The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-11-24
HOME READING COURSE
for CITIZEN SOLDIERS
issued 6y the War Department and All
Rights to Reprint Reserved
T4e SPIRIT OF THE SERVICE.


Santiago will just as surely dominate
the National army on the battlefields
If Europe.
This spirit is q compound. 1t is
made up in part OF democratic feeling,
in part of respect and love for the ma
ZION. and in part OF Americanism.
The United States army has always
been and will always remain demo
cratic army. Every man In the army
is made to feel that his brains and his
Individuality count for something. 1t
Is not merely big, soulless machine
shat moves with mechanical precision.
II is team" Each man in the team
IS presumed to he intelligent aud self
reliant.
OF course there can be no teamwork
without regularity and strict discipline.
This Is equally true of a football or
baseball team. There must also be
yariouS ranks and degrees of authority
And sometimes this necessary organi-
zatiOn and close regulation creates an
Impression that the army is not demo.
cratic.
But the fact Of the case i that
American soldiers accept the reason
able discipline of the army readily be-
cause they have the good sense 10
realize that these things are necessary.
They accept them without losing in the
least their real Independence as free
citizens.
Furthermore. American armies are
democratic because the path of promo
ton is wide open.
In special sense the National army
is democratic. \ great democracy must
always carry on its affairs through
chosen representatives. You are doubt
less familiar with this principle as 1t
Is applied in time of peace. Now it is
applied in time OF war. Through q
process of fair selection the National
army has been picked to represent all
parts of the country and all groups OF
the people. Never has America sent
forth an army so truly representative
Of the nation.
There are always pessimists Ia every
generation who insist that patriotism
Is dead or at least decaying. They
have not been lacking In recent years
There comes q crisis such as now con
fronts US. And always the question ol
patriotism is answered by free out
pouring Of effort. money and blood or
the part of citizens of all types II
Every section of the country.
Every citizen OF the United States
now has or will have certain duties e
perform, certain sacrifices TO make
The burden does not rest wholly upon
YOU and other men who take up arms
II rests in part also upon the men ant
women who stay behind. For modert
war on q big scale demands that th'
whole nation, in n sense, should 90 q
war. The tasks required of some ma.
be harder than the tasks required .
others. but all of them are necessar.
in order to make sure of the result.
MANY manufacturers and workers
often women as well as men-mus
oive nm their own work and plans II
order to produce war supplies. mos
who remain where they now are-be
couse they are engaged in some occupa
lion lust as necessary IN war as Il
peace. such as farming, mining run
ming railroads, and the like-inuSt 8
:. tbeir work with redOubled cnerg
and without expecting prohts 10
themselves: II would be great mis-
take if everyone were taken ava! ifo'
,hnse necessary lines Of effort IN "r1e
m iojn the colors as soldier.
Certain men-among whom you Ut
one-haye been or VIII pc cllosen .
representatives Of the nation 70 deleh
our -,ghts and safety on the battiehei'
Won and your fellow soldiers are st
1ectod from the young men OF tiie coui
.rv who are best fitted for military SCI
vice. ho,
This process Of organizing the "hol
-ation FOR war cannot, OF course
CONNECTED in a day. But IT Is s'eauii
,,ng an II will necessarily 90 on u
II, the end Of the war. lou VIII 10
,ack NJ you and supporting you -
80 country-ail its people ana a
,,s wealth. Congress spoke tfe "ii
49, nst,on In the declaration OF wal
ITO bring the conflict to 'uoc"e =.
termination all the resources u =
eoun,ry are hereby pledged :,
The patriotlc spirit which moves u
xhoIe country will find Its niehes' :.
nress,on In it's soIdierS-tne men y.
&c assigned to the post Of danger al
- honor Thcy will 20 ell the mo-
u,,ungIy since they know that penn ,l,l
.na,n The whole milton Is organiziI
-. ,,e national service. Their spif
al, no one Of putriotic devotion lui
:. tn,en.c as that Of American ARM
+" RS, .nir,t Of democracy ana OF ?
,....,, a. 10 he found also III u
ar,,.s If other nations hsii',i
anat,,t German aggression. 10 az,
49, the national army VIII nave
uon :" ",,,tl, ~ AmoricnpIsm. II V
pa.,,. American enthusiasm Gt'd Il
,.a. fairness ayen I" 10" "h+'Es' =
""I '" ..a',,.u.. II wiiI 20 ~ ss "o
~, hnif heartfelt, h"f "l'h 2 'i'n' j.
~" .s',a s,a ,pintnfnft s"'h'rt' !, !"
a"o,,,, ,bHtn auh t"'p 80 p'u+ -,,'
r,pbine - 'lin' srit'' Dhn ~" .a,,,
100