then tie in the
horses, unpack saddles, pitch pup"
tents, with which spacious and COM
modious habitations you are perhaps
familiar.) Then we watered horses
again the chatting delay, the tug
ging, the straining, the dust, the
sweat. On returning, we groOmed,
and little later fed again. Sand
WICKED in between these duties, in
the lazy, dangerous leisure moments,
we unloaded trucks and wagon
trains, drew forage, pitched kitchen
tents, dug latrines. Perhaps three
hours after tying in" an honest,
scrupulous soldier could feel justified
in snatching a few moments bunk
fatigue''-fatigue in army parlance
denoting labor, toll, work, exertion,
duty-tasks of any kind, while the
incompatible bunk" of course signi-
fies that the objective of the effort
is a bed, cot, blanket, ostermoor, or
pile of hay No sooner would we
seek seconds surcease than it
would be time to water again, or
the call would go out to draw grain
for the mornings feed, or one of
thousand other petty, harrassing,
time consuming, rest disturbing, oath
provoking duties. Every day was
pretty much the same"
ECCA NAuCL--OPOoAM l
The clash of the military and the
democratic in this republic are ap-
parent in this mobilization affair. 1t
is free country, we hear people
say, but how about criticizing the
military branch as one would hon
estly wish to? 1t is necessary at
least in any trade on the subject to |
make politics the core of the evil. |
We all demand the right to go the
limit in respect to that.
Here is a letter from a care-free,
happy Californian; at least he was
that in civil life:
LAS the time passes, and as the
various state organizations continue
to improve as military units. avail
able for immediate field service in
the event of war, it might not be
amiss to say that the boys are becom-
ing more and more impatient to re-
ceive orders to entrain.
1.-THE long period of marking
time has gotten on the nerves, and
so long as there is no likelihood of
action, the question arises in many
minds: Why don't they send US
homer
To be perfectly frank, unless one
studies the psychology Of the case
this Impotence might easily be mis-
taken for-well l hesitate to even
the word-disloyalty. |,
There are actually thousands of
the men who swear that never again
will they enlist; that never again
will they even don a uniform This,
however, is because many of the boys
are in a highly abnormal frame of
mind The most trivial incident calls .
for a howl and campfire Indignation
are frequent.
do not think for moment that \
am different fro mthe general run
No indeed-for hardly a day passes
that / do not voice my feeling over
some injustice, imagined or other
wise right Justify do l rave and
rant-not to say fume and fret, when
am thrown out Of tune.
"Yet, here is my belief as regards
he situation: the troops on the bord-
Or are well treated, well fed, and
after they are returned to their
homes and get few of the wrinkles
)ut of their stomachs 80 per cent
would again enlist shOuId the call