Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-05

to restore the force as 1t was oeiore
the war.
1t viii be recalled that, when the
call was made upon the guard LOT
duty on the Mexican border. small
percentage only found its way from
civil life to the federal force. and that
in the time spent in that service, even
though 1t was not to be taken as
war, there was a splendid oppor-
tunity for the training and develop,
ment of the men and officers, 1t VIII
also be remembered that, when the
guard was reorganized in the federal
service for war against Germany;
there was another reorganization ana
the addition of many men from the
draft continsentS and ofhcerS from
the training camps, although IT Is
highly to the credit of the guard that
relatively few of their officers al
ready sifted in the Mexican CAM
sanization. But glorious as has been
the guards record, it is doubtful
whether they were better troops than
those of the National Army. But the
guard illustrated the one great ad-
vantage they offer from the federal
viewpoint; 1t was more or less eff
GENTLY trained body, which could be
brought into service and trained FOR
was possible to assemble civilians
ana organize them into a military
body, 1t is radically unfair to the
guard to leave them as the emer-
hrunt in event of the failure of
peace league" to prevent interna-
ttonal conflicts, and for that reason.
II Tor no other, some way should be
iounu TO add material force always
ready Tor the defense OF the nation.
or course, there is no substitute for
seheral military framing; so that IN
an an emergency, not the lew hundred
"a t,ao ',ne,.iG % me Naslohal Guara may
ed soldiers may be assembled for
ing does not mean CONSUMPTION, but
~ uoes express 1alth In the SOUND
and that thew maS he tra;ned to the
use of arms and know how, as the
rani,.o lion ~ proNiaes, TO use then1 II
seems to be thai the states mnst
have either militia or state constabu-
laty 10 ilaihtaln oraer. put that such
troops for national defense and that
they are too few to be effective,
Reports from Europe are that man
of the guard In the occupied Ger
man territory are discontentea be-
cause they have been selected for a
duty which prevents their early re-
turn. but the truth ia that thay are
on difficult military duty. and their
excellence is such that they cannot
be spared They have borne the
brunt of fighting and now have to
accept longer tours of duty because
other men in the A. e. +. were not
as we'll prepared as they for active
warfare. SO, for the sake of fair
play, let the guard keen it's organi-
cation in the interests of the states.
but let all the Young men of the
country from every class of life
share the burden Of training for de-
Tense, if it should become necessary,
of the whole nation,
l.
~
49, ,.r,r,,,,., ..
f-i oHA . lFo4ii All SUES 10 'he eHect
that sick and wounded of the
A. Il r are NOT we'll cared for ara
ooa,t,,. IT, ,,n.. .It ..
III So iapiuis 'hal ~ See'ia
as 1T they must be true. Recollec-
lions of the Horrors in the early
dave IF ,,,a oon,a asa o,,,+o,,,sa,,.,
'"0 ~'tit'Ps gnu I''''o''l''''''"
DO not lessen the fear that they are
founded on fact and only the most
careful investigation can ever satisfy
the families that the Army is doing
not merely it's best to meet the pres
ent situation, but that it is doing
the very best that can be done for
the care of those who have been
fighting the battles of the nation.
One thing is positive: The people of
the United States will take toll from
those who are responsible for neglect,
If such there be. The Red Cross So
ciety, the knights of Columbus and