The Washington herald., 1914-12-16

! from the concern in their be-
| half of their associates. Napo-
leon seems to have led .
charmed life, but the truth is that extraordinary
measures were taken to give him protection. Just
now it is safe to that the Kaiser is strongly
guarded every instant, not only from danger from
the foe, but from the mischanee of disloyalty
among his own men, Among the millions of fight
ers there must be many who nurse bitterness in
their hearts and who would eagerly seize a chance
to get back at those representing authority. The
stories of the brutality shown by officers to their
men may be exaggerated but they unquestionably
have some foundation in fact. The truth to human
nature in them relates itself to similar stories
coming from other wars where men, wildly rebel
ing at being made food for bullets, have tried to
escape and have found themselves confronted with
the threat of immediate and disgracefu death.
If list were to be compiled Of the lies of lit
erature, it would include many references to war.
1t has been the shameful Office of literature in spite
of its pictures Of wars horrors, to sustain the
popular conceptions largely false of wars glory
Stephen Crane ought to be honored among Ameri-
can writers for his effort to tell the truth about
war in his novel, "The Red Badge of Courage"
So often in literature only the picturesque aspects
of war are revealed. Very little is said about the
internal QlSScnSlOnS IN arGllcS the TlVarleS and
jealousies of officers, the petty competing for
credit, the biased reports and the favortsm. The
common soldiers who see it all must be very noble
if. without indignation, they compare the lot
of the favored ones with their own miseries.
A good deal has been said OF late about princes
and commoners, poor and rich, fighting side by
side in the ranks 1t must often make those people
smile who know of the direct and the indirect
graft that goes on in an army. But cannot
blame fond mothers and fathers with influence for
asking special care for their sons from officers
they able to reach. There must be many fran
tic appeals of this kind, and if they backed up
with bribes they none the less pathetic Par
ents of wealth used to securing favor for
themselves and favor for their children in civil life
that they hardly be blamed for expecting sim
liar favor among the pcrs of war. Perhaps one
of the best services this do for is to
make reflect the silent warfare that goes on
throughout the world. the less real for being
continuous, abounding in favoritism.
Disappointing the European radicals have
been, reports that have lately been coming show
that they not all false to their ideals. Rather
than go out and kill their comrades, many of
them killed themselves And among those that
yielded to the pressure of circumstance and to
the spirit of nationalism there went something OF
the spirit OF internatonalism which, felt could
wholly perish. II the lasts for many
months, it will be to manifest itself 1t may
even be factor in bringing about end of hos
tilities.
The stories of atrocities alleged to have been
committed by both sides show that beneath the
of civilization many savagcs at
heart Stir up their bitter feelings, infame them
with the mob spirit, and they revert to the bar
barism that is like kind of madness In such
reversion there is nothing peculiarly French or
English or German. But there is something dis
tinctly and profoundly human In debauch of
blood human beings can 60 to lengths that, from
the detached point of view, seem inhuman. Thou
sands OF miles away it is easy for to regard
them with horror and loathing. But perhaps they
not really to blame; they are the victims of
the conditions that drive them to madness. The
distinctions in butchery advocated by the believers
in war are like ovcrrehnements. In war, in all
evil, it is the first step that counts Once admit
that war is dcfensblc, and you throw open the
doors to every conceivable infamy.