The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-01-30

our legislators pretend that the Ma |
tional Guard upon the old basis is or
ever can be of greater value, they are
practicing fraud upon the people
The recommendation of our Cen
eral Staff, made and re-made. to Con
gress, have been, and are still unheed-
ed That is one reason that the regu-
lar army was so slow in getting start
ed after Villa, as they had no motor
transportation. 1t is an absolute fact
that we are in little, if any. better
shape to cross the Mexican border to-
day than we were seven months ago
Facilities and supplies of all kinds
have been and are short and made
quate. If the $500 troops Quartered
with us at NOgales for the last three
months had been without Company or
other funds upon which to draw
there would have been actual suffer.
ing, as the Subsistence Department
was never able to get in supplies fast
enough. The same condition applies
to the Quartermaster's department
There never was a time when the
10000 National Guardsmen who went
to the border were all properly cloth
ed. This government Of ours went il
to the general market and bought
! blankets. hats, shoes and other ar
ticles of any color and description
! Ordnance supplies were in the same
condition. Thousands of men we're
equipped with old 80 Colts pistols. In
the Second Idaho Regiment alone. we
used four different kinds of ammuni-
ton. There was never at any time
enough rifle ammunition to have last
| ed for one days battle, or shrapnel
shell enough to have kept our batter
les in action more than two hours
and of these, only one shell M of
every three was effective.
The loyalty of our National Guard s.
men is not to be questioned; but ev-
cry one of them has had his eyes open
ed by his experience They have dis
covered that because from a sense of
patriotic duty they joined a semi civil
ian force, so that our country should
be partially prepared in the event Of
war. they are now liable to be taken
from their business and families in
time of peace and kept indefinitely I'M
der arms while their less patriotic
competitors are taking the,- places
Only a few employers actually carried
out the promises of paying their men
while absent, and those who dill SO.
suffered in competition with those who
did not Being mostly young men, the
absent Guardsman naturally 10 SEES his
chance of promotion, not to speak of
the one who happens to be in bust
ness for himself. 1t is safe to say
that every Guardsman is now imhued
with the sense of the unfairness e the
whole present system and heartily in
favor of UNIVERSAL military training.
Much of our preparedness talk has
been on the same plane as the man
who says 1--WE should have the best
army and navy in the world. and are
rich enough to pay for both" but has
no thought of personal service as ap-
piled to himself People who take this
idea of preparedness deserve all they
get, even the fake army bill under
which we are failing to get any sol
diers; and they may not be surprised
if the proposed increase of naval
strength falls short in the same way.
In fact, Rear Admiral Fiske is now
telling us that it will take five years
Of the hardest kind of work to get
the navy in fighting trim. Large APP
preparations must wait upon ship
yard capacity. The Ships will be
built, but we must develop skilled
labor and facilities to build them. and
trained men to handle them when they
are afloat.
There have been times in our past
history when men dared to do things
but not now Admiral Cowles, in com
8 mand of the Fleet of Guaymas, was
advised that an American sugar plan
} tation owner had had As carloads of
sugar seized by Mexican rebels. He
? at once sent word to their leader that
= if this sugar was not returned within
5 IS hours he would land a force. The
5 sugar was returned; but just as soon
as the report of this affair reached
5 Washington, Admiral Cowles was plac
= ed on the Reserve List and three
months later retired.
r Another incident that comes nearer
home is the case of Captain Perry Of
2 the Montana National Guard. His COM
| pany was fired upon while on duty
on the border. His instructions were
7 to use his own discretion if fired up
on. Hence, he returned the fire and
deeming it wise to drive the bandits
out of the under brush crossed the
river to the Mexican side and drove
them out without losing a man. Three
! days later he was removed from his
. command and placed on detached ser
. vice. When all the facts are cOnsid-
cred we do not wonder that such
! men as General Funston say, chat
some of us are getting so old that we
! are afraid of losing our jobs"
I A few days ago we we're startled by
I the report that a United States sol
Z der had been found on the Mexican
side of the river with his throat cut
j and that the bandits who held the
j. body asked 500 for its return. The
i situation being reported to the Wal
Department and the ransom having
! been reduced to $50, the Department
I hot no 60,
Z the return of the body of an Ameri-
I can soldier to his own soil. Some,
where in our past history, an Ameri
Z can declared that eve had million.
7 for defense, but not cent for trib
j ute"
+ We can never accomplish anything
I either for ourselves, or for others
& by mere words used to cover inaction
! slackness or fear of efforts or of dan