Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-08
LETTERS TO HE EOITO.l
Draft Is Right, But Why Knock the
 Volunteers.


 Mir Editor: I know at the start that we are living in 9 time when very few people dare express their opinions. on national question for fear of being called everything but honest, but a few still remain who have a little courage. A very short time ago near ly every paper in America, and al politicians of all parties, hurled all kinds of abuse at Senator Stone of Missouri because he led the fight against President Wilson's armed neutrality bills Just two weeks from the date he was so badly abused the democratic senate chose him unani- mousiy for leader, and just four weeks after the president said in nessa ge to congress that armed neutrality had failed. So you see, perhaps the sena- tor from Missouri was right in hay ing to be shown" But enough of that. It's the ridiculous abuse of the volunteer army system I am getting
 Never mind what the opinion of myself or anyone elsa is on the "se- lective draft law, it's a law and each and everyone of us can say with De- catur of old. My country May she always be right. But right or wrong, my country"
 think all Americans. no matter where their parents were born, agree to that.
 It appears to me that some of our senators and representatives could have voted for President Wilson's draft bill without lying about the vol unteerS.
 The claim that the volunteer system las always failed I brand 8 lie, even if some Of our nearby Connecticut representatives did say so.
 George Washington and his entire army were volunteers. The claim by himself a soldier. that the British would have won that war without the help of France is another lie. France did not help. It was a band of brave noble French volunteers. led by the sainted Lafayette, another volunteer, and they came here because their pa triotic breasts were fired with enthu- siasm for the brave volunteers who were struggling to throw off the Brit ish yoke
 All down through our history the volunteer has been the man of the. hour. Tn the Civil war in spite of one of our New England senator's claims that the volunteer system fail ed out of 2,500, 900 union soldiers only 2S5, 900 were drafted and had the first call for volunteers been for year men instead of three months men there would have been no need of draft
 One senator said: Even the south found the volunteer system a failure" Such rot should have no place in the Congressional Record. From General Lee down the south volunteered. and
 
 rebe1dom whole counties in Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia, voIun- teered under the starry flag of our Union.
 volunteer system failed in the Span ish war" Wrong again. When Mo K1nley called Sor volunteers a man had to hustle to get in before the ranks were full. left Key West, Fla, with nine others all at that time vol unteer blockade runners serving the patriots of Cuba, and as fast as steam could bring us Wa came to our sev- eral northern homes to join the col ors among our neighbors all enlisted when I got to Hartford The first reg iment was full so I pushed along to Providence, R. T., and the only way landed in the Rhode Island regiment was by borrowing an overcoat and blanket when no one was looking go- Ing on board the transport to camp and fairly pushing myself into the service.
 When the war was actually started there was no class of men, no brigade or division that did better service than a brigade consisting of Irish reg fments. Ninth Massa chusetts, Thirty third and Thirty-fourth Michigan, all volunteers, There is no doubt in my mind but the ones who have studied out the "se1ective draft" plan are right, but why should the men we send to congress lie about the vol one has planted a new idea in their added brain?
 EnglanC was never up to the pres- ent time matched by anyone except her own flesh and blood. and England can proudly point to centuries of vic tories won by volunteers.
 Even today what little truth creeps Into our war news tells of thu bray cry and great work being done by the Canadian and Australian troops