American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-05-03

The passage OF the selectlye draft
nul by congress Is a iong step In the
right direction A better thing would
DE a universal military service Dill
which would give every Young man a
year or more OF active military train
ana. The selectiYe draft bill Is Tor
emergency use only, and as soon Is
che present emergency passes VIII iali
int disuse, 30 that Ia fifteen or TWEEN
e. years Ne will be no better prepar-
ed than Ne are nov.
military authorities generally agree
shat Il takes Two years 70 drill ra"
recruits 20 make them into an effec-
Give aghting force That being true,
A Wll be tNO years before those who
ma be selected under the bill Just
paased. Nill be- ready 70 take their
Diaces on the airing line. They may
10 sooner. al least some OF them. but
an 40. Il will be- on account OF the urg-
ancy ~ the situation and not because
abe military authorities believe them
20 be- thoroughly NJ
Had universal service been adopted
sen years aeo. with approximately a
million young men "a year receiving
military training. We would now have
"a trained force that could rapidly be
whipped into shape Furthermore, Il
would have saved ns from our Disagree
able experience Nlth Mexico ANA in all
probability would have saved ua from
participation 300 the European war.
fsgcn n b did not vie would now be
ready. whereas 40 least a year must
aiapse before American soldiers IAN
aake any material part ln the great
aorld conflict
Universal service o. the only kind
of service that places all on am equali-
ay. reaches the rich and tho poor,
she willing and the Stacker. and treats
ali alike. Physically. universal ser
vice and The training and discipline
ahnt 20 with Il would make real men
OF young fellows who are merely DRIFT
anr. or Nho may have failed 20 receive
che home discipline that Is a necessary
part % good citizenship. II would
snatiIl patriotism into the rising gem
mratlon. a real patriotism that unltes
wlth 1t the idea Of service
We have been born 70 privileges that
niaVe beer purchased for us at great
sacrifice by others Few there are
who have served their country in any
way. unless good citizenship be cal.
ned service with moro freedom and
greater privileges than any other PEG.
pie have ever enjoyed. we are engag'
ed ga selfish undertakings. working
Ror scif and making use OF the great
opportunities that have been handed
down 10 us
Il is O good time 10 reflect that we
owe something 20 the government
~hich c0nfers these great blessings.
and as little as we can do rs 10 pre-.
parc yourselves 70 be OF service when
emergencies shall arise The perpe-
auation OF freedom depends upon the
taacrinces we are willing 90 make 81
preserve it The thought should be
kept 10 mind that lt does not take sew.
wral years % get into a war. although
81 does take several years 10 prepare
Tor H.
The great var 90 Europe broke In q
week What shape would We have
been ia had the wal been with as in
stead OF with the French and English
The people should insist that never
again shall Il be possible 20 shoot
away an our ammunition In a two
hours battle that never again shall
"a hundred million people have the
protection of less than loo 900 trained
men that never again shall this, the
richest of an lands. be let helpless.