Baxter Springs news., 1917-08-23
By LINCOLN EYRE.

By LINCOLN EYRE.
Correspondent OF the New York WORLDLY
Paris.-A few minutes before the
special train bringing General Pershing
and his stan from BOulogne rolled In
TO the Care du Nord the other day q
trainlOad Of ''permisslonaires"-sol-
diers on leave from the front-arrived
at me same station. The "poilus,"
leaning out Of their dusty third class
coaches, caught sight Of Marshal
Joftre standing ON the platform wait
ing, with II. Ribot, the premier; NJ.
Vlviani. minister OF justice, and other
dignitarieS, TO welcome the American
commander In chief TO the capital.
"vive Joftre." shrieked "permis-
aionAlre," and the cry was taken up
all along the line Of dense-packed
cars.
ITS he who spared our lives In
useless attacks" shouted q bronzed,
bearded veteran, i've want Joffre back
at the 'front.'"
"Yes, yes" yelled his companions,
I'VE 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
shal, 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
nifcance was not lost. To ME It 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 aud those who. like the victor
Of the Marne, never make move with
out counting the possible cost In lives.
Il was, moreover, another bit or evil
dence that there is no more Important
problem among all those at present
confronting belligerent governments
than that Of morale" The spirits or
the men In the trenches. as well as or
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. Ttght-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
csasing propaganda going on over all
France to maintain at the necessary
level frances determination to win
the war.
American officers, who have sensed
this insiRtence upon the greatness OF
the aid to be provided by the United
States are bit fearful that expecta-
tions difficult Of realization will be
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 elapse
before the weight Of American arms
can make itself felt in the fighting.
Allow for FrIohtfuI Strain.
''Today our principal preoccupation
must be the prevention OF that lassi-
tude and encouragement which, as
our enemies hope, will weaken our
national defense by cOrrOding 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 a conversation I 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
friRhtful strain under which soldiers
and folk at home alike are lab0ring.
Discipline must be maintained, or
course, but this is not the time Tor
martinets.
"Without indicating the moral state
OF our troops, II would be nevertheless
vain to deny that those engaged In
this appalling conflict are morally and
physically tired. To pretend that we
are a. strong spiritually as we were at
the time Of the Marne is absurd. Dis
aster IL certain to follow q refusal 10
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 VS.
ibls TO the casual observer. One might
travel through France from end to end
and never get q glimpse OF It The
soldiers one sees seem cheerful enough.
There IL hustle and movement In the
streets Of the cities. Even in the slums
the surface Of things reveals no trag-
ody. Listen TO the talk Of "pollus
among themselves. however. and SIT
alongside q circle Of gOsSiping house
wives Of the poorer class, and one VIII
soon detect the tautness Of their nerves
and the WEAKNESS pervading their
thoughts. :,
The newspapers are silent about all
this; hrStly, because Of the censorship
and secondly. because they necesSar'