South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-01-17
BEST SOLDIER IS
ONE WHO THINKS
Frederick Palmer, Noted War
Correspondent Speaks at
Knife and Fork Dinner.

Palmer. war correspondent with the
English and French armies during
the summer and fall. painted actual
war scenes in Europe. especially
during the battle along the SOmme.
in his lecture. "SOmme and Yer
dun" before the Knife and Fork
club Tuesday might in the Rotary
room OF the Oliver hotel. The rec
ord crowd at the banquet had 10 be
accommodated by throwing open the
additional Turkish roo INTO the
diners. A. Il. Erskine acted as
POSTMASTER % the evening.
Mr.. Palmer. though he treated OF
many phases of his subject, took for
the most part the viewpoint of the
soldier himself He talked of the
scenes that the soldier sees every
day and ne spoke of the new cour-
age and the new discipline that the
armies have learned in the war.
Present during most OF the time
that fighting was going on before
Verdun and i'm the valley OF the
Somme, he was able 10 supplement
the knowledge Of his audience of
these two great battles with first
hand information.
John +. Lathrop. manager OF the
city planning exhibit in the city.
spoke for a very short time on the
subject that he is pushing locally.
Elias Day gave three greatly appre-
ciated readings i'm character. Capt.
Steever. originator of the Wisconsin
plan OF training in the schools. gave
a short talk relative 10 the military
plans directing his placing at Culver
as a government agent
soldiers Today Think.
There are no great heroes any
more. but just plain soldiers, de-
c1ared Mr.. Palmer in speaking of
the conduct OF soldiers in the war.
He contended that the big hairy
man." the hero of the wars in the
past. has given way 10 the stolid sol
der who thinks and yet obeys.
Tommy Atkins of Kipling is dead,
for the greater part of the old army
is dead. There is now new kind
of courage. The highly civilized
mantle man who can think now
makes the best soldier"
Coordination of the various parts
of the army and of the various
armies was emphasized by the
speaker as the great lesson OF the
war In illustrating this, he de-
clared that the French could have
commanded any number of British
before Verdun had not Gen. Joffre
known that an army must work to-
gether just like a big league base
ball team. IL was the intention or
the German generals that the Brit
ish army either should "go 10 Yer
dun and help the French. and then
all would have been confusion: Or
else wished that the English would
make an offensive move which
would have been destined 10 failure,
owing TO the fact that practically
all Of the English soldiers were in
experienced"
Explains Curtain of Fire.
The speaker threw his whole per-
sonality into vivid description OF
an attack upon the Germans made
by the French army in the valley
Of the Somme where he had been
a protected witness. He explained
the meaning Of the curtain OF fire"
which is accurately timed and
trained upon the trenches of the en-
envy TO permit the attacking army
TO advance to within a few yards
of the trenches. IL is then lifted
and directed upon the second line
Of trenches 10 prevent the sending
of assistance TO the besieged. This,
re said. made possible the victories
at Nerdun and on the Somme. Mo-
ton pictures. secured from official
French and English sources, were
used 10 bring home TO the audience
details Of the lighting, OF the life or
the soldier. and Of the operations of
the armies. that could not be ac-
curately described II was the con
tention Of the speaker that superior
equipment on the part OF either OF
the armies would ultimately decide
the war
The happiest man in the war.
said Mr. Palmer, lis the captured
prisoner. He knows that he has
fought as hard as ne can for VIC
tory. and now ne can rest. safe in
the lines Of the enemy A mber
OF the pictures were devoted 10 the
prison camps Of the English and TO
the hospital scenes back OF the lines.
SOmmc Battle the Greatest.
The battle OF the SOmme is the
greatest battle OF all time" he de
clared. and in confirmation of this
statement added that along this sin
sic front more than 100000 shells
were fred every day.
Mr.. PaImer's recommendation to
the United States was a correction
OF the fallacy that half way meas
ures could be adopted. He contend
ed that either a program of extreme
pacihsm or else OF universal mill
tary training must he adopted The
point was made in passing and no
attempt was made 10 Justify either
course.