The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-09-13
The Spirit of the Service.

sTha spirit that dominated the l, American armies at Bunker Hill, New Orleans, Buena Vista, Gettysburg and Santiago will just as sArely dominate the National Army on the battle fields of Europe.
 This spirit is compound. It is made up in part of democratic feel ing, in part of respect and love for the nation. and in, part of .Ameri- canism.
 The United States army has always beeh and will always remain a demo- cratic army Every man in the army is made to feel that his brains and : his Individuality count for something. It Is not merely big, soullness ma chine that moves with mechanical precision. It is a team" Each man sin the team is presumed to be 1ntelii- gent and self-reliant- -
 Democracy In the Army.
 Of course there can be no team work without regularity and strict discipline. This is equally true of a football or baseball team. There must also be various ranks and degrees Of authority And sometimes. this neces- sary organfzation and close regulation creates an impression that the army is not tderiocratic '1t1 'fFfI,srasss' ,
 But the fact of the case is that American soldiers accept the reasona- ble discipline of the army readily because they have the good sense to realize that these things are neces- { sary. They accept them without los. ing in the least their real independ-' ence as free citizens. -.s.i- ,.. -s--
 F4rthermpre,s sA A erfcan armies are democratic because the path of pro- i motion is wide open. Any man who ] has reasonable amount of ability can practice, can study, can cultivate i the qualities of soldier and a leader, and can work his way up. And this IS the real test of democratic army.
 In special sense the National \ Army is democratic. A great democ- racy must always carry on its affairs 1 through chosen Representatives. You { are doubtless familiar with this prin- cipIe as it is applied in time. of peace. Now it is applied in time of war. Through a process of fair selection the National Army has been picked to represent all parts of the country and all groups of the people. Never has America sent forth an army so truly representative of the nation.
 There are always pessimistssfn every generation who insist that patriotism is dead or at least decaying. They have not been lacking in recent years. Then comes a crisis such as now con : fronts us. And always the question of patriotism is answered by a free outpouring> of effort, money. and blood on the part of citizens of all :; types in every section of the country This is exactly what is now going on and what will continue tot go on with increasing force until the war is < brought to a victorious end
 Everybody Must Help.
 Every citizen of the United States now has or will have certain duties to perform, certain sacrifices to make. ] The burden does not rest wholly upon you and other men who take up arms. It. rests in part also upon the men and women who stay behind For modern war on big scale demands that the whole nation, in sense, should go to war. The tasks requir- ed of some may be harder than the /. tasks required of others, but all of them are necessary in order to make sure of the result
 Many manufacturers and workers often women, as well as men-must give up their own work and plans. in Lorder to produce war supplies Those who remain where they now are occupation just as necessary in war as in peace, such as farming, mining, running railroads, and the like must go at their work with redoubled energy and without expecting profits for themselves; 1t would be a great mistake if everyone were taken away from these necessary lines of effort in order to join the colorsl as a soldier. All must carry heavy burden of
 EertaiH Certain hsh4 4 aahaaoIg you are o1ie-haye been or win be chosen as Representatives. of the Nation to de- fend our rights and safety on the bat tIefield. You and your fellow soldiers are selected from the young men of the country who are best fitted for military service~
 sThis process of organizing the whole Nation for war can. not, 1of course, be ee9Hp1etsSa as Sl 5Ez E ass day. But it Is steadily going onrx It viii neces- sarily go on until the endsof the war. You will have back of you and sup porting you tae whole country--an its people and all its wealth. Congress spoke the will of the Nation in the < QEcldTallOIlt sOI WAT 1O DIluS tAlc conflict to afsuccessfu1 termination all the resources of the country are here by pledged
 The Post of Highest Honor.
 The patriotic spirit which moves whole country will find it's highest ex- precision in it's soldiers-the men who are assigned to the post of danger and of honor. They will go all the more willingly since they know that behind them the whole Nation is organizing for the national service. Their spirit will be one of patriotic devotion fully as intepse as that of American armies in previous wars.
 The spirit of democracy and of patriotism is to be found also in the armies of other nations fighting against German aggression. In addi- ton the National Army will have its own spirit of Americanism., It will have American enthusiasm, good humor, fairness even to the enemy and self-confidence. It will go at its work not half-heartedly but with a vim. If there are temporary setbacks 1t will accept tthem and keep on ~piuggfngy These are some of the American traditions that will Z, enter into the spirit of the National Army