The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1917-02-08
Marshautown Liked
North Dakota Guard

lican: Officers of North Dakota regi-
ment that detrained for a few hours on
its journey from the border to Fort
Smelling, where it is to be mustered
out of the federal service were enter
tanned at lunch by the Marshalltown
club very recently. They were men
of affairs at home, soldiers in emer'
gency. One trthem had been lieuten-
ant-governor of his state. They i'm
pressed those who met them and who
heard the short addresses they made
as ment exceptionally well informed
and of excellent Judgment, the kind of
men whose opinions are given very
serious consideration in their home
communities.
1t remarkable that while Perish
ing's men are marching out of Mexico
all these officers coincide in the de.
liberate opinion that 1--WE shall have to
go back" The enlisted men with
whom citizens spoke Of conditions on
the border agreed. The conviction OF
the entire regiment seemed to be of
more serious trouble ahead and the
expression was common I'VE shall
have to go back some day soon."
And this was remarkable body OF
men and of officers. The enlisted men
young, strong, bold Of appearance and
with something in face and manner
that conveyed the certainty that bold
ness was not assumed but that they
are ready and effective soldiers. The
officers seemed fit to command such a
body of troops. They were all some.
thing more than the soldiers who
serve for pay Of for love of ad.
venture. These were citizens from the
ploughs and the workshops and trade
and the professions out in the service
of their country as patriotic duty;
and they saw conditions and situa'
tions as citizens as we'll as soldiers
And they agree that 1--WE shall have to
60 back"
They agree that the movement of
the guard to the border has been worth
while though failing to accomplish
anything definite as bewteen the two
nations. But it did accomplish this:
the boys who went laughing to the
border came away full grown men
with full realization that patriotic
service as a soldier is not junket
but a grave duty. They discovered
also what mobilization Of green troops
means when but $4,000 are to be re-
viewed. Most of them brought back
with them the conclusion that com
pulsory military training a necessi
ty and while little was said regarding
this particular point it was easy to
perceive that the need for their serv
ice in actual defense or offense must
be plain before those men again leave
their occupations and their businesses
and professions to go afield.
The guardsmen of Dakota and Of
Iowa and all the guardsmen Of all the
states are entitled to deep respect not
only for their patriotism, but to theil
opinions and conclusions aided by and
wrawn from their personal touch with
conditions as they are. The Dakota
regiment like the Iowa regiment
waited fong for equipment. It was
ready and waiting while the war de
partment delayed. Taken as body
officers and men, the guard has nc
reason to fear comparison with the
volunteers Of any period or for matter
of that with army regulars. It is easy
to see that such regiments as thai
which marched through the street:
the other day would require few week.
or months Of actual war to make then
the equals for the best soldiers in thu
world.
When shall we "have to go back?"