of Virginia at the a;e of 19."
After telling of Washington’s other youthful military achievements,'
ton, Mr* Griffin named others "who began their mili&ry careers at ages which,
in the present effete and decadent period which we seem to be entering, would
never have had the opportunity for gr sat service and would probably have died
m obscurity.” These included: Commodore Stephen B. Decatur, who entered the
i<avy at the age of 13 and whose name resounds in history;. Captain James Lawrence,
who, mortally wounded, gave utterance to the Spartan exclaimation, ’’Don’t Give
up the ship”, and who entered 'Lie Navy at the age of 18; Captain Oliver Hazard
?erry, who sent the imperishable and terse report of the victory over the Brit
ish on Lake Erie, "Y/e have met the enemy end they are ours,” and who entered the
Wavy at 17; Captain John Paul Jones, who went to sea &t the age of 12; General
Daniel Morgan, who won the Battle of Gov/pens, one of the greatest victories of
the Revolutionary '.7ar, and who entered the military service at the age of 19;
General Andrew Jackson, seventh President of the United States, who joined the
Revolutionary Array at the age of 13 and fought with General Gates at Camden;
General William Henry Harrison, ninth President of the United States, who en
tered the Army at 18,$nd others which space does not permit our mentioning.
”Can you imagine any of those heroes importuning their parents to get
them out of the Array? They had too much stamina and grit,” said Ur. Griffin.
’’Every citizen ought to be a soldier — that is, he owes it as a duty to his
country to know how to defend it against attack, 'ihat duty is just as essential
as serving on a jury or acting as a witness in court to tell the truth and up
hold justice. Tlie time to learn the military responsibilities of a good citizen
is just before those duties are assumed; in fcher words, during minority. It is
then the services of the individual can best be spared from the obligations of
productive activity........
This Mation will not be worth 'preserving the moment the insidious poi
son penetrates the public mind that our Army and Navy are not fit moral fields
for the training of our youths. If there is anything wrong with the system in
either the Army or the Navy, the remedy is to ascertain and correct the faults;
not, as we are asked to do by this amendment, give encouragement to the slander
and practically invite timid parents to draw their hoys away from the service,
thus choking their ambition and the longing for the sea or military glamor which
have constituted the rightful heritage of every red-blooded boy from 'die begin
ning of history.
T,In all earnestness I say to youtthat if we do not stop this coddling
ana humoring of the youth of our country we are going to raise up a race of weak
lings. Ne want men in this country, and we should not encourage sentiments that
would take ambition and the fire of patriotism and loyalty out of boys who want
to go into the Army or the Navy.........In any event the perfectly lawful ambition
of our American boys to amount to something in the world should not be thwarted
by too much solicitude or too much coddling. Ihey ought to be encouraged to do
something for th^ir country even in the days of their youth."
BOAT SCHEDULE:
The Admiral Rodgers will arrive Sunday night with States mail*
The Princess boat will arrive at Shagway ’Wednesday. Usual schedule
for the ^stebeth and Fornance*
PRESIDENT AUTHORIZES DEFENSE TEST:
The President has authorised the Jar Department to proceed with its
project for a demonstration of National Defense plans on September 12, 1924, the
sixth anniversary of the Battle of St. Hihiel, according to the Recruiting News.