The Washington herald., 1922-04-20

American people.
This is encouraging The future Of citizen
<Spldiery too bright when men of the old
: renpsnies came home from France three years ago.
They came home. many of them, detected and bitter
IN spirit Their organizations had been disrupted
had suffered from the arrogance of commanders un-
familiar unsympathctc with the traditions of the
UNITS under their control
= These impressed their bitterness on the
people at home. The old democracy, which had
safved the lashes of military discipline was dead
The companies which had left the home towns as
local units, filed entirely with neighborhood boys
and Differed with men from their communities
soon disappeared in the stress of conflict. The
Soldiers hammered into line with regulars
sThere seemed nothing left to preserve the glorious
traditions these organizations had inherited from
their fathers who fought in the civil or in the
war with Spain.
But it seems the cRasm created in those days
had been bridgcd. During the past year, accord
ing to Gen George C. Richards, chief of the Federal
Militia Bureau. over $1,000 men have been added to
the rosters of the civilian soldier regiments The
National Guard, throughout the United States now
has over $4,000 in training.
Army and State officials cannot do too much
to encourage this growth. All steps possible should
be taken to remove the bitterness in communities
and allow the newly formed organizations to de-
velop foundation OF good will. The National
Guard, certainly, is second only to the regular army
in Americas defense line. Under auspicious cir
cumstances Guard unit develops spirit which IS
almost impossible in a regular army regiment 1t
has the element of local pride.
One of the most impelling motives of military
heroSm is the prospect of applause and approval
from the folks at home For the regular this at its
hest uuSt he nd t;sf,
the entire United States admres the achievements of
its fighting men must be poor comfort to the soldier
in drenched clothing crawling along on his stomach
through mud But that father and mother, sister
co1sin. sweetheart and neighbor back in Washing
ton. d. C., Rockville, Md, or Alexandria Va are
fo1lowing the exploits of his particular company is
another thing The first is cold and impersonal
The second is intimate. personal warm with love-
The National Guard unit has something of the
inspiration of a college football team Its own
people cheering from the grandstands the iden-
tical girls its members have courted on warm spring
evenings, the identical sisters they have tormented
and adorcd. They will see them again after the
game Is over. This is element of inca1culabe
value in the development of corps d'esph The
may not be sklful fighters as profe essionaIs
but they will fight harder. To them it is a game
not part OF the days work for which DAVIS paw
will be received.
Inc man from lcNaS IS a thorough American.
But at the time he is convinced that the great
plains and ranches. breed sturder and braver type
OF human being than the pavements and tenement
houses of the East He will fight hard to convince
Others of this fact His fighting value as both a
Texan and an American is far greater than as an
American alone.
The man from Virginia from Massachusetts,
has inspiring traditions to uphold They are not
traditions impressed upon him in impersonal
manner from history textbook. They are the ira
dItions he has absorbed at his mothers knee To
the Nrginian the story of Fredericksburg means
more than it to the soldier from New
York City. The battles of Lexington and Concord
never can inspire in the heart of the man from
Chicago the same feelings they stir in the heart of
the from the Bay State
These men will fight more desperately because
OF the glories they must uphold, the home States
whose reputation they must keep unblemishcd for
the of future wars.
There is another factor which, it sometimes
regular army fail appreciate in its full
force. To most Americans, especially to those of
the better educated class, military discipline with its
rigid social dividing lines. will be hateful bitter
and to be accepted only with resentment. 1t would
require man far better versed in logic than the
average soldier to appreciate the argument that one
does not salute the person Of officer but only his
uniform. Rigid discipline- often defeats its own
ends in the class hatred it strs 1t can be enforced
to best advantage only by officers intimately ae-
quainted with the men Of their commands. whose
tact is made more subtle by such knowledge Even
the most democratic and lilable officer, placed in
command of company of strangers, in few days
will have number of relentless enemies.
The regular is drilled through number of
years into the acceptance of this discipline. With
the citizen soldier called to the coors in days Of
time cannot be spared for this intensive treat
ment which must force into subjeetion some of the
primary impulses of his nature. A well organized
and efficient National Guard goes long way to-