Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-12
decline as tho army expands

strength.
The solo argument in favor of the
army volunteer is ono OF sentiment
Many thousands OF men still reyol
at the idea OF being drafted" Il
they must go to war. they want to
go as volunteers. they claim. Most
OF tho men who have voluntarily en-
listed since this country became a
belligerent wero men who were I'm tho
draft age. and who admitted that they
were going In because they preferred
to be known as volunteers, or because
they wanted to choose the arm of the
service In which they would night.
NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
VOLUNTEERS AND CoNsCRIprs
1t is obvious. of course, that there
is not particle Of difference be.
tween such volunteering as that and
~conscription., Tho man who cnlists
because he has reason to believe that
TO will be called by a draft board is
in exactly the same position as tho
man who observes tho behest of his
government and waits until the gov
crnment expresses its need for his
services.
From the governments standpoint
the sentimental argument is wholly In
favor of the draftee, and II Is the
fixed purpose OF the War Department
to givo the millions of men who arc
selected exactly the same standing as
the few hundreds Of thousands who
may have volunteered. Moreover tho
department is determined to protect
tho selected corps. as far as II may
be humanity possible, from any arti-
ncial distinctions which the volunteers
may seek to create. This is shown in
the recent order or the chief of staff
erasing all limos between tho Regular
Army. the National Guard and the Ma
tional Army.
Creation OF armies by selection IS
the governments own method of mobi.
liking the country's man power In
effect 1t says to tho individual that Il
recognizes universal liability TO mill
tary service: that this liability places
every American old enough TO bear
arms upon exactly the same footing
that 1t is tho purpose of the govern !
mcnt to call only small per cent
OF the total male population. and tina
1t VIII exercise its own Judgment as
TO the men who are fitted to go AMI
those who must remain behind.
The men who may be called under
this system are not dragged from their
homes or their business Each one OF
them is volunteer In the sense that
he walked up and voluntarily enrolled
himself and voluntarily gave the in
formation regarding himself upon
which the government Is 10 act in
determining his availability for SER
vice. Because of these facts. there IS
and can be stigma upon the
drafted man, and the volunteer, un
less he was below or above the draft
age when he enlisted. can lay claim
TO no credit for his action.
1t Is the further purpose OF the
government to destroy any aristocracv
that may manifest itself in the army
OF the United States There Is to bs
no volunteer aristocrat, no Regular
Army aristocrat, or any other kind OF
an aristocrat, except that which arises
from Eallantry. The man who wins
a medal or honor is the only one |
whose superiority Is recognized by his
Army authorities without execution
realize that 1t would have been better
it there had never been any volun.
tccr system. 1t would have been bet
ter IL every man in the ranks had
gone In through selection, but the
necessity for raising an army at The |
earliest possible moment compelled
the government to resort both to VOL !
and the draft in order. to |
Put force I'm the field with the least
aelay. Besides, the Regular Army anA !
the National Guard were both in ex-
istence when the war came, and II
would have been foolish not to have
made use Of them
Now that the selective system has