El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-08-14
NOTHING BUT SELECTIVE DRAFT
SUFFICES TO FURNISH THE MEN

THE REGULAR army having been filled up to its fun
authorized quota, It Is interesting 10 note that since
- April 10000 men have volunteered for United
States military service IN the regular army national guard
navy corps and that p states out Of 4s have
completed their quota Of recruits for the regular army
More than 100000 have been enrolled IN the national
service and may be said 10 have been armed and equipped
though that process not yet complete This accomplish
within four months after the initial call TO the coloTs
Is worthy Of comment.
Many Of those who volunteered for service were re
iected for no lack of the fighting spirit for flaws
their conviction that the United States has entered upon
war IN a worthy cause, but for physical defects.
Altogether, volunteering worked out as well IN the
United States this occasion every worked out any
where. Its fatal flaws were that It did not provide men
the great numbers IN which they viii be needed
all through this and that It held within itself the
gross inequalities Of service, the injustice which me see
tive draft In any other war the volunteering Of
q million men would have been wonderful In this war,
million constitute Just the initial force, the basis tor
4 really great army. In any other million men
might right II through In this wal, constant and regular
additions are essential It is partly the additions
must be OF fixed size and available prescribed dates
dependence be placed on the chance OF vol
unteeTing
As Elhu Root chief commissioner Of the United States
mission Russia said Russians reading OF the antl-dat
activities the the draft registers the strikes the
activities Of the L W w. and other dlsoTdery occurrences
might form the conclusion that the United STATES Is seem
ing with autwar spirit. These matters, being coor1u
and sensational the chief items IN the days domestic
news But If TO believe for moment that the
peoule Of the United States a whole in any con-
siderable number whatever not in accord with the
~ nov of this government let him look at the size Of
those April !.
No such impression could prevail II Il Paso We have
seen too many additions the troops here to be under any
nisapprehenson. We have seen good many thousands
OF recruits here We have sort Of transformation
Of the N uniform because OF Lnesee
recrits We are visuaIzing the soldier young fellow
of fine features high intelligence and the light Of purpose
II his eyes We have heard their volng cheers resouno
their trains departed for the east on the way toward
Germany.
The spirit Is IN the men and IN the nation 1t viii be
cr7e more and more evident It viii be palmer than
when the drafted men are called into service and when they
undergo their transformation, from civilians with an ideal
TO soldiers with the ideal intensified BY training
Such sDoradic zuti-ar demonstrations we are Wit
Messing are the blowing off Of steam By democratic
Deope II could autOcracy without por
tending revolution It would be regarded feartuy as
such bv the ruling powers Here know II 1or what II
and we know II does represent the spirit OF the
whole people
When informed that Aurora BOreals was interfering
with the overland telegraph service an operator SAID ne
never did approve Of these girl key-Pounders anyhow