The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1920-03-24


American flag. The school and its
efficiency proven staff of instructors
can well feel proud of Miss Byrne
as student and she in turn can well
feel the same way toward the school
and teachers for, as Miss Byrne
proudly says it is through the untir-
ing efforts of the academy's brilliant
and efficient teachers that it was pos
sible for her to get as high in the
competition as she did.
Miss Byrne's essay was selected
by three judges, with the superin-
tendent of schools of Grand Rapids
as chairman, out of total cf several
hundred and her essay will now be
forwarded to Washington, ID. c.,
where it will compete with the essay
prize winners in fifty-fve other re-
cruiting districts throughout the ma
ton. Her friends are confident that
her essay will take the high honors
in the final show down, in which case
she, together With her parents. would
win in addition to the grand prize,
the necessary railroad fare and ex-
penses for the trip. Miss Byrne and
her parents are very modest in the
winning of the highest honor in the
district and state that the real cre-
dit of the vistory Is due to the zeal
and ability of the sisters who taught
her at the academy in Ionia.
Miss Byrne's prize winning essay
is as follows:
Never before in the history of
American progress has this grand
old land of ours privileged to boast
so gigantic a project-intellectual,
moral and patriotic-as the organi-
zation of her great, modern 'Univer-
sity in Khaki Until now the army
has been looked upon by many as
great school of military discipline,
wherein the members were bound by
almost slavish obedience. where
man once in the service was destined
to a life Of fearful hardships and re-
munerated far below the generality
of self-respecting citizens.
To-day there is no room for pre-
iudice. no Just cause for alarm, at
even the NEST delicately bred for en-
listing in the new peace time army.
It is true the old disciplinary prin-
ciples still hold, improved, however,
as only time and progress can i'm
prove such conditions, But above
and beyond considerations there is
the educational phase of the great
khaki school, which must appeal to
every true American. Through the
numerous channels of its education
and vocational training it is offering
to every young man, without excep-
tion, who fulfills the requirements
for enlistment, an opportunity to
make himself one Of the first citizens
of the land.
Fourteen Barnches OF Service
"There are offered for selection Ia
branches of the service, from infant
ry to chemical warfare service. The
seven essentials of everyday life are
free and for all-wholesome, body
building food; clean, comfortable liv-
ing quarters; good. substantial CLOTH
ing; expert medical and dental atten-
ton; recreation and several courses
of study. Thirty dollars per month,
the minimum army salary, is clear
profit. Insurance policies $1,000 to
$4,000 are issued by the army. The
large number of camp locations af
fords an excellent opportunity fdr
travel at home and abroad.
"The fortunate young man who
avails himself of these advantages Is
providing for himself an assured
means of happiness and success. He
who realizes that he is useful and
worthy member of society is neces-
sarily contented with his lot. He has
no need for political unrest or anar-
chistic revolt. No doubt much of our
recent Bolshevism and like disturb
ing influences, the result of ignor-
ance and discomfort, must be notably
decreased If the advocates Of these
unwholesome creeds become rightly
educated and trained under the guild
ance of Uncle Sam.
Realizing the wonderful possibil-
tiles for the boys who enroll under
the standard of old Glory, undoubt-
edly the vast majority of our young
men viii enlist,in the Grand Army, Of
the Republic