The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-06-20

out the backing of equipment and
organization, is quite ineffective. No
one dares doubt the patriotism of the
Belgians. but they were tiattened out,
in a military sense, by the German
steam roller. No one questions the
patriotism of our English cousins,
but they found from bitter expert
/ ence, that the volunteer system had
put expert mechanics into the
trenches who were needed at home
and left perfectly good military ma
terial at home doing inefficient work
there 1t took a long time, and a
lot of effort was wasted. before this
undesirable state Of affairs was
remedied 1t finally led to conscrip-
ton in England; and the United
States had the good fortune to get
this lesson from the experience OF
others and the good sense to profit
by it.
President Wilson had the matter
clearly in mind, as shown by the
following words quoted from his
proclamation of the registration for
universal service:
arrayed has sought to impose it's will
upon the world by force. To this
end it has increased armament until
it has changed the face Of war. In
the sense in which we have been
wont to think of armies, there are
no enemies in this struggle. There
are entire nations named. Thus, the
men who remain to till the soil and
"a
of the army that is France than the
men beneath the battle flags. 1t must
be so with us. 1t is not an army
that we must shape and train for
war; it is a nation. To this end our
people must draw close in one COM
pact front against common foe.
"But this cannot be if each man
pursues a private purpose. All must
pursue one purpose. The nation
needs all men; but it needs each
man, not in the field that will most
please him, but in the endeavor that
will best serve the common good.
Thus, though sharpshooter pleases
to operate a trip hammer for the
forging of great guns, and an expert
machinist desires to march with the
flag, the nation is being served only
when the sharpshooter marches, and
the machinist remains at his levers.
The whole nation must be a team
on which each man shall play the
part for which he is best fitted. 10
this end, congress has provided that
the nation shall be organized for war
by selection and that each man shall
be classified for service in the place
to which it shall best serve the gen
oral eopd fo call him."
Chance for the Stacker.
Like all good Things, even indus |
trial mobilization has it's weak |
points, and gives a chance for the |
Stacker to show up. The French
have coined the term "Embusque,'
meaning lone hidden out" for the
man who is perfectly good military
material and seeks wildly for any
other job he can get, in hopes Oh
being able to get one which will be
of necessity to the state |
in the war and keep him from fight
ing.
The matter of details of the selec-
ion under the universal service act
IN this country is still in the hands
If President Wilson. He has had the
what to do and what not to do in
he premises, and we may, I think,
est assured that he will handle this
natter with the same skill he has
shown in other matters since the
var began.
Right here I want to offer one
ugges ton for your consideration, as
O our. attitude toward our govern
nent officials during the war. The
United States is a republic, and free ,
peech and discussion are permitted I
O all: there Is no reason therefore
or not Offering criticism If we feel
t is due. But let us always be sure !
hat our criticism, if we have any %
ffer, is constructive and fair, anf
hat we forget, for the period OF the t
var, what ticket, the men now in ,
barge of our government, were '
lected on. You would call the man !
rbitrary and unreasonable VINO t
-ould refuse to call Doctor to his /
wing mothers help, because he was 7
f the opposite political party; but I
herein is that viewpoint more arbl- b
rary than a man who wouldn't sub r
cribe to the Liberty loan because n
e didn't like the way it was adver- t
Sed! he might JUST DIS well nave a
efused to help out his country be- r
suse he didn't like the way Mr..
IcAdoo parts his hair.
The instance I have given is only
type of thousands like it. Presi-
ent Wilson needs no endorsement
.om me, but just as it is the posi-
We, rather than the negative, that is
nportant in this world, SO I think
g can afford to be very considerate
anything we may find to criticise
a man, who, like our president. ls
Undoubtedly the commanding figure
| the present world crisis. W.
1ould rather feel proud, that we
ave produced from our own people,
nd by our own institutions, man
, fully equal to such tremendous .
rain. =
I have referred hitherto only to the
Dor situation as a question Of men
I'd women available. Let us next