The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-05-03

It may seem strange for a working
man to- advocate compulsory military
service. but my own experience in life
leads me to the conviction that there
must be a certain advantage in thai
training. To illustrate more clearly
this statement. 1t Is necessary for me
to admit that ] am naturalized citt-
zen. German descent. and that / went
through a two-year military service
before emigrating to this country
about fifteen years ago. A foreigner
in any country is naturally always
tempted to make comparisons between
the life and people of his native and
hts adopted country. so did /: and the
first thing that struck me was the
general appearance of the average
workingman in this country. He SEEM
ed to be mostly underfed. especially
to have weak legs and a narrow chest.
That undertaking was not the reason
for these. defects / found out very
soon. as / noticed among my fellow
workingmen very elaborate lunches
and also that they ate rather too mT:c !"
than not enough.
So had to look around for another
cause to explain why the American
youth does not compare favorably with
the average youths of other countries
and why he Is in direct contrast
German youth: and find it in the lack
OF a period of military training. The
age from Is to % years is the time
when a young man needs training to
ripen him into man. How is this
time usually spent bv the average Am
erican workingman? In badly ventilat-
ed factories and workshops during the
day, and at parties. theatres. street
corners. etc.. during the night. Count
less thousands of laborerI have no
physical training whateveI. and have
not the faintest idea to develop their
chests and harden their muscles Sys-
tematic military service converts the
physically unfit type of the American
workingman into a seasoned man..
My second comparison was suggest
cd by the fact that most OF the for
eigners entering the United States
have no trouble whatever in finding
occupation. and in working themselves
UP in few years not only to the aver
age wage scale. but frequently above
Ii. 1t is not superior intelligence that
sends the foreigner UP the ladder. but
his reliability and habit of obedience
and discipline which he acquired while
serving his country. There is no ma
ton SO intelligent as our great United
States of America. but this virtue il
only profitable to the workingman II
1t is combined with ORDERLY habits. re-
spect for authority and good physical
condition. These latter habits have
been drilled into the men OF military
countries. and that's the secret of their
superiority over the American work
ingmen.
Another point rt4ck me-the prac.
lice of early MARRIAGES among the
laboring class in this country. AS soon
as a young man has served his ap-
premiership and receives the average
wage scale he thinks himself able to
support a wife. and the known result
therefrom is shown in the appalling
divorce statistics in the United States.
No man in nations with obligatory
service thinks ABOUT taking
a wife before he has served his coun- |
try. When he returns from the serv-
ice he is more fit to assume the
bond. as he has acquired |
many experiences which will be very
useful in his married life. and he will