The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1918-01-04
NATIONAL GUARD NEEDED.


The necessity for National Guard
regiment in Tennessee, and especially
for a company in Columbia, has been
made more evident by the warning
sent to all flour mills, grain elevators
and manufacturing plants TO increase
their guards as protection against
German arson squadrons known to ne
attempting to operate in this section
The fact that such attempts are be-
ing made .imperils all food and cloth
ing producing plants and makes the
NECESSITY for their protection impera-
tive. 4 company of the National
Cuard in Columbia would be quick
source of protection in an emergency
Preparedness is the spirit OF the hour.
All sound thinking citizens In
Maury county have admitted the need
of such company, but that admission
is as far as most of them have gone.
The necessity is for a genuine and
enthusiastic support of the men VINO
have been striving for several weeks
tn recruit a company here. Business
men and employers who recognize
the Importance of the company can
be of great assistance in the organl-
zation either by enlisting themselves
or by encouraging their employees to
enlist
Man, men realize that the com-
pany is needed and understand its
purpose thoroughly, but they think OF
it as being something far from them
selves. They think the company is
needed but they are willing for the
other fellow to join and drill and
make it certainty rather than a
prospect They fail to feel the SER
1ousness of its purpose.
With a little more encouragement
and assistance from the business men
OF Columbia the organization of the
local company would be completed in
another week, and this city would not
stand in the unenviable attitude of
being unable to muster 100 men ready
to perform military service at home
In East Tennessee fifteen compan-
les have been mustered and another
is ready to be received into state ser
vice. Less than half that number OF
companies have been organized in
Middle end West Tennessee. That is
not record of which Middle and
West Tennessee can be proud. 1t
should not be said that East Ten1es-
see is more patriotic than the other
sections of the state, but that is the
inference that one would draw from
the response to the governors call
for regiment of national guards.
Maury county has sent as many
men to the army as any other county
in proportion to population, but no
more. The selectiye draft equalized
the enlistments from all counties.
There is no reason that Maury county
should fail to muster company
while Hickman, Obion, Coffee and
other smaller counties of Middle and
West Tennessee respond in two
weeks with their companies.
The Fourth Tennessee is planned
as a home service regiment, but it's
members are subject to Federal call
whenever needed. The war depart
mnt has indicated that it will never
be needed for that purpose. Reg
istered men who engage in this
regiment will not change their
draft status but they will be
given military training while waiting
for their time in the draft to come.
Nobody in uniform has been heard to
criticise the regiment or its mem.
bers. The men who are in the army
are not so little. They are giving
the bes- that is in them, and nobody
who is doing less has any right what
ever to criticise anything that the sol.
diers mark with their approval.