Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-09-14

To sum up, from an economic
standpoint alone compulsory training
would be of untold benefit. The econ
omic unit of the community is the in
dividual. BY training and developing
the individual you develop the econo-
mic assets. The loss in time from a
money earning aspect would be ten
times compensated by the increased
efficiency after training. From a
moral standpoint the individual would
be broadened by contact, trained in
fundamentals and self-discipline and
have one of the surest foundations of
clean thought and clean action, a
healthy body. SO much for the lesson
of unpreparedness and what l believe
we should do to remedy it.
One of the first effects on the men
who served was characterization. BY
the draft call all classes and grades
of society were drawn into the service.
After reaching the service, in so far
as possible they were advanced into
positions of responsibility without fear
or favor. The effort was directed to-
ward finding the men most suited for
the individual job. The, result was
in most instances, as close a repro
ddetioh OF real democracy as is pos
sibIe.
In my regiment there were many in
stances of this fact. One of my lieu
tenants, a gallant young fellow, was a
waiter in civilian life, captain was
n chauffeur. On the other hand many
men serving in the ranks came from
professions ranking high in the scale
in civilian life.
A lieutenant once spoke to me after
an action, saying that when he was
leading his platoon back from the bat
tie ore of his privates had asked him
q question. The question was so in
telligent and so well thought out that
the lieutenant said to him: "What
were you before the war;" The reply
was city editor Of the Cleveland
Plain Dealer"
Another private serving as a runner
in one of the company headquarters
was an ex-senator from the state of
Washington. These are isolated in
stances of what was taking place the
army over--the waiter and chauffeur
as officers and the lawyer and news
paper editor as private. Ability to
take responsibility in the present, not
previous conditions, was what they
were judged by. Surely associations
of this sort will breed sympathy and
understanding for the future. Surely
these will aid the country to approach
its problems without class bias.
Service to Country.
Another effect was the idea oS
service to the country. To most of
us, up to the time of the war, the
country was something which had
done something for us and which we
expected to do more for us in the flu
ture. We had given but little thought
to what we should do for the coun-
try. During the war every man in the
service did something for his country.
He now is in the position of a man
who has bought share of stock in
company. He is interested in seeing
the country run right and is willing to
give more service. The idea that we
must endeavor to approach in the
United States is to create a condition
where as close to our entire population
as possible has a vested interest
In a certain way this has been sup
piled to the service men by what they
have done for the country.
The most important effect. to my
mind, was the Americanization. Those
who served became straight Ameri-
cans, 100 per cent Americans and
nothing else. The regiment was COM
posed of as good a cross-section of the
United States as you could get. The
men came from all sections of the
country and from all walks of life.
Selected at random from men who
one time or another served at my