Evening star., 1917-10-02
S()lD|ER0E TAEu. S.
HAsFOUNDH|MSELF
Average Private Of Expedition
aryForce in France Quickly
Absorbs War knowledge.
NOW LEADING THE WORLD
nY HERBERT COREY.

RY HERBERT COREY.
AMERICAN FIELD HEADQUAR-
TIERS, August 27.-Two weeks ago the
average private in the expedidonary
force wore a patheticaIly dazed look. 1t
is no wonder The world had changed
for him almost overnight. He had vol
unteered when he heard the United
States had declared war. he had been
hurried into barracks. on board a
steamer. across the sea. and. finally.
found him self deposited in the midst OF
country totally unlike any other
country he had ever known. Walls
took the place of barbed wire. People
wore sabots instead of shoes. The lit
'lc thildren dressed in smocks. The
language was unintelligible. He con-
tInuiliy bumped his poor bewildered
head against the barriers of discipline.
Now he has found himself.
Above the World Average.
The average private in the e1pedi-
tionary force today Is away above the
average in any other force in the
world. That is unpleasant. uncouth,
thoroughly American boasttng. know.
But it will stand tho test These young
sters were undeniably sloppy when they
landed In France They were raw rook-
tote their rnss Backs sd r% aGs
their saluting would bring tears to the
eyes Of any European drill sergeant.
They did not know what to do with
and then they did not know what to do
with the guns. They were a silent lot
as country boys are when they come to
a big city for the first time. Today they
squad. I mean by that they have an air
of perfect competence. They feel them
selves equal to any emergency.
None of these people got anything
on u.s." ] heard one of them say. That
is the way they all feel.
Discipline did it. American Army dis
cipline. 1t is unlike any other form of
discipline in the military world. just as
the American marching step is unlike
any other. 1t has made over a lot of
green boyS-that may not be a pleasant
thing to read or hear, but it Is the cold
truth-into a body of men who stand on
their two feet and look You straight in
the eye. and are clean and seIf-respect-
ing and strong. The look of immatur-
ity is coming out of the faces of the
younger ones. They are hardening into
Iop-hoie men
How Officers Treat Men.
In the German army the officer barks
them aside, takes their blankets on
cold nights. sometimes beats them like
dogs. In the English army there is
the bar of caste between officer and
man The one never forgets that he
is a gentleman" and the other is not
by army standards. That is why the
canadians bitterly call English officers
smooth hairs" In the French army
is one almost of affection. often of
ficer and man take their harmless
drink together on cafe terrass or
discuss the days events equals.
The American officer cares for his
nen as none of the others do. He
knows each individual and his kinks
of character He eats the same food
they do. II he wants to buy extras
private has the same right and buys
at the same place. He never swears
at hts men or abuses Them He en-
forces a rigid. immediate. unresisting
so by sheer force of character. The
of1cer who tried to punish hts men
into respect for him would soon be
"weeded out" He may be able to pass
lacks that quality which fits him to
command men. The American Army
Will have none of him.
'T gotta pain in my side
During the hardening-up process
that is now haepily over. that was an
occasional complaint on marching days.
Many of these youngsters had come
straight from stores and offices. None
Of them were used to the military hike
with a burden on the hack. a mile
tired them and two miles exhausted
them. and at three miles they wanted
to die.
call the doctor"
Must Eave a Real Pain.
So the doctor would gallop back along
the line Of marching men. II the man
had q real pain he was permitted to fall
out But he could not fool the doctors.
II he was just footsore and weary
ana disEruntled he went right on. The
men could not be made over into soldiers
by babying them. and they have not
been babied II by any chance that SOL
der had looked upon the wine when 1t
was redder than usual. and had hang
over instead Of pain in his side and
was 50 lost to all shame as to complain
aboue-h. then that soldier got what was
coming to him. He finished his march
for a hangover never yet won n man
release from rod on the road. That
night he did an extra tour of guard duty
lie may not have been converted, but he
was convinced by il.
The men who are not fit have been
either weeded out given work that
suits their individual capacity MANY a
good bookkeeper is not up to toting fifty
eight pounds over a rough road. The
rest Of the men have been made fit mem
tally and physically. Their health has
been watched over more carefully than ii
ever has been at home. their food is abun-
dant and nourishing. and a personal
cleanliness is enforced in the few cases
where enforcing is needed
Soldering Mans Game.
Now they realize that soldering is .
mans game. and they take pride in the,,
fitness, They only fail out 0, ranks when
they are genuinely in. They take pleas
IRE IN doing their duties as the, should
he done. They gloat over their enlarg
mr inuscIes ana their swelling chests
They think they are better than %bay
reallr are as yet. and want to go to the
trenches right away
We can do ANYTHING these chasse,,rs
'au do. and we n sFoot circles around