The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-12
.SH. ulO OUR BOYS Be
CALLED FOR SERVICE +?

In an editorial In last weeks issue
of the Advocate the hone was express
cd that in calling out men for SER
vice In the army, the call would not
| include anyone under twenty-one
years of age, or any students at coll
leges or universities. unless the stu
dents were in the senior year. and
would complete the course of study
before 1t became necessary to enter
into actual service.
Since writing that statement. the
editor mas received number of let
ters in appreciation of the position
taken. He feels inclined to amplify
sufficiently to say that 1t is certainly
illogical. IL not unreasonable, to call
| young men to serve in the army who
are not recognized by the law of the
country as being old enough to take
| upon themselves the response hilities
! of citizenship. and who are not allow.
ed to vote, and, therefore, to have
any representation in congress or In
state legislatures. If youth under
fwcnty-onc years OF age Is not con-
sidcrcd to he sufficiently mature 10
vote In an election upon any sub,
ject. how can the government con-
( NfStSafti1 ttRlt SUCH immature
! persons shall be compelled 10 enlist
in the army. and not only take train
| ing to learn how to fight. but actually
he required to flrht, although they
have had no legal voice whatever In
/ the decision for or against war. 1t
| Is unjust to our young men, to force
upon them such responsibilities. or TO
1ncite them to voluntarily assume such
responsibilities. when we will not al
low them to assume the responsibility
of voting until they are twonty- one
years old, no matter how eager they
NAV be
The bill which has been drafted by
the war department calls for the en-
T. listment of young men Of nineteen
years of age. Ought not the limit to
be made at least twenty-one, and If
sufficient troops can be secured, It
would be better in the judgment Of
the writer to make ii twenty five.
Emphasizing again the point made
concerning the calling out Of students
In colleges and universities before
they have completed their courses Of
study the editor does not wish to be
understood as holding that students
as a class should be exempt simply
because they are students. His posi-
tion is that If a man has determined
upon his life work. that fact should
be considered by the government In
calling him out for service A man
can discontinue his work on the farm.
or in the factory, or in the shop. and
his preparation for his future life
work does not suffer any great dam
age. But II a man is interrupted In
the midst Of a course OF study. his
preparation for his life work is fire.
quently absolutely broken UP. and the
opportunity for preparation Is en-
tirely lost That was the case with
thousands of our young men during
the Civil war
OF course. If the time should come
when invasion OF our country mus;
be resisted il would be iust'fahle &c
i, call out our youth as was done then
but it should not be done unless 1t Is
absolutely necessary. for not only are
these boys too young to be called upon
by older men to assume such respon-
, sibiIity, but they are too young to he
exposed to the demorsiizing in
fuences. which are nearly always
found in connection with mobilization
. and training camps
Is 1t fair for Older men to thrust
upon our boys these grave responsi.
I bilitics of life and death?
I Professor J. G. Baird. in the Char
lolte observer ci ApIli y, uIteTS SOUlt
pertinent words on this same ques-
ton, and the editor OF the Advocate
heartily endorses his words concern
ing the putting OF our boys on th<
farm rather than in training camp:
"r in the trenches.
, To the Editor of The Observer:
In this day OF war with It's numer
Gus possible consequences, I know o
no question more pertinent than thu
] question, what shall We do with oul
! boysr' I note with interest the prop
osition to make n call for the firs
l million and a half from the ranks o
the boys and young manhood. rang
ing from nineteen To twentythree.
have noted with peculiar interest the
insistency of some who would turn oul
colleges and secondary schools intt
military camps. Candor compels m'
to say that | think tho whole PROPOSE
ton Is wrong when applied to schools
and colleges. The future of our coun
, try is dependent upon the charactel
j.. of the boys of today. the preparation
they shall make for the battles of life
Certainly, no boy between sixteen anc
twenty should be called on to enter tn,
military services of his country unles'
, the necessity Is pressing. One, two OF
three years of service for such boy:
means the abandonment Of an educa
ton. Those who survive the ordeal o.
/ war will return to their homes to be
gin life under u handicap they can new
err hope to overcome. Nor Is this all
The baneful influences Of a mobiliza
ton camp on the young and untriet
is Il consideration no Thoughtful mar
, should overlook. Something better
should be worked out for our boys. ant
sim be not less useful and serviceablt
to their country. 7 beg herewith Il
submit what seems TO me a most feas
| ible plan;
If this country Ia to be under arms
, for an indefinite period of time. thu
army and navy must have something
to eat. SO long as tho war as now
: constituted lasts. the supply mus
come from our own fields The fields
. cannot yield unless they are properly
cultivated. What can be more profit
able to the boys than 1--WE or six
months spent on a farm during the
busy season? In all that has beer
said about our unpreparedness the
stress has been laid in the lack o.
military training. 1t is a comparative
easy matter to teach military tactics
+ The first and most important matter
is the man. Knowledge without ply
steal power to execute is worthless
IL there Is any better place for physi
cal development than the farm. am
anxious to see it, Setting UP exercises
may be useful, calisthenics may b.
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