The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-02-13

rulership Of the colonies but spurned
lit and stood by the colonies; and we
had our Jefferson to pen the Declara-
ton of Independence; our Monroe to
lpen his doctrine. THE Freedom OF the
/ Seas" our noble Lincoln, given as q
sacrifice that the nation might live;
and last, but not least, our Wilson,
whose speech before the senate for
la worlds peace, is ringing around the
world.
Our revolutionary fathers. fought
eight long years to make the govern
ment; our civil war veterans fought
| over four years to preserve it-and
now they are too old to flght, and de-
pend on the younger boys to maintain
| it. and am sure they will continue
to show the spirit ~ 5s
Not Prepared In '61.
Capt. A. H. Evans speaking for the
G. A. R., said that this nation was
not prepared in 1861. When Stump
ter was fred on, there were hardly
any organizations in the north that
could be depended on to bear the
brunt Of battle There were few
militia organizations outside Of the
Fighting Seventh Of New York and
some Of those crack organizations of
the time. There were plenty of men
who offered themselves, but the Ques-
ton was what to do with the men,
Captain Evans said. To-day, no
doubt we are better on, but we must
be awake to the sentiments of the
time" the speaker said. I'VE must
be ready. Some folks think pre-
paredness is expensive, and it is, but
4 hi kIxnk 1e h vyyjyS
COSTS" he said. We must not lose
to those who come after u.s."
| Captain Evans read splendid
tribute to Lincoln and pointed out
/, that the martyr president was pre-
pared for whatever his God had in
store for him, as evidenced by the
remark which he made to one OF his
neighbors. The picture OF Lincoln
splitting rails. with his book close by,
or huddled UP before the fireside
studying law were drawn in vivid
fashion by the speaker, who pointed
out their lesson.
From Spanish War Vets.
|! Major John A. Dunlap spoke for
I the Spanish war veterans. He said
the average citizen believes in pre-
iparedness. but never does it. He
spoke Of the condition at the time OF
the Spanish war when the compile
ment OF men was filled at the first
call, although second call was Is
sued. Fortunately, the enemy which
was met in that time was easily
handled by the regular army. There
was no difficulty in getting men.
however, but the trouble was that
more were gotten than were needed.
Some Of these were never fully
equipped, and some never left Iowa.
| Changes in warfare have come in
the last twenty years, and 1t is
doubtful il we could put an army
into shape in q year, Mr.. Dunlap
said. Spanish war veterans will do
/. all they can to promote this pre-
,paredness. Two-thirds of the losses
were due to ignorance of the officers
and men, the lack of hospital facili>
tiles, and the like. Mr.. Dunlap spoke
Of the Chamberlain bill, which will
require military training for men
from 10 to 26, and he urged that
i influence be brought to bear on con-
gress to pass that bill.
From Company L.
Lieutenant Harley Moore spoke for
Company L Of Keokuk. Members Of
the company attended the exercises
| in q body and were seated together.
Lieutenant Moore said that the
m mobilization Of the guard found the
regular army and the supply depart
ment not ready for them. One les
son from this mobilization, however,
was to teach the Mexicans that there
was something to the United States
besides Texas. The organization of
the militia last year boosted recruit
ing for the regular army. he said, and
some of the guardsmen went into the
regular service. The mobilization
brought about the organization OF
motorcycle corps, and the use Of
auto trucks which made infantry al
most as mobile as cavalry. He urged
preparedness, because If the call to
arms should come we would get
plenty Of young men VITA nothing
but patriotism. For that reason we
must make strikes now toward dc.
velopment of trained men.
Sergeant Ralph B. Joy was the
other speaker from Company L He
spoke of the cost to the United
States of rejecting militiamen unfit
for service, and emphasized Iowa's
good record in this matter, where
less than five percent were turned
back, while New Mexico had 33 per-
cent, Illinois 20 percent. and other
states q larger figure than Iowa.
The percentage Of sickness is less in
the militia than in the regulars. he
said, quoting from reports from the
adjutant general. One reason for
this was that the rural communities
furnished big percentage Of men
for the militia.
He defended the militia. saying 1T
was not inefficient and pointed out
that it had endured the long marches
in training as well as the regulars.
From Boy Scouts.
DR.. John W. Marsh spoke for the
Boy Scouts. He said 1t was in no
sense a military organization, and
any mother who didn't raise her boy
to be soldier need not hesitate to put
him in the Boy Scouts organization.