Douglas Island news., 1917-09-14
DO ALL ALASKANS
 LACK PATRIOTISM
Anchorage Paper DeplOres Lack of Interest in Coutry's Need
 Shown There
Are Alaskaus lacking in patriot

Arc AIdnhdUa ldthluE m NdlIIul . sme
 Recent developments iu Douglas !. n Juneau and iu Anchorage mdi cate that they do.
 Away back last spring when pussy willows were m bloom m cGor'
 made Co organize company of home guards In Douglas. Several meetings were held. a competent .drImastcr volunteered his service, and few old men. many of them ou che scrc and yellow side of 0fty turned ouJ three or four times and that was an there was Co it.
 About che same time that Doug |Ias was marking time with thc feet lot a few or her old men. Juneau was undergoing 90 similar spasm. There 'rhcy went so far as Co secure thc old Pacific Coast warehouse on which they put a sign Glty feet long which .rc1d Juneau Armory" The sign is suu there. but if there is any drilling going ou under it thc pa- r.rs of that bauiwick never mem Iou .t The truth is. there Is no drilling going on. consequently there Is nothing Co mention.
 And now comes che Anchorage Emes. a publication fairly tinted with thc rcd blood ot patriotism. witch Che fDlloViug
 "Last night thc shame Of Au- .Iorarr was Haunted Co che world. The patriotism ol our citizens was tested and found wanting Today .,.y sclrcspcctug man iu che largest town u Alaska should hang his head u disgrace at tho failure ul her people Co respond Co the
 flight demands made upon them Co prove their love Of country
 Thc meeting of Che Anchorage Home Guards last night was a rev. rlaIou to che thinking man It was a crime It demonstrated be- yuuI doubt that Che young people of ms city arc patriotic with their voices. they love their country with rbeII mouths; they win follow Che Hur through shot and shell iu their speeches. they win cheer che pie. rrU. uf marching mon thrown on tbe s.r.ens at motion picture houses; they oven win dig down iu their pockets for patriotic purposes; but when called upon for a slight per- .uuuI sacrifice OF inconvenience they leave it to Che man who places thc welfare ol his country above every urr c.ysc.
 .Uut ol a population ot nearly suoo persons. only sixty-scvcn men u.t nigh. signed thc roll of Che Au- .H1uec Home Guards. or this number it is safe Co say less than Bon were under thirty years old. less than twenty under 0ly and most ol thc remaining men In ate tendance were more than sixty years old
 "Oi Che s.zty-seycu who signed .H. roll it is probable that not more mm forty are nt for oven Che slight military service which they might bg g1UaI upon Co perform
 "Aud sct Anchorage is thc center o. an construction work for Che United States government railroad. Practically every man n this city Is directly or indirectly dependent upon Che United States payroll for tro bread hc eats. There are hun drcds ol young mon here drawing wages every day from Uncle sam. yet an or these men working for Che Commission less than ten last night signed Che roll ot the Anchor .agg Home Guards.
 "It is apparent that most of these men believe that when they have finished their eight hours work. they have performed their full duty to Che nation. They have failed Go respond Co Che country's call for volunteers. most of them are pre- pared to claim exemption under thc provisions of Che draft law, and .uow almost as a unit they iail Co ! |r.spoud Go Che only demand of their country tor evidence that they really are Americans.
 To-day every cmployc of Che Al. asaon Engineering Commission In . Anchorage should feel Che lFuominy . they have placed upon their orgaui
 uuou. They should be ashamed C, . walk Che streets of this city. lol
 which. iu Che event of emergency . tho only available protection is . handful of regular soldiers and
 few patriotic old men we'll past th, prime Of lifc.
 "Thc very fact that of Che sixty
 seven Home Guards more than hal arc past thc age of afty should b. a stuEiue rebukc to their self
 respect"
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