Show C Condemns ond Throwing of Stones by Guardsmen I II I Garfield Utah Editor Telegram Sir Sir Anent Anent the absorbing question of or adequate naval and military defense which is simply another phase of national national na na- na- na insurance I 1 have heard the comment comment com corn ment an and have also seen something to that effect in print written by some sadly misinformed editors that editors that we e should worry owing to the fighting spirit of our citizens The basis of this comment was the story of one company of Connecticut t guardsmen at Nogales at-Nogales in a sham battIe battle battle bat bat- tle tIe who when their ammunition was expended threw stones at the attacking attacking attacking attack attack- ing party part putting fifty tiny or BO 10 o hors do de combat Let us now investigate Honestly was their conduct to be commended was there anything in that affair to tomake tomake tomake make us feel proud of those fighting guardsmen Certainly not The re reverse reverse reverse re- re verse is the case Those fighting guardsmen thoroughly thoroughly thoroughly thor thor- demonstrated that they were not soldiers not a disciplined body of men but rather disorderly and disreputable disreputable disreputable dis dis- dis- dis reputable rabble They were an armed mob nothing more and nothing less a type typo of r men who would be more of a detriment than a help in the firing line when the thereal thereal thereal real test comes At that time the thing that counts is discipline and the fundamental foundation foundation foun foun- dation of all army discipline is strict and instant obedience to the commands of superior officers Did those fighting guardsmen show that Not by any means They In a sense told their officers to go goto Ito I Ito to Halifax They were of the shallow shallow shallow I low type of men who wanted to show themselves off of the same type as the vain babblers who like to boast of what they would do in a certain case and who when the day of trial is at hand invariably fail fall to fulfill their boasted promises Those fighting guardsmen were simply indulging in some mock heroics I of the cheapest and flimsiest char char- acter It will be God help our country if I those hose guardsmen referred to are the type ype of or men we have to depend on to I meet a well wen equipped trained and disciplined disciplined dis- dis foe toe The probabilities are that diS 1 had the engagement been a real one with ball ban cartridges those undisciplined undisciplined fighting guardsmen would have lave beat It off the field in disgrace long ong before their ammunition was half expended That is generally the conduct of or fighting men of that type when the day of real test arrives What is it that keeps soldiers at their posts true till death when their own natural inclination is to waver and fall back It Is discipline that discipline that soldierly virtue of which those fighting guardsmen were entirely devoid A disorderly and disobedient rabble of that type would be easily vanquished vanquished vanquished van van- by a well trained equipped and disciplined foe even if tr they ou ou numbered the invaders by ten to one By all maxims of military precedent there was nothing to commend in the I conduct of the aforementioned guardsmen guardsmen guardsmen guards guards- men in fact the reverse is the case I and those guilty to be court- court martial ed placed on guard and given pack drill kept at the border with the rest est of the battalion but with this exception to get no pay for their services services services ser ser- vices and on their return home to be publicly discharged from the service in n disgrace Sincerely JOHN MORGAN |