Evening journal., 1918-08-21


glorious United States on that never
to-be-forgotten April 6. 1917.
From the busy rush Of the big city,
from the quiet peace Of the village came
a mighty force-volunteers TO night for
the most glorious heritage man ever
fought for-Freedom.
The demands were enormous, for the
task was gigantic, but the demands
were met with a promptness and dead
" earnestness that heartened our cour-
ageous Allies.
This war was no impersonal affair,
but something that touched every home
and every heart. An eager desire to an
tlclpate the call TO duty thrilled mil
lions Of men and women.
What that duty actually was, many
people only vaguely understood. Our
government promptly realized the need
for pointing out the duty TO its citizens,
for II did not at once call everyone TO
battle on the tortured fields Of France
with the greatest scourge that ever
cursed the world.
In the small, busy manufacturing
town Of Hsmmerville lived old man
Parsons with his wife and their three
sons, John. the eldest, was "a years
old: Robert, who would soon graduate
from high school, was going on Is,
while Dick-dear, mischicvous Dick
was i6, three boys whose manliness
would cause a glow Of pride to any
parents.
on that memorable April 9th, the or
derly routine Of the Parsons household
was rudely shaken when Robert rush
ed excltedly into the house and
yelled
"It's war. dad It's war. mother! Gee,
now we'll give the Hun something to
remember. I've just seen John; he's
going 10 enlist. 10 says were
going 60 send millions Of men to France.
/ hope I'll have to go"
The father looked with pride on his
son, but the mother merely smiled
family and turned away so that the
others should not see the anguish in her
eyes. "Of course, II the boys had to go,
she would be proud to have them go
but her boys-John was a man. but he
was her boy"
And so John marched away with the
loyal sons Of Hammervjlle to do his
duty. But Robert and Dick felt that
they ought 10 do something; they
wanted to do their duty, but what was
IT,.
Robert graduated from High School
and then informed his mother he MUST
enlist.
1t isn't as II I was a kid, Mother. I'm
bigger and stronger than many men. !
Just can't be a Stacker. You see my
point, don't you Mother?
But Mother didn't see his point. She
saw her son full OF esgerness TO do his
duty as he preceived it, but WAS il his
duty TO 60? Did he best serve his cOun-
try and his flag in that way2
She decided To- find out what he
ought to do. II It was his duty TO fight
at Once-well, she would do her duty.
and send him away with a smile on her
lips, even if.
The Students Army Training Corps!
The words stood out as II written In
letters OF gold. Mrs. Parsons folded the
newspaper with trembling fingers and
moved TO the window and read the item.
This is what she read:
The experience of France and Eng
ing our young men, Of encouraging all
who possibly can, even at sacrifice, TO
attend college or university 50 as 20
provide a body of trained leaders and
specialists, who. both during and after
the war, may efficiently meet the ma
TONS needs.
II we send all our young men TO
France, we cripple our future, for the
Young men and women Of today have TO
guide the destinies Of our country in
the strenuous fight for commercial de-
velopement that will follow the war.
Moreover the administration realizes
the value OF college trained men for Of
flcers-more than eighty per cent. OF Of
ficers today are college men and the
colleges cannot graduate men quickly
enough TO meet the Governments de-
mands for officers.
To make clear to the high school grad
yates and those equally prepared what
is their duty, the War Department has
created the Students Army Training
Corps. In a few words, this is what it
means:
A student enlisted in the Students
Army Training Corps is in military SER
vice OF the United States. Because he
does not receive pay he is classed as on
inactive service, but in national emer-
gency the President may call him at any
time for active service. He is called to
active service each summer when he at
tends camp for six weeks and receives
the pay of private.
His relation 10 the draft is as follows:
Any student so enlisted, though in the
military service Of the United States, is
technically on Inactive duty and there
fore must register after he has reached
The draft age and upon notice by the
President. Upon stating in his question
naire that he is already in the military
service Of the United states, he will be
placed automatically by his local draft
board in class 5-B, as provided by the
Seleotive Service regulations. The draft
board will not call him for induction so
long as he remains a member Of the
Students Army Training Corps.
Opportunity will be given for the en-
listed student, who so elects, TO transfer
from army TO navy, and vice versa, and
TO be assigned to active service in one
OF the various corps OF the army upon
recommendation of the college president
and the proper military authority.
Regular uniforms, including hats,
shoes and overcoats, will be furnished
all members Of the Students Army
Training Corps by the Government.
Should Congress lower the age Of LA
bility TO immediate military service. men
of the new ages not already enlisted
may find difficulty in entering the SER
s4Nk H.. l..