The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-07-13
ARMY DISCIPLINE IN RUSSIA.

ARMY DISCIPLINE IN RUSSIA.
! United States army officers and officers OF
the entente are concerned over the morale OF
the Russian army even if the present govern
ment succeeds in holding its supremacy over
national affairs. That government has sane
toned reorganization of the army in which
discipline is to be administered by council
constituted in each regiment and company.
This sanction was given the ground that the
new government stood pledged to democracy
and that the army was within its rights
when demanding a democratic administration
| of it's intimate affairs. There is no question
about the necessity of strict discipline and OF
implicit obedience to orders in successful
army. No democracy escapes from the neces,
|sity of enforcing obedience or from the need OF
texpert leadership. An army Is the worst place
POSSIBLE in which to conduct experiments OF
disciplinary nature Men cannot do what SOL
diers must do-act in great masses obedlent to
orders of which they do not know the motive
Tor the consequences-and at the same time
question and debate the propriety of authority.
Russia is beginning, as would be expected
from her history, by striving to Danish auto
cratic regulation wherever she, can, but no ma
ton has ever in long years of practice in demo-
cratic government, been able to prosecute war
without the autocracy of command for It's
interesting record of some Of our experiments
of this sort in the civil war, experiments which
fortunately were ended with the control estab-
lished by Grant and his commanding officers.
There is quite as much danger to the success Of
Russia in the war from undisciplined army
as from the striving Of factions for separate
peace
There is something beyond the ken of the lay
mind in processes of reasoning by which fash
ion dictators arrive at their conclusions. 1t
was decided by the arbiters of styles in men IS
clothing, the other day, that for the coming
year there shall be no pockets in garments.
The reason given is the shortage Of wool. Now
| it is understandable that cuffs on trousers and
on coats make extra demands on material; it is
even to be perceived that form fitting gar
ments may be more economical of cloth than
more ample style. But where is the extra
wool used in pockets7 The outside of the
pocket is wool, perhaps, but not the inside, and
there has got to be outside, pocket or no
pocket If the style experts had displayed
courage and frankly stated that pockets were
becoming empty appurtenances and might be
discarded along with what used to fill them, the
public could understand
| The national vitality of France is the won
der of the world Her soldiers are the present
heroes of the war and her industrial efforts
der the handicap of working population more
than decimated and an invaded territory
superb evidences Of indonitable energy From
the industrial reports just issued by the French
government it is learned that the cocoon har-
vest of this year will be sixty-two per cent
greater than that of last year. The silk mills Of
France will produce far larger and better
product DUNG the coming months than they
have been able to during the past twelve. Ma
Itiona thrift, national valor and national arts
try are a noble trio of graces; France has them
in surprising measure.
! After seventeen years of school teaching in
ISan Francisco woman who confessed that the
American flag means nothing to her, is per
mitted to resign. The thought persists that
the school board was a long time in smoking
the lady out and that when her unpatriotsm
was discovered she was let down very lightly.
/ No doubt there are members of congress who
would enjoy junket to the war front at gov
eminent expense under the plea of investigat-
ing conditions on which they are to legislate.
But this war is much too serious for that sort
| of foolishness.
I