The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-08-07
RQDERIcK Q. MArHES6E. EDITOR
The Draft--The Training


and in our right mind, says the Los Angeles
Times, commenting on the recent draft on the
mainland. Verify says that paper we may come
to regard it as another Good Friday rather than
Black Friday, and always a historic Friday.
Fate doomed large in the country that day. 1t
was poignant experience to the tense faces
that scanned those fateful lists Of numbers, the
result of the great American lottery which would
call the chosen to their part in the great world
war. But the manhood of the nation made no
moan; there were no wild scenes there was no
Americana dementia Fate's decree was accepted
with calm sanity, albeit there were heartaches to
be recorded for every cold, rrefutabe number,
and unshed tears were very near the surface Cold,
adamant numbers, but every one OF them CULVER
ing with humanity, representing a chosen life.
The very air was electrified that day the tele-
graph wires sent those pregnant numbers to the
far corners OF the country.
And these our men, chosen by a blind fate, will
form the first great democratic American army
in the struggle to hold for the world that liberty
which our forefathers dearly bought. Great
though the sacrifice for many OF them will be- it
is nevertheless a glorious distinction, the right to
play their part in the destiny Of the nation 1t is
no mean tribulation to be lifted up out of ones
life no one belittles the immensely of the change
and conditions that confront them but there is
honor and exultation, too. in being numbered
among those destined by an inscrutable fate to-
represent and fight for this nations honor and in
tegrity before the world. y
Some sense of all this has impregnated the ma
ton and must account for the great wave of silent
courage, 6rst-class American spunk. that has been
the keynote Of the past few days. No whining, no
whimpering the craven heart is magnihcently
rare-but sheer imperturbable grit of America.
We have taken the draft CALAMITY and held our
heads high f.. -,tn
AT the worst these our will take their places
beside the men of those nations who have spent
three dire years in the battlefield already. But
even now rumors of peace are persstent-and it
takes, year to train soldier. 1t may well be |
that the war will be over and peace reign once
more on earth before this first draft has an oppor
tunity to fire a shot It may we'll be that the
chosen ones will never see a battle front But they
will never regret the inestmable advantage that /
years training and military discipline will have
given them. The who volunteered for the
various training camps all over the country last
summer will bear witness to that. Men who went
to those camps habby and heshy and soft came
out of them hard and stalwart, with alert minds
and strong bodies. Men who found two-me
walk overwhelming at the outset were capable of
swinging along with treess gait for thirty miles
at the end Of their training. Men whose appetites
were pampered and peeyish were amazed how soon
the army training made them eat army fare with
healthy relish. Military training teaches man
how to get the very best out of himself, how to
keep himself fit and alert and keen and capable.
Even if these drafted men are never called to the
front they will be greater asset to themselves
and to the nation for the military training that
will have been theirs. 1t is worth year of one 5
life to achieve the perfection of health and phys
ique.
There will be many men to envy those who come
under the draft The real bitterness is for those
whose physical disabilities deny, them the great
experience. When the final choice OF the first
draft has been made and the exemptions weeded
out those men will stand forth as the very pick
OF us, the cream of us, the flower of us-our chosen
army The honor Of being OF them will be
indubitabIe We shall all want to be able to claim
one of them for own. And they in their turn
will feel that the personal sacrifices they have had
TO make were trihing in comparison to the pride
that is theirs in this their new role the defenders
OF the countrys honor going forth to do mems
work. Those men with staunch hearts but frail
bodies who are denied all opportunity for this
supreme service may we'll feel that theirs is the ,
harder part.
And il the lasts another year and these our
chosen defenders take their stand for the lned !
States upon the battIe6elds of Europe our honor
will be safe in their hands Not all American ,
pluck and herolsm was used up by foreiathers f
IN the Revolution and the Civil War. The calm ;
silent courage and sanity with which the draft
has been accepted, with all the possible RESPONSE
bty that it entails, is proof enough that red blood
Flows a-penty in the veins of this generation And
This is the opportunity for Americas manhood to t
lroye it before the world. Historic Friday has d
,One and conc. Hearts NAV have missed hn,1 :