Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1918-12-26
MILITARY TRAINING
TO BUILD UP YOUTH
And Older Men Kept In Prime
Physical Condition.


lar government is approaching. ny a
cooperation never equalled, we have
helped to win the greatest war in
history. This crisis has brought our
people from all walks of life togeth-
e1 for a common purpose. We must
keep together. 1t will not do to relax
cur effort now. We have problems
before us second only in Importance
to winning the war and it will re-
uuire the united effort of all our peo-
pie in patriotic service il we are to
win the victory of peace. We must
build up new civilization in which
individual qualities will plays lar
ger part-the rating of a man must
be based upon what he is and does
and not upon whose son or grandson
he chances to be, or the amount Of
OF money he has.
We face a future that calls for
stout hearts, clear heads and vigor-
Gus manhood The war has saddled
us with a very heavy burden, and to
meet it successfully demands an in
crease Of our man-power and the ne
cessity to maintain it at the maxi
mum. Indeed, after orderly condition
are established the most important
OF Americas assets is man-power.
How shall this be built up? The way
is open and easy-Military Training
of the youth of the land. Four years
experience has demonstrated the ne
cessity for this and made our duty
clear.
We have put through our training
camps over two millions of OUR
young men, and we know what it
has done for them. 1t would be hard
to overstate the benefits. They have
learned personal hygiene, how to
care for their bodies and to ward off
disease; their mentality has been
speeded up, their shoulders spared
and broadened, their lung capacity,
on the average, nearly doubled They
now stand erect, with muscles hard
as nails-they are fit and ready for
any undertaking requiring courage
and endurance. They have learned
obedience to authority, one of the
greatest lessons for our youths to
learn and surely needed by most of
them; they have increased self-re-
spect and proper consideration for
The rights of others, and have ac-
|quired keener appreciation of the
duties and obligations of citizen
ship. as s4u
The touching of elbows in the
training camps of boys of all nation
alities, from all parts of the country
and from all walks of life, and train
ing them without distinction, will
prove to be the real melting pot that
will Americanize our citizens of the
future and create q common bond of
sympathy and understanding that
should help keep our people togeth-
Ell and TO destroy, or at least min
imize, class distinction. Every boy in
the land will be better for such
training.
This training would be very bene-
iicial to middle-aged business and
professional men, as has been dem
cnstrated at Plattsburg and Fort
Sheridan. The War Department has
recently authorized another such
camp at Louisville, Kentucky, to be
known as Camp Pershing. 1t is par
of Camp Taylor. This, we understand
opens early in January. 1t presents
an opportunity for those at and ap-
preaching middle life that will make
them better and stronger men. No
other plan devised within our knowl-
edge will do so much in a short time
for health, strength and efficiency as
military training 1t will remake
American manhood, and it is as nee
essary for peace as it is for war.
JOHN ]. MITCHELL,
VICTOR F. LAWSON,
DIM NV