El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-05-29
THE SOUTHWEST KNOWS 1T is
AT WAR, AND IS DOING THINGS
S h
5 rae southwest awaks 10 the war9

Mai Gen J. J. Pershing who is to command the first
combatsnt division of the United States army In France
saws not In an address Washington he said he had
come to that city from Texas where the prevalent opinion
seemed to be: None OF waIhps have been sunk We
don't really feel that in the war In reference to
that state Of the public mind Gen Perhng declared there
was for awakening Of the people to the fact that
the United States is this greatest of all time and
that upon the United States may rest the decision whether
1t is true neither Texas nor any other part of the United
States is awake the in the degree that the country
aroused at the time was declared on Spain There
has been thus far since entry INTO the eonfe no
disaster deep and flame OF anger to
sweep the country and there has been victory to cause
burst of enthusiasm such combatant forces We have
on the front few companies of Americans who
have withdrawn from other services to organize their own
fighting contngens they few merely to form
dots the great war front.
t in spte of the fact that this is so far as the great
mass Of the people of the United States concerned
war without hot passion is not war without CONVICTION
and the conviction shared generally by the southwest
as by any other part of the country Entments in the
army national guard and marine corps have been In
proportion the population fully large those Of other
states IN the north east fully large enough indeed to
show that the people realize in war Furthermore
the campaign for the Liberty loan and for the Y NJ C. A
var crk and the Red Cross vigorous IN the south
west as elsewhere and the subscriptions as general Rich
and poor employer and empoye corporations and indl-
vidua an trying to take their share OF the Liberty
bonds Ordinary interest rates high IN the southwest
and people would subscribe to the low interest bearing
Liberty bonds for all their safety did they not feel at
need of helping to finance the war and the impulse OF
patriotism.
More significant than anything else Of the fact that the
public is thinking constantly Of the the newspapers
of the southwest their columns devoted to local news
Everything has been subordnated to war preparations
Whatever the town in Texas New Mexico and Arizona its
papers are filled with accounts of Red Cross meetings. OF
the drilling Of the home guard Of the names Of young men
leaving Join another Of the military service OF
the United States Of appeals of the national guard for
recruits Of the local campaign Of the 7. NJ C. for its
var fund and Of gathering to make bandages sew
OF knit for purposes.
here would be none of this if the people did not realize
the United States is the They do realize It In Fl
psso at least one hears constantly In stores homes and
on the streets People thinking of the approaching
registration day. They thinking too, Of the seeetve
draft which VIII follow and of the training and fighting
which viii follow that They realize fully what that fight
ing viii mean
The country is nowhere excited There IS very little
paradnq or cheering but the people, here and elsewhere In
he southwest realize very well that is in progress,
they sense the danger there would be Germany and neI
allies were to win and determined that the United
states and the nations with whom the United States is
aligned shall gain the vicorty.