The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1922-05-02
By Clark NJ. Mullican

year 40 gave expression 70 sou-
viction Of mind that has outliyed their
time by many generations, the Wis
dom Of which was at last abundantly
proved in 1918. The men were George
Washington and Thomas jefferson; I;
the expressed conviction was that
the safety and strength Of the Nation
lay in It's trained militia the proof is
Chateau Thierry, The Champagne
and The Argonne.
50 strong was tins conviction Of
the forefathers that they wrote u
into the Constitution Of the United
Statcs. and there Il Is today Inc
Spirit of '7G delivered TO US our
heritage Of freedom, our Government
and our Christian Civilization. II
descended. like the mantle Of Elijah,
upon those patriotic sons Of Texas
who voluntarily left the pursuit OF
business and immortalized the 86ih
Division.
The Spirit Of 70 and the spirit Of
the Seth are synonymous. II - the
spirit with which men are imbued
xho fight for a cause and whose daily
lives excmplify that cause IN me
building Of schools, churches and CIV
ilizcd accommodating worth
fighting for. The citizen soldier has
never failed TO prove his superiority
because he knows he has right 20
fight or he would not 60 20 var.
But the Spirit Of '76, alone, cannot
win battles or conclude wars. The
forcfathers did not say our safety
and strength lay in the militia, but
In the "trained' militia. A great
mar OF our day a few years ago, with
naore patriotism than discretion,
stated that should war come a million
men would spring 90 arms IN defense
Of the Nation. War came. A milton
men sprang, but they could not gei
very far without transportation. Ihey
could not spring 70 arms because We
had no arms II We had possessed
arms. the men could not have used
them Instead Of a million. 4 took
five million men. The shame of
al was and is that we were totally
unprcparcd in everything except the
Spirit 70 fight We had sirnycd from
the teachings - the fgthers--we had
no trained" fighting force
Our Government has pr0fited by
ts experience In seeking adequate
defense with she minimum NJ cost,
IL went back 20 our source " wirdow.
Tho Contribution provided a way. The
conduct " our millions of citizen
soldier In the groat war convinced
all concerned that the way is safe.
The result is. TIM, q policy of Nation
Al Dofenra has been evolved whirh
corfemplatcs a regular army Of suf-
ficiert strength 90 garrison our posts
.t...4 .
ency calls: trained National Guard,
(Clizcn Soldieryl, as first line troops
ard an organized reserve In organ
izing the National Guard. United
number of troops is allotted 10 each
State to be raised from the citizens
Of that State. To preserve the his
torical names, letters and numbers
that designated units in the war, the
new National Guard retains the de-
signations so familiar in the old. The
State OF Texas Is one Of the few
States that has been authorized 70
create a whole division. This division
has been designated the "36th Divi-
sion" which was the Division Of Texas
National Guard troops that so dis
tinguished itself IN the Champagne
and in the Meuse-Argonne opera
tons. A Division" is composed OF
Infantry and Artillery, principally,
with other necessary troops. A regi-
ment Of Field Artillery is being or
ganized in West Texas. A battalion
Of this regiment is TO be along the
Santa Fe--one battery at Amarillo.
one at Plainview and one at Lubbock.
The local battery has been desig-
mated Battery c." l31st Regiment
Field Artillery. II has been recruit
ed. inspected and Federally received.
All officers aud men belong TO and
live in Lubbock. Its officers are ex-
service men, which complies with the
expressed policy Of the Adjutant Gem
erals Department. Ernest Conley,
who had field artillery service dur-
ing the war, Is the Captain command
ing Battery c. Ebert II. Boullioun
h the Senior and NJ. M. Mitchell the
Junior fst Lieutenants. Harold n.
Griffith Is the 2nd Lieutenant. All
have had service overseas Many
ex-service men have enlisted.
The National Guard is fully equip
o~d for field service by the Federal
Covrrnment. The men OF Battery
G win have uniforms, overcoats. un-
terrlothes, shoes, side-arms, mess
l,ts. shelter terts and all issue Of
nrr,onal equipment. These do not
belong 10 the soldier Of the Guard
to be worn and used at his pleasure,
b,.t only when so ordered BY proper |
authority. In addition 20 this per
..n.I property, the Battery viii be
,-.ned four field pieces or cnnnona
al ne newest type. 20 millimcter gun /
adopted. with certain changes. from
the French T5. This Battery, BENG
= mounted outfit, VIII also De issued
-. gs 10 40 head Of horses with
IN necessary harness and 'addle
squlpment -
fhs fnll equipment of ,hls bai-
s<rs wlll rsprsssnt gauy Ihsnsana.