The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-24
THE NATIONAL GUARD

Editor State Journal:
The question has been, asked by
young men of the late war. and BY
the men, the younger generation, why
it appears to be detrimental to the
business qualities of man to belong
to the National guard of his state.
The question is answered at times
when their business is to be neglected,
while the boys answer the call of their
country. of. their state. They do not
have the power to call themselves out
on such riots, instructions and guard
duty in general, and their bosses are
as a rule. indifferent, as to whether
the boys are doing right to leave them
in such times as these.
These young men who join the ma
tional guard. do it without any threat
or as a punishment of anything, and
on their own free will and accord.
They do it as a mark of patriotism, foT
state defense, for national defense and
the promotion of protection thruout
the country of ours. They are as
civilian, all but the fifteen days an
nual encampment each year, which is
held for their training in field service,
under actual training as would be eX-
perienced in war itself. The physical
training of the men at these encamp-
ments are doing what it takes years
under any other circumstances to do.
They also teach the men self reliance,
obedience to orders, respect, loyalty,
discipline, courtesy to the public, as
the military courtesy is to the officers.
All of these trainings are building UP
a man, building up a strong character,
personality, which develops the real
redblooded man which we are looking
for today.
Now why should the employers look
on the enlistment of one of their en-
ployes as a mark of degeneration :?
Why do they discharge men who have
been called out for service within the
state? Why do they appear to en-
courage the enlistments. and down
deep in their hearts they feel as one
man told me last summer as 1 was
preparing to leave on the annual en-
campment: 81 don't think very much
of this damned national guard stuff"
he being a government official, sworn
to promote this. and saying such as
this was said to me.
Now taking the side of the en-
ployers it does seem as if the boys in
the national guard service are doing
wrong in leaving at the times when
their employers cannot spare them,
cannot find the trained men to fill
their place at this particular tina,
leaving the employers in the lurch,
and them going away as the call is
sounded for them. But what can be
done? Will these employers join the
guards? Will they do all they can to
encourage the enlistments of out
siders not taking any from their bust
ness?
The answer is this: These men
know that they are too old to take
the boys place in the ranks as ma
tional guard soldiers. They know that
if they should be subject to another
draft at any time that they would DE
exempt, and last of all, they expect
all the protection that a state can give,
all that the United States forces can
give. but they are too obstinate to give
anything for that protection. They are
just looking at the one side of the
question, and that is their own side
the side that suits them. I have
served in the national guard before
the late war, thru the late war. and
now in the national guard again, ready
to serve till I am discharged for age
limit. When these employers are
ready to concede that state protection
should be denied those that can, bat
will not promote the national guard,
then they will assist with something
that is to all citizens their protection
of homes and properly, the national
guard. GEORGE S. MOORE,
1914 Quincy Street, Topeka, Kan.
Moore is a sergeant in the @. NJ.
G. of the state of Kansas. which or
ganization is now at Pittsburgh