The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1917-03-02
Nation Cannot De-
pend on Volunteers
J a.'To Serve Public-AII Of Us or None
of Us" Is Only Safe idea, Says
-. - =.
Russell
UNITED STATES POLICY
- Is UTTERLY FOOLISH
Declares Any Nation Dependent on
Volunteers Is on Verge OF
-. Destruction

49,, Destruction
BY Charles Edward RUSSELL.
Washington, Feb. 26.-To serve the
republic-all of us or none of us.
That is the only idea that is safe,
reasonable or democratic. The mag
nificent motto of democratic Switzer-
land" ,"AH for one and one for all"-
that should be ours no less.
The present military policy of the
United States-if we can be said to
have one-is to hire some few of us
to go out and fight for the rest of us,
who sit in fat ease at home.
Is Undemocratic
1t is rotten, it is undemocratic,it it
is selfish, it is cowardly, and for
modern warfare it is utterly foolish.
BE-. We ought to have learned that last
from our experiences on the frontier
last summer-if they taught us any
thing.
In this age, any nation that depends
for its defence upon volunteer SER
vice and band of hired mercenaries,
is sleeping on the verge of destruc-
tion. = - x
This is no new discovery to any
body that was privileged to be In
Europe when the present war began.
was in England a month after the
overture to that drama tuned up, and
what saw sent glimmering the last
illusion on this subject. '.s .z4-
@ Great Britain had military system
like ours. She depended upon volun-
=teers and an army that fought for
hire. and in all human experience no
system ever went more completely to
smash.
There was the plain situation, as
clear as the day to anybody that car
ed to look at it. Great Britain would
never have an army until she made
service the duty of all and not the
paid Job of few.
# AL the men in the government
knew it perfectly well. Whatever
they might say for public consump-
tion. they knew the truth, and in pri-
vate: they acknowledged 1t. l.. ~"
Day after day the country rang
with. appeals. meetings were held in
everycorner of the realm; the govern
ment spent 100000, 900 in advertis.
ing in the newspapers and on bill
boards.
Men would not enlist on the mer-
>enaryabasis; they. would not be a
band d a5anissariey While sbthsiffa Sat
in fatFease at home; ;ss ea.s5 ~ RI .sa'.sss .
81 So Great Britair'wasted' 1S months
in which she took practically no part
in the land war because she had no
men to put into the field.
s But IL the leaders in the govern
sment knew the truth why didn't they
say it? IS %.a =. =
Because of a fetch, superstition,
IA dead formula, word!
Conscription"-that was the dread
bogey that lay in the path. Great
Britain never had restored to con-
Sscription, therefore it never must re-
sort to It, Our forefathers fought on
the volunteer plan and therefore we
must fight on It. It was equally true
that our forefathers used candles and
canoes. but nobody thought OF that.
Nobody thinks of anything when
there is "a handy fetch to obsess US.
50 the situation drifted along, the
fetch worchippers terrorizing the
9eyarnment, mo British troops to
speaksuf on the continent and none
IN sight. ;.5. 3:5. .=.
Then Lord Derby hit upon the hap
M scheme Of putting conscription to
work but calling It BY another name,
and after watching 18 months of pre-
2cions Hme Great, Britain began to get
an army .;s
Il Is u terrible responsibility that
these unfortunate slaves Of the fetch
assume. VI v:
Twelve years ago. the British gov
ernment. then II the hands of the con.
Sseryati YES. prepared 8 bill Tor uniyer-
m military training and service. and
these fetich persons frightened the
/ ssggoyernment out of the idea.
they kept still there would be
no war now. 5s
feW pears later Discerning men
Eslike Lord Roberts and Robert Batch
VI faraaf F3rifa III, ita mn.