Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-23
aTF THE CIVILIANS HOLD OUT"
It Is the Folks Back Home" That the Army De-
pends on to Help Them to Win
Through
BY GILBERT VIVIAN SELDES

gether the sololers always
vies good luck" And the civilians smiie
and look bit sheepish.
The civilians need the wishes, because
| they are not under orders and can Do as
| cantankerous as they please. They can
"erouse" at the Government and at the
food controller and criticize the higher
strategy of the war because 1t deprives
them of mashed potatoes on Friday
nights or cuts down the size of their
saddle of mutton. The soldier grouses at
the mud alone
Yet, to the civilians honor be 1t said'
those at home have schooled themselves
moderately we'll in discipline. The mere
fact that voluntary rationing in bread
stuffs has actually cut down the bread con-
sumption to the point where official ra-
tioning may be unnecessary is an indi-
cation of what a democratic people can
do when 1t makes up its mind. But
am not so much impressed by the mere
bearing of discomforts, because every
man In the British Isles has before him
every day pitiful and striking examples
of those who have borne worse and will
bear worse to the end Of their days. You
can hardly pride yourself on learning to
eat porridge with salt instead of sugar
when your neighbor is humbly learning
to cut his meat with one hand instead of
two.
Physical sacrifices are trivial when they
are made by those at home. The thing
on which tho ciyiIiap popuIot tiop ~ Ep1
land can bank is the temper in which 1t
is taking these stressful months. The
whole world Is in an agony of doubt;
everywhere the old question returns, Can
1t be done? How much longer will it
take? Will there be anything left of us
when 1t is done? Will it be a good peace,
after all, when peace does come? These
questions are everywhere and the most
thoughtless must give heed to them. And
every day there is another tug at the
taut string of their emotions.
The string does not snap. There are
precious few signs of nerves" People
talk more about themselves, perhaps.
than they did before the war, although
am inclined to doubt the stories about
silent Englishmen," unless they referred
to a small and unimportant class. But It
is the fact that they are still not afraid
to talk about themselves, to show Won
how much they feel. which guarantees
what can be said Of them. The cards of
their emotions are on the table and you
cannot detect a false one.
How One Woman Felt About It
A woman whose husband has just been
called up told me what she felt. / think
she was trying to prevent me from feeling
cut up about his going.
L am sorry Philip is going" she said.
but I feel just as always did when he
went off on long trips to South America
VI course, think of the danger Of his
not coming back; I'd hate myself IL
couldn't bear to think Of II, because he's
bound to think Of 1t, too. suppose I'm
very like most Of us. When the war
began l knew nothing about it. was for
England and against Germany. like the
rest I won't bother you about the sepa.
rate pnases-read Mr.. Britling or some.
fhing-because I went through the usual
experiences. Phil was for joining I'D at
once; kept him back. He told me in a
half'joking way that he wanted to 20 out
ana hight so that Phil, junior, would be
aole to row In the eight at Oxford TWENTY
years from now and not have to pay Ger.
man taxes on his home in Surrey.
well now he's going and he's happier
~ I'm 1snS not .l, happier and suppose shall be
rather miserable at times. I doHst think
snail be particularly proud Of Phil I'm.
less he does something specially note.
worthy; and 1t certainly will not be anv
consolation to me If he gets wounded or
worse to know that it was for the right
side' I'm simply praying that he'll come
out OF 1t with the lucky majority. IF he
noesnt-I-well, don't want to tall
ABOUT 1t any more. But think we'll all
see 1t through, and I'll be Just like tho
rest" 'o '"e
IL would be very hard to saw "Good
luck" to that. 'o