The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-08-12

LONDON, Aug IL. - The British
soldiers at the front in France, mem
bers Of Lord Kitchener's expedition
airy force, favor CONSUMPTION.
This is but one instance OF the dis
favor with which the fighting men of
England, who are giving their time
and lives to their country, view the
present government and also the press
Of the United Kingdom.
That dissatisfaction with the man.
ner in which the war has been con-
Quoted during its first year, is spread
ing throughout the British nation
there can be no doubt
Text Of One Letter.
The following letter from British
soldier in Flanders to London news
paper is self-explanatory:
To the Editor:
Sir:-I cannot help but start with
abuse, although you are only one of
those Gin touch with the vast anti
conscriptionist mass Of British
opinion" as your leader writer puts
it. Damn British opinion, sir! Damn
the vain, self-complacent English
smugness and English arrogance. To
your vast mass" the idea of defeat
Is quite uncomfortable, for are they
not the boys of the bulldog breed, the
descendants Of countless heroes, free
men in a free country, who just won't
be slaves; the liberators Of Belgium.
and SO on ad nauseam? So colossal
is British arrogance that our brains
and imagination are swamped.
shall be quite frank. Had con-
scription passed twelve months ago,
/ should have left England. Now II
they don't have it shall leave the
country-rats have the foresight to
leave certain ships.
Circumstances alter cases, but I
fear that they will never give the
Englishman sufficient insight to see
what a fool he really can be.
Throw Away Myths.
And you. in touch with your vast
mass, won't have national service In
the nations cause because "all that
is Enthusiastically English dies II
English freedom perishes."
Those WORKOUT myths! None of us
are free, and you know it. We are
all slaves of the community, and, some
think. of the country in which we live.
Will you leave your dear, old prin-
ciples for moment, and look at
things from another point Of view?
In a great national crisis 1t must
be taken for granted q assume that
the nation is virile,) that every man
and woman is willing to serve the
country. In other words. every man
and woman Is a volunteer.
II you deny this hypothesis, you
damn the country and your vast mass
of British opinion"
Wants CONSUMPTION.
Probably your principles" will not
be shocked by this statement Well, !
then, every man and woman Is will
ing to serve. To take full advantage
of this willingness 1t must be organ
ized-in a word. conscription: that
awful DOGGY word. which gives some
little Liberals and some little Con-
servatives and some little Socialists
bad dreams.
! know that l am not writing to a
child, but CONSUMPTION does not mean
that everyone Is soldier-it means
that George, who is an engineer, en-
gineers for the state. Tom, who is
a skilled workman, works for the
state, and Harry and Bill, who are
flt to fight, fight and perhaps die for
the state.
The state calls her children and al
lots to them their tasks.
What monstrous, wicked. bloody op-
preston!
And you must go on unblushingly
with your old voluntary muddle.
George, the engineer, may join the R.
A. NJ. c.; Tom, the skilled workman,
may Aght, and Harrys and Bills may
become politicians and newspaper
editors, for all the country seems to
care.