Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1917-11-02
READING COURSE
for CITIZEN SOLDIERS
Issued BY the War Department and All
Rights TO Reprint ReJerOed
THE SPIRIT OF THE SERVICE.

The spirit that dominated the Amer
lean armies at Bunker Hill, New Or
leans, Buena Vista, Gettysburg and
Santiago will just as surely dominate
the National army on the battlefelds
of Europe.
This spirit is a compound. 1t Is
made up in part of democratic feeling,
in part of respect and love for the ma
ton, and in part of Americanism.
The United States army has always
been and will always remain a 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 q big, s0ulless machine
that moves with mechanical precision.
II Is u team" Each man In the team
is presumed to be intelligent and 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
various ranks and degrees Of authority.
And sometimes this necessary organl-
cation and close regulation creates an
impression that the army is not demo-
cratic.
But the fact of the case Is that
American soldiers accept the reason
able discipline of the army readily be-
cause they have the good sense to
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 Il special sense the National army
is democratic. A 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 1t is
applied in time OF war. Through a
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 IN army so truly representative
of the nation.
There are always pessimists In every
generation who insist that patriotism
Is dead or at least decaying. They
have not been lacking in recent years.
There comes a crisis such as now cOn-
fronts us. And always the question of
patriotism is answered by a free out
pouring of effort, money and blood on
the part of citizens of all types In
every section of the country.
Every citizen of the United States
now has or will have certain duties to
perform, certain sacrifices to make,
The burden does not rest wholly upon
you and other men who take up arms,
1t rests in part also upon the men and
women who stay behind. For modern
war on a big scale demands that the
whole nation, In q sense, should go to
war. The tasks required of some may
be harder than the tasks required OF
others, but all of them are necessary
in order to make sure of the result.
Many manufacturers and workers
| often women as well as men-must
give up their own work and plans In
order to produce war supplies. Those
who remain where they nov are-be
cause they are engaged In some occupa
ton just as necessary in war as II
peace, such as farming, mining, run
ming railroads, and the like-must g
at their work with redoubled energ!
and without expecting profits fol
themselves; 1t would be a great mis-
take If everyone were taken away from
these necessary lines of effort In ordel
to Join the cOlorS as a soldier.
Certain men-amOng whom you ART
one-have been or will be chosen a
representatives Of the nation to defen'
our rights and safety on the battlefield
You and your fellow soldiers are sc
lected from the young men Of the coun
try who are best fitted for military ser
vice.
This process Of organizing the Who'll
nation for war cannot, of course, b
completed in a day. But it is steadil,
going on. 1t will necessarily go on IN
Ill the end of the war. You will hav
back of you and supporting you tn
whole country-ail its people and a
its wealth. Congress spoke the will @
the nation in the declaration of war
"To bring the conflict to n successfr
termination all the esources of tn
country are hereby pledged"
The patriotic spirit which o tn
whole country will find its highest el
preston in its soldiers-the men VIII
are assigned to the post of danger an
of honor. They will go all the NOR
willingly since they know that benin
them the whole nation is organizin
for the national service. Their spir
will be one of patriotic devotion full
as intense as that of American armit
in previous wars.
The spirit of democracy and of p
triotism is TO be found also in ii
armies of other nations tightir
against German aggression. In add
ton the National army will have i
own spirit of Americanism. 1t wi
hoNo AmpriCon enthusiasm good N
NOR, fairness even to the enemy, al
| self-confdence. 1t will go at its wol
| - LIZ h.nrtnhlN hut Mith u rin