The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-03-31
Splendid Work by ''Y'
Among Soldiers Lauded
by Valley City Captain

militia. The whole organization and the
furnished by the organfza-
ton left fine feeling with the boys.
who were all enthusiastic about the
army Y. NJ. c. A.
Captain Richie declared himself as
being absolutely in favor OF universal
training. He said that a year
of this training, to a young man be-
tween the ages of Is and 20 would
make him a better man, physically
and morally. Time was when the pop
ular impression prevailed that army
life was immoral. but the old order has
changed, and today the army is a
training school in decency. The army
is wiping out the use OF intoxicants
among soldiers, and suppressing vice.
A man who engages in licentious prac-
tees is subject to court-nartial, and
discipline is vigorously meted out to
the young man who engages himself
in a course Of immortality.
System Isn't Fair.
cit is not fair that a few men pro-
tect the nation in time OF need. Every
man in the country should be ready
and able to give his services to his
Under a democratic form of
government every citizen should render
service. For the privilege
OF citizenship there should be some
return in a universal service to the
republic, and that can be rendered by
military training and a condition of
Captain Ritchie said that the great
lesson learned from the border ex-
periences Of our troops was the need
of universal service. We don't want
a large standing army, nor a large
professional army. but we do need pre-
paredness, not that the United States
hnnnUnn Ornaf military nnfS0n
but so that IL the need develops
we be ready We will be ready. He
cited the case Of Great Britain who,
at the beginning Of the war had only
100000 soldiers. Fortunately, between
Great Britain, and the most efficient
army in the world. and the greatest
system of economics in, the world-Ger-
many. stood France. with her reserve
force of trained men produced by years
of universal military training: The
United States. with its miles Of I'M
protected coast line. and its multitude
nous industries, and its comparative
isolation. has less than 100000 soldiers,
and no France to stand between 1t and
military aggression Only today, after
two and one-half years of warfare,
has Great Britain an efficient fighting
machine. E~@
~. Will Not Become Military.
make a military nation. France is not
such, and she has had compulsory serv-
ice for years. When the showdown
comes. one trained man is worth ten
unframed men, sand if "a proper system
is adopted In the United States we
will have benefits really worth while.
After one years training the class for
that year would constitute a reserve,
and in few years we would have
l. - lxyR nVs W
In France and Germany there are no
hoboes; there. are comparatively few
drunkards, and. only one-third as many
criminals as the United States. Dis
cipline has produced these conditions.
In America the mad rush for money
has turned to one side the idea of the
necessity of discipline. The young
men have many liberties, without suff1-
Client instr5act tqhs 90 gtOs how ito properly
some effect OF military discipline and
training, under the proper conditions
would have tendency to check the
abuse; OF freed8fff.s 81. ~' %
Soldier Guards de- Saloon Doors.
Captain Richie paid a high tribute
to the magnificent work of General
Organ, head OF the New York regi-
ments in Texas, and Illustrated the
benef1cent effects Of military discipline
IN Ln0 OL yOuIAG LypA-
fed by the work done by this officer.
He adopted, in the control of his
troops, stringent restrictive measures
for the control of the soldiers. At
the door Of every saloon, and bawdy
house in his district. sentinels were
posted, with orders to arrest every
soldier who entered these places.
Liquor was not allowed in the tents.
and order was maintained as welkwhen
the boys were in camp as when they
were off duty. AS result the denizens
of the red light district were obliged
to move for want of patronage, and
only one beer saloon operated in the
McAllen district.
The speaker said he believed in the
National Guard - the militia, and
showed how it has developed from an
Of boozers into an organ
ization of serious minded men, who
know what they are doing, and have
q definite idea of service. The captain
said that he remembered a few years
ago in this state when probably 80
per cent Of the officers of the guard
were drinking men, as well as the
members of the militia, while today
probably less than 10 per cent drink
liquor. The whole plan of
army life has been raised.