The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-20
Majority Believe Militia System Doomed by Ex-
 perience on the Border
GIVE VIEWS FREELY
 TO ALL INQUIRERS
All Would Have Been Glad of Opportunity if There Had Been Any Real Fight
 ing to Do
By CHARLES H. MANDY

|
 The forcing of the national guardsmen ,into federal service pronounced the sem ! tence, sending them to "the land that God 1 forgot on or near the border sealed it's
 doom.
 This, at least, was the sentiment ex- pressed by many of the members of the two local batteries, A and c, Alabama field artillery, who arrived in the city yesterday morning.
 | This is not due to any lack of patriot ism on their part, for there was not single 'piker'' in the two hundred and twoscore artillerymen who. arrived in the city yesterday morning after nearly 1 half years service at Fort Douglas
 Ariz. It is due to the fact that they
 were "held in bondage for nearly eight
 months under unenvable conditions without as they see it, any good reason. It was patriotism that prompted them to enlist in the National Guard; it was pa triotism that caused them to become
 members of the federalized militia; 1t was patriotism that led them to receive, without murmur the countermanding Of the orders to return home when the break with Germany seemed imminent. But the boys are much dissatisfied and it is an open secret that Battery c will
 disband as soon as possible after muster out, and the same is undoubtedly true of other organizations.
 DISSATISFACTION NATIONWIDE As an officer expressed it, the dis satisfaction of the militia is nation wide" and it is well known that in some states of the union the disbandment of the militia is being agitated, as it is stated the system is proven failure. But back to the local boys. They were certainly happy bunch yesterday, but it was a happiness due to the fact that they had been relieved from an irksome duty and were back home So long as there was any possibility of service on the firing line' or in the trenches there was not to them "a duty impossible or task too great" but they resented being kept in service so long under conditions as they existed on the border. RANK AND FILE OPINION The rank and file of course is the back bone of the militia, and as they had the burden of burdens to bear their opinions on the militia system might prove of interest As the men are still in service IT that their names be withheld The most quoted phrase was:
 "Never again."
 "I don't regret the experience, but"
 gro h. with the militia" soThe training has benefited me physicalIy; my hope is, however, that I get forgiveness for the profanity l have used toward those who sent us to the border" | NI don't care to he quoted" | "I do,o interrupted Private l "BilIy' Jemison. "YOu can say for me that fitting chapter could be added to Dante's Inferno by using the border camps as | subject.'
 .sTake it from me, the militia 1 has gone up and those who fOrmu- 1 lated the idea of the federaliza- | ton of the National Guard are re- l sponsible."
 sMy ideals of serving my cOun- 1 try are badly shattcred." | "We were we'll fed and clothed, all right, hut just why we were l kept in service so long for noth- l ing but training many of us cam
 not understand"
 "The militia Is dying and will l soon he dead. On its demiSe It's l corpse should not be disturbed, l for the death of this anticipated l and proven worthless system will | hasten compulsory military train 1 ing. which is inevitable in the l opinion of many we'll informed | persons if we would keep our l standing among the nations" sherman certainly overlooked l n bet when he defined war; he evidently had never been n mili-
 tiaman on border service" FEELING IS GENERAL
 l N,nv similar opinions were frankly l aMd oHtspQktMly expressed and tended
 l to ahow tpe general feeling of the 1 men los9Hrd the militia In fairness 1 it 2pfa he stated that some of the
 boNs $fHTHa E4at while they were very
 glpd oe tgome again they had en-
 l jos fie exherience and should oc-
 l casipa arika would again offer them
 selx Ea for szyH service as the govern