Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-24

itary service shall rest, and, also in sense
choose those who shall do the rest of the ma
tons work. The bill, if adopted, will do more
/ believe than any other single instrumental
ity to create the impression of universal serv-
ice in the army and out of it, and If properly
administered will be great source of slim
uaton."
Universal service!" That is the ideal to
which every instinct of loyal Americanism turns
1t this crucial moment of the republics life: not
merely the service which hot impulse or self inter-
est thirst for adventure would choose but the
service which the country's interests demand and
which competent authorities can best assign That
is the broad, system of service which the
selective draft represents and it is the only system
that approaches the ideal of universal" 1t is the
only one that will adequate. efficient forces
both for military and industrial needs, the only
one that will mobilize the nations entire strength
and its entire patriotism to use 1t is the only
system by which render adequate aid to our
allies, and the only by which we can i'm
press the Hohenzollern monarchy with the seri-
of our purpose and the extent of our power
Those Congressman who insist upon hamper
ing the Administration and Gripping the country's
strength with discredited military plan giving
aid and comfort to the Hohenzollern despotsm
In effect they betraying their country's inter
ests; and the fact that they are doing so through
cheap politics thick headedness does not ex-
tenuate their anti-American conduct. Some of
them shamelessly admit that they opposing the
seective draft because they fear that in voting for
it they would dsplease some of their constituents.
That sort of cowardice is contemplate than
cravenness upon the battlefield would be. Are the
interests of one hundred million people to be
jeopardized and the cause of world democracy i'm
periled merely to keep up the political fences of
timorous, cringing Office holder? Any who
has the brains that Congressman ought to have
can convince his constituents OF the wisdom and
justice and downright necessity of the seective
draft; and any man who has the moral courage and
patriotism a Congressman ought to have will vote
for the welfare of the nation, though it cost him
his political future
There is merit in the contention that the
selective draft would stife all the enthusiasm of
the volunteer spirit; because, the Senate
mittee which has reported the bill favorably points
out ii provides through means of recruiting the
regular army and the national guard for absorbing
more than six hundred thousand volunteers and
thus happily while establishing and placing the
national dependence upon the almost universally
approved system of draft, at the same time accom-
modates itself to such volunteer spirit exists
and is available in the early days of the war;
There is no merit in the contention that the vol
selective draft is adopted; because the volunteer
system already has been tried, only in England
but in every American from the Revolution to
the conflict with Spain, and in every instance, as
history we'll attests, it has proved failure. We
cannot afford to experiment when the security of
the nation and the rights of mankind are at stake.
Congress cannot afford to do otherwise than to
pass the selective draft bill without further delay
Even the Germans can't be fooled all the time.
A Stacker who finds himself both married and