Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-16
Americans 100 Per Cent Loyal.

Americans 100 Per Cent Loyal
The War Department is determined
chat the men who deserted the Stars and
Stripes at the time they We're called upon
TO SHOULDER gun in defense OF civiiiza-
ton against the Germans shall be given
that disciplinary attention that VIII IN
an ample degree fit their>crime. Every
one especially every patriotic American
will rejoice that these slackers-who are
either towards or disloyal To the United
States. or both, in fact shall not escape
the punishment they deserve and there
" i'll be no protest il the penalties be
severe enough to convey the lesson that a
summons from the President Of the United
States to come to the defense OF the rag
shall be obeyed. There always have been
descrters in every war, and probably there
! will always be a certain small percentage
| of men in every country who are willing
to live under the flag that protects them
and secures 20 them the enjoyment oil
all rights and opportunities that
mean safety and prosperity Tor
i themselves and their families without
fighting for it. IL is our duty TO ourselves
| and Justice to the men who fought IN the
late war 10 bring these cowardsor disioyai
citizens To an understanding that the
government is entirely in earnest ana
that when there is peril they will be pressed
into the service if they do not volunteer
to fight.
When one reads that there are more
than 70 600 slackers in the United States
/ it snems like large number, but on con-
sideration that we have a large alien
population, many Of whom were IN SYM
pathy with our foes, if indeed they were
not hostile To this country. the total VIII
be regarded MS small So when we anaiySe
these fgurfs we doubtless would ma r,.s Tess
foyv American-born men III the list There
were. of course, few Americans who were
| cxempt from military service because OF
6rnlv-rooted religious scruples against
killing, but their patriotism was not
called into question nor was their courage
There were others who sought to escape
their responsibility under the plea tnat
thev were Socialists or IN some way a'
war with governmental rule, but these
v,oro attended To as their cases came up.
One in this State, it is recalled, had
scr,,nles against fighting our Toes ana
passed period Of meditation IN federai
cell
On the whole however, the deserters'
orsIackcr.. or cowardly cutters, including
the disloval were comparatively few
much less in proportion than IN Germany
whose people had the excuse OF dls-
corning the war TO be an unholy, unpro-
voked assault on civilization. England,
too had more slackcrs than the United
States. but they we're not all nationals
citizens Of some Of her far away posses
sions instead.
1t would appear that the native-oorn
on this side Of the Atlantic were more ioyai
10 the cause Of their country than any
other people. There was scarcely any
Stacking in Canada among the Canadians
and there was almost none here among th'
Arnerican-born except as noted above
small party Of devout religionists and 30
= cialists, anarchists and other incendlaries
The American people were as loyal e
the government as were our French alhe'
and perhaps more SO, for there are nc
records here to show that any OF ouI
people sought to betray the country bN
such underground methods as were as'f'o
ii 70 4 French cabinet official Of promi'
nence and several minor officials ana %
scure persons.
Native-born Americans were 100 pc
cent loyal. even though the war record
show that I17.911 Of our citizens out o
almost {, 900, Oe0 cited to appear, ialied Z
answer the call