The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1917-08-11
BY LINCOLN EYRE.

special train bringing General Pershing
and his staff from Boulogne rolled in
to the Care du Nord the other day a
trainload of ''permissionaires'-
ders on leave from the front-arrived
at the same station. The "poilus,"
leaning out Of their dusty third class
coaches, caught sight of Marshal
Joffre standing on the platform wait
Ing, with NJ. Ribot, the premier; NJ.
viviani, minister Of justice, and other
dignitaries, to welcome the American
commander in chief to the capital.
"vive 'Joffre!" shrieked 'permis-
sionaire," and the cry was taken up
all along the line Of dense-packed
cars.
"It's he who spared our lives in
useless attacks" shouted bronzed,
bearded veteran, tive want Joffre back
at the 'front.'"
"Yes, yes" yelled his companions,
"We want Joffre, who doesn't waste
our lives! Give us Joffre ~
The Problem Of Morale.
Fortunately the cry, which could
not have failed to reach the ears of
the prime minister as well as the mar
shall, died away in the excitement Of
General Pershing's arrival. To those
who had heard, however, and who are
aware of the situation on the front and
In the interior Of France today, Its Sig
nificance was not lost. To me 1t meant
that after almost three years Of In
cessant slaughter, the "poilu" has
learned to distinguish very clearly be-
tween leaders who sacrifice their men
uselessly and those who; like the victor
Of the Marine, never make move with
out counting the possible cost in lives.
1t was, moreover, another bit of evil
dence that there Is no more important
problem among all those at present
confronting belligerent governments
than that of morale" The spirits Of
the men in the trenches, as well as Of
their wives, sisters, sweethearts, pa
rents in the rear, must be kept up to
the mark. Every day increases the
strain upon soldiers and civilians In
war-harassed nations. Tight-strung
nerves are spanning apart everywhere
in the cities and villages, far from
the ring line, as much as in the zone
of the armies. That Is why the COM
! ing of Pershing and his division is Of
such unreasonable value in the never
ceasing propaganda going on over all
France to maintain at the necessary
level Frances determination to win
the war.
/ American officers, who have sensed
! this insistence upon the greatness of
! the aid to be provided by the United
States are bit foarfal that expecta-
aroused among the French army and
people. They know the obstacles that
lie in the way of immediate military
cooperation on a grand scale and feel
that great many months must elnpse
before the weight of American arms
can make itself felt in the fighting.
Allow for FrishtfuI Strain.
"Today our principal preOccupatlon
must be the prevention of that lassl.
tude and encouragement which, as
our enemies hope will weaken our
national defense by corrodlng the iron
of our arms" was the way Compere
Morel, one of the heads of the socialist
party In the chamber of deputies, said
in conversation j had with him re-
Gently. Authority must be used with
greatest ease, justice must be unwav-
ering. More than that, allowances
must be made for the duration of the
frightful strain under which soldiers
and folk at home alike are laboring.
Discipline must be maintained, OF
course, but this Is not the time for
martinets.
without indicating the moral state
of our troops, It would be nevertheless
vain to deny that those engaged In
this appalling conflict are morally and
physically tired. To pretend that we
| are as strong spiritually as we were at
, the time of the Marine is absurd. Dis
aster Is certain to follow refusal to
, recognize the wear and tear upon the
nerves of men, and women, too, bear
ing the fearful burden Of this war;"
Little Of the tremendous pressure
Of the struggle upon individuals is WIS.,
ible to the casual observer. One might
travel through France from end to end
I and never get glimpse Of 1t. The
soldiers one sees seem cheerful enough.
/ There is hustle ana movement In the
streets of the cities. Even In the siums
/ the surface Of things reveals no trag-
edy. Listen TO the talk OF 'poilus'
among themselves, however, and sit
alongside a circle of gossiping house
wives Of the poorer class, and one will
soon detect the tautness of their nerves
and the WEAKNESS pervading their
thoughts.
The newspapers are silent about all
this firstly, because of the censorship
and, secondly, because they necessar'