Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-11-23

we are teaching fighting men how to
fight for themselves and their liberties.
1t Is hard for us to dissociate these
from the gentle lads we know; it Is
hard no doubt for the boys themselves
to realize their new activities and out
look, but they are doing 1t and we must
do it. Fighting men. That is what we
are making at all the environments
and camps and flaming schools. Peace
has passed and all things have become
war. Clerks and farmers. merchants
and laborers. bankers and section
hands, the masses Of America being
welded into a fighting democracy. That
Is it. We must see and realize that
fact to be OF the most service
|
| Democracy 10 Right.
] Democracy" is right 1t is a differ
ent army. When this army is made and
finished the so called snobbishness
| that has been a matter of complaint
between enlisted men and officers will
largely have ceased to exist. Snob-
bishness was mostly individual al
ways. Between officer and ranker to-
cay there is a great gulf fixed. One
commands and the other must obey I'M
hesitatingly. But there is a real re-
cognition of the fact that this Is an
army Of citizens and gentlemen and
not the ancient regular of the old
leather neck" days. Our new army
OF volunteers and conscripts will ap-
proximate the democracy Of the French
army and will lack practically all that
German Idea that enlisted men are
mere cannon fodder AS we passed man
after man nearly every one Of them
saluted the captain who never failed
to see and return the salute. Now
and then a green soldier neglected to
salute
Shouldn't those men salute" was
the inquiry Yes" replied the cap
tain. but those chaps are new. Some
Of them still have the foolish idea that
1t Is humiliating to salute. Most of
them will learn better from the men
who have been here longer and those
who do not will be taught to salute
properly"
Down at the station three especially
soldierly appearing white officers stood
together talking. A negro second lieu
tenant. black as the ace Of spades,
passed and saluted. Instantly the three
West Pointers drew themselves into the
proper attitude and saluted the coll
ored officer He was entitled to It.
Taken by and large, the officers are
a splendid group of earnest men who
impress as knowing their business and
seeking the welfare OF the men equal
ly with their own. The rankers have,
he -
quarters inside the cantonment. Al
the headquarters mess we sat on rough
pine benches to a board table.
Tho Y. N. c. A. in Camp.
The Y. NJ. c. A. ulldings are in evil
dence everywhere. They are greatly
used by the soldiers. The men who are
IN charge OF them are Of the right type.
The money we are giving for "" war
work Is as vital as any we are giving
toward any activity of the war. We
must realize that the Y. NJ. C. A. has
taken on a vast and serious task, that
II will need money and support Of
every possible character that we can
give II. None Of us realize the mag
nitude Of the work as yet: perhaps not
even the inside leadership OF the ~
itself realizes the immensely and
strenuousness Of the task It has set for
itself.
In every ~" building entered were
soldiers and more soldiers. They write
letters there, find books and papers and
best OF all ready sympathy in their
troubles and desire to be OF service
in every way. Sooner or later the SOL
der gets to the "Y'' houses. When
trouble comes that Is a never failing
refuge and as the shelter OF rock in
a weary land. How vastly effective
and valuable the ~" must be in bases
where men take their leaves and on
the battle fronts becomes easier OF
understanding thru the service rem
dered at the cantonment where the
boys do not feel the lack Of help and
frienshtp as they do abroad. Piety y
not pried into them. but they know
that religion and the help it gives Is
part Of the equipment Of the "Y." This
impression IS carried away positively.
The ~" has an enormous task upon
its shoulders and needs all the help
and encouragement possible. More
over. it has all it can do.
The Big Gym.
went to camp with the idea half
formed that the Y. M. c. A. should