Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1919-09-25
JACK THOUGHT
HE WAS RIGHT
TRIED TO GET YOUNG GERMAN
LAD FOR SNEERING AT OUR
AMERICAN SOLDIERS

Uncle Ted was busy in the front
yard cutting the grass when he
heard an awful nosie, screaming
and yelling and the patter of feet
running down the street. AS he
turned around he saw Jack running
as hard as he could and right in
front of him was a blond haired boy
running to keep just as far awav as
possible. Both boys were yelling
and both were very much out of
breath.
Jack, you little rascal" called
Uncle Ted, what in the world is the
trouble this time? You come right
in here and tell me all about it,"
Jack loved his uncle very much
so he stopped the chase and turned
up the front steps. The blond
haired boz kept on going.
You know who that boy is don't
your" asked Jack, as though his
Uncle should know everything. "He
is Herman Schwartz and his father
runs a butcher shop on Main street.
Well mother sent me down there for
some meat and the first thing he
said was, Your uncle was soldier
in the war against Germany and he
helped fight to stop Germany from
having a large army. Now that it's
over President Wilson wants to have
an army just about as large as Ger
many had before she started fighting
in 1914. That's a fine way to do
Well l Just got mad and told him it
was none of his business and started
after him and he ran down the
street.
well, Jack" said his uncle as he
pulled big chair on the front porch
Herman was Just about stating the
truth. You see, in order for you to
understand this matter / will go
back a few years and tell you about
the wav our army has been run and
what it means to have a large army
all the time. In 1916, before we
entered the war with Germany we
had less than 100000 men in our ar
m, and the law at that time stated
that the number of men should not
exceed that total at any one time.
The verv next year, on the 9Th day
of April, 1917, the United States
declared war on Germany and we
found ourselves under a new army
law with less than 100000 men in
the army when we needed many
pened? We were able by voluntarv
enlistments, men Joining the army
of their own accord, and bv the
draft law that selected certain men,
to raise an army of nearly 1000 =
600 by November IL, 1918, the day
Germany quit. At that time g.
100000 of those men were in France.
The war was won and everyone
wants to get back to business as
quickly as possible but President
Wilson and Newton Baker, Secre-
tary of War, want congress to vote
for standing army of 100000
men,"
What is a standing army?" asked
Ruth.
"A standing army is sometimes
called a peace army because 1t
means the army that remains scat
tered at the many camps and forts
in the countrv at all times when the
United States is not at war with any
other country. AS / have said, the
president and secretar.. of war want
a standing army of 100000 which
would be only aobut 10000 less
than the great German army when
thev started fighting in 1914. And
the funny part OF it is that President
Wilson is sure that the world club
plan will be formed with the Unit
ed States as a member and he says II
that is so there will be no more
wars and we won't have to send any
more soldiers across the ocean"
Then what does he want such
big army for?" asked Jack.
well Jack, that is what lot of
people want to know. Major Cen
eral Leonard Wood, an old and tried
soldier who was a great friend of
Theodore Roosevelt, has said that
we do not need more than 100000
men in our standing army to protect
the United States. Since this is true
and we are not trying TO start anoth-
er war the only answer / can see is,
that President Wilson must feel
down in his heart that If we join the
world club we WILL have to send
lots of men across the ocean and
help fight the battles of other coun- /,
tries"
Doesn't 1t cost lots of none, to
have such a big army?" asked |
Ruth.
1T costs great amount of mon
ey and the larger the army the big |
ger amount congress must vote and |
the bigger taxes the people must |
pay. In the end it is the people of |
the country who must give the mon
ey in one way or another to pay,
feed, clothe and house the soldiers. |
During the var II was done by buy |
ing Liberty bonds and paying taxes |
on everything Even now We are |
still paying for it,"
81 know it," said Ruth, II have !
to pay some pennies for taxes when |
/ go to the movies and when / buy |
ice cream soda"
cle Ted, that it is bad thing to |
have such a large standing army is |
that it would make our country |
like Germany was-a !
military country, and that is not the |
American way of doing things. One |
of President Wilson's own men Sen !
ator Chamberlain, who used to |
have charge of the committee that !
took care of all ARM matters, the |
affairs committee, is against !
such a big standing army. He says |
that under this plan the control over
the army which has always been
held bv congress will be in the hands
of one man, the president, through |
the chief of staff of the army, but
that congress will have to pay the i
bills just tht same as always. In
other words, the chief of staff of the
army will say what shall be done
about the arm. in all matters and all