Evening star., 1917-01-14
Why Should You Be Shot
to Save Me?

yOUR or five months ago | saw the Seventh New
III York regiment march away to Mexico.
Four or five weeks ago stood on Fifth Avenue
and watched the Seventh march home again.
Flags flying; crowds lined the sidewalks but l
wondered why there cheering
And then / understood.
We did not cheer because we were just bit ashamed
go by in their soled khaki-we who had been sleeping
in clean beds while they were bunkng the ground:
we who had been making money while their Jobs were
taken by other men, 1t wasn't our fault of course and
yet couldn't help feeling bit conscence-sricken
the manifest injustice By uhat right were left behind
IN comfort. aohile they sent forth to do morhg
read in the papers next day that every member of
the regiment had come home vigorous advocate of
universal military training. did not wonder.
In Switzerland every boy when he reaches twenty
years of age must present himself to the authorities.
He must be able to and jump at least eight feet;
to lift heavy weight at least four times above his head
to eighty yards in fourteen seconds or less
The training for those tests begins in childhood and
is constant. The young manhood OF Switzerland is
healthy. clean young manhood because of universal
An English writer who the narrow -chested white
faced recruits marshaled into the English army, and
saw those same men six months afterward brown,
hard dmuscled, erect marveled at the miracle.
"What pity that any of them must be lost" he
claimed "This six months of outdoor training has
regenerated England"
would do for the young men of America realized
watched the bronzed Seventh march between two
of sallow-aced onlookers.
The young Swiss must pass mental well as a
physical examination He must brush the dust off his
school books before he is acceptable to the State
Can you imagine what it would mean to America if
every young to be sent back to school for
few months at eighteen twenty-how much it would
add to the mental virity and elasticity of the nation
And One trouble in America is the lack of
direct contact between the people and their
Service to the government? The average man renders
none, except occasional reluctant experience on a
jury: Taxes? We pay them indirectly thanks to the
tariff, and are unconscious of paying them at ALL
What would it mean to America if, for few months
out of his life every young to give himself
to national serrce out of doors aid under disciplies
Ii had my way, all the nations would sign an agree
ment to fight their with their ,oorst citizens
would make up armies out of convicts, idiots cow
ards, gamblers, and the idle rich.
War in any form is terrble but if war could kill
only the least desirable citizens its horrors would be
somewhat mitigated.
AS it s under the volunteer SYSTEM nations give their
best and save their worst You who are brave volun-
teer and are shot. l, who am coward and weaklng
sink along behind. and saved to breed cowardly
children like myself.
can see nothing democratic in system that sacr
fees the brave, clean of nation to save the lives
OF its towards and degenerates.
My idea of democracy is that every citizen, good or
bad. should stand side by side with every other in pre-
paredness for service to the nation
And If the nation does its part WELL that preparation
Tor service can be made to prove rich investment in