Evening star., 1924-07-03
STUDENT SOLDIERS
TAKE SERVICE OATH
Gen. Martin, Addressing
$500 at Meade, Tells Value
of Preparedness.
BY a STAFF Correspondent.


ing warning that the enemies of
right living, democracy and oar dear
ly bought institutions of liberty
continue their assaults upon the in
dividual and the nation alike. Brig.
Gen. c. II. Martin, assistant chief of
staff, told $500 student soldiers here
today that it was to fit them to win
the battles of peace rather than OF
war that this citizens military train
ing camp was founded.
THE armed enemies OF our country
have laid down their arms" Gen.
Martin declared. But you must re-
member that the victories of peace.
like those of war, are only attained
by overcoming enemies and the OBJ
stacleS they set up. and it is to better
mt you to conquer those that the
citizens military training camps are
established.
Price of Liberty.
The enemies of right living. de-
mocracy and our dearly bought lib
critics and institutions have not
capitulated, and continued their as
saults upon the individual and the
nation. 1t is as true now as when
it was first uttered that it is the
common fate of the indolent to see
their rights become prey to the ac-
tive. and that the condition upon
which man in blessed with liberty is
eternal vigilance,
The occasion for Gen. Martins ad-
dress was the formal administration
of the oath Of allegiance and obedi-
ence to the citizen soldiers who are
encamped here for monthly inten-
sive training. With them and acting
as company commanders under the
direction of officers from the regular
service are an additional 600 members
of the reserve officers training camp.
On Same Parade Ground.
Old Camp Meade took on a renewed
semblance of the glory that was its
own few short years back when the
same kind of young men-gathered
here from every walk of lifc-were
training for the more serious duty
of actively engaging in haminS
war. 1t was on the same parade
to take the oath that the citizen
soldiers of today Were mustered into
the service of their country for
temporary duty.
Young gentlemen of Pennsylvania,
Virginia, Maryland and the federal
district" Gen. Martin began your
tates are proud of your presence
ere, as representing not only your
..iividual interest in the devotion to
the cause of intelligent citizenship
but as representing the flower of the
nations young manhood upon whom
will rest the prosperity and security
or our country IN peace ana IN war.
AuEury Of Safety.
Your presence here and your for
NAL adherence to the oath of allegi-
ance you have just taken is a happy
augury of the safety of American in
stitutions and ideals. The uniform
YOU and | wear in this camp is SYM
Dol of democracy. We are here as
sembled only as Americans to play
and prepare to play our part as best
we can in the development of those
qualities that will enable each and
every one of us to contribute most
effectively to national and individual
defense against the enemies of our
country and ourselves, whether they
be marching armies. faithless and dis
loyal citizens unworthy of the name,
national or individual apathy to and
neglect of the vital problems of the
times and the mental, moral and
physical health of the men and wOm-
en- who collectively form the nation
Must Take Up Work.
The inexorable hand of time will
whiten the hair. palsy the hands and
cut short the span of life of those
now charged with the responsibility
of carrying on and directing the ac-
tivities of our government. We look
to you; we place faith in you, as you
Will when the years roll by put your
trust in your sons. for the preserva-
tion of the glorious heritage handed
down TO us through the untold suf-
ferings, unquenchable determination
blood and misery of the heroes of
Valley Forge, Antietam, AppomattoX
and the shattered fields of France.
Let not Bladensburg, where our
forebears in their innocence of mill
tary knowledge We're like chat
before the wind against the British,
but let Cantigny, where the Ameri-
can first met an efficient enemy on
equal terms, be the memory and the
example that will stir us to that
vigilance which will insure us
against disaster if it should not
insure us against conflict.
In addition to the high general
moral purposes of this camp to
which 1 have alluded, what are the
specific objects to be attained? You
know perfectly well without my
telling you that if you have not
learned habits of obedience, respect
for the laws of God and man, neat
should lose no time in doing SO, as
you are approaching the age at
which character is not so easily
nodded.
Qualities to Strive for.
'It is equally obvious to you that
regular habits orderly lives, clean
Illness. consideration for others, CO.
to each other are qualities you would
admire in others, and should strive
for yourselves.
THE qualities of honor loyalty,
courage and self-restraint are born
in you; you would foster and
develop them, of course. All these
qualities form the basis of the charac-
ter of the good citizen, and if to
them are added a knowledge of the
basic principles of the military art,
their possessors soon become invinc-
ible defenders of right and justice,
which represent the only causes for
which this nation will ever rise in
arms. These are the qualities and
characteristics to be fostered and
made prominent in this camp and
their opposites will not be counte-
nanced. You would not have it
otherwise