The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-12-21
PRIVATE soLDlER-THE
IDOL or FRANCE
THE:

VI
1.-THE United States could read and be
INSPIRED by the following extract from
a speecr by Hons John F, Miller, a
member of congress from the state OF
Washington, delivered in the house OF
Representatives December IA.
Mr.. Miller has visited the battle
fronts of France and has studied the
military system of those wonderful
lpeople whose bravery and courage are
beating back the trained and discip-
lined armies of the kaiser, and are
saving the world from the domination
of cruel military despotism.
The army or France is democra-
cy and the private soldier is the ma
tons idol, and being put on social
equality with those decorated with
straps and bars and stars has not de-
stroyed the morale of the French
army, but on the contrary the army
of France has set an example for the
imitation of the world.
/ Please be good enough TO give lis.
itening ear to what Congressman Mil
Ter says:
81 stand with an uncovered head in
the presence of the soldiers of Francs
to all the living and to the memory of
all her dead.
af hi vrcr rio
give me your ears; wish all America
could hear it. 1t is this: 1t is the pri-
vate soldier that is the idol of France.
; The Frenchman cares nothing for
lclass or rank Both are but incidental
to armies. 1t is the private who must
do the fighting; it is he who bears the
suffering it is he who wins the bat
Ties it is he who does the dying.
When the soldier knocks at the door
of the peasant in the night time and
/ is asked Who is there?' he simply an
swers, "A soldier of France The door
is opened, the helmet taken, the fires
ikindled, and the chair placed for him;
the housewife opens the doors of the
/ larder and he knows he is welcome to
the best. The private is not made to
feel that he is the social or intellect
| ual inferior of the officer. They prac-
| tice the democracy of their institu-
tons. How different in this particular
, is the boosted democracy of America!
Over there the major, and the corpor.
al the captain, the lieutenant and the
private sit at the same table and sip
their wine together; l sw them. The
plan of campaign is discussed; the
sergeant, the corporal, and the private
know the objective of certain move
ment timed for tomorrow, just as we'll
as the colonel The understanding is
mutual. The officer knows his men
/ from close personal contact. not at
| the arms length. He knows the weak
man, and can strengthen him; he
knows the strong and can keep him
istrong. This is practicing the very
basic idea of true democracy This is
why the private and the corporal
stand beside their colonel and each
measures every inch the soldier; this
is why the soldier of France is the !
glory of it's soil. The old argument
that personal equality and daily asso-
citation is destructive of discipline, |
and therefore leads to inefficiency be- !
longs to past fallacy, for the world
has not yet said the French is not an
efficient army-not since the battle of
the Marne not since the world knows
the stories of Verdun. In my judg- !
ment primary defect in our military +
establishment today is the presence
Of that social chasm between the COM
missioned officer on the one hand and
the non-commissioned officer and the |
private on the other. 1t must be filled, |
it must be bridged. 1t is the only !
social caste; it is un-American to the
core. One American is as good as an.
other, especially when he is fighting
for the liberty and freedom of the !
world In Europe, at an American
army headquarters | saw American
soldiers-our fighting men, men we
have sent across the sea to fight for
our civilization-strong, husky, virile
American soldiers, brushing and pol
ishing the boots of American army Of
Ificers. Such practice ought by ey-
cry rule of decency and respect for
the uniform be driven from the army.
(Applause).
Its only result is lessening the NOR
ale of our troops, for it strikes at the
very center of manly social equality,
the basis of any army raised from the
people of democracy. The work of
body servant should never be per-
mitfad IN he nprf0rmed nv q soldier