The Washington herald., 1917-04-13

many pupils as might desire it enough to
pay a nominal price to possess it.
Send the Flag to France.
Boston Trsns-iptD
II is customary to speak OF the Ameri-
can as being typically commercial, but
those who have written about lis, the self
appointed psychologists and even our
own novelists. have been misled. The
American has achieved a wonderful sue
cess III business. but he has done it large
ly through the quality of imagination.
Essentially he is romantic. adventurous
and above ALL dramatic So II is not al
all remarkable that the idea OF sending a
body of American troops abroad, to carry
the Stars and Stripes to the battle fields
in Northern France. should have seized
upon the popular mind so strongly as to
have taken possession OF people in every
walk OF life. 1t is the thing to do. and
We know II. a..d since We have demon
strated time and again that we do even
tually the things that should be done and
th..t we want to do. 1t may be accepted
as fact that that flag OF ours will be
there. by the side OF the hags of France
and England.
Congress has recently given US a dem
Onstratoh OF its subservience to the pub
lie will Exasperating as 1t is in its
present mood the Congress now sitting
Is so far superior in moral tone to the
Congress which expired on the fourth Of
March as to seem TO be an entirely diff
ferent parliamentary body. The reason
for this is that during the brief recess its
members heard from their constituents
Undoubtedly they Will hear from them on
this question Of sending the nag to Eu-
rope. and as the voice of the nation is
growing more insistent every day We
shall expect them to take action to that
end without much more delay.
1t Is to Swear.
(Chicaao Tnbunel
In the Chamberlain bill for universal
service a provision was made to prevent
the use OF cigarettes by the conscripts.
What gimlet headed egotIsm meddled in
! this fashion We do not know. but 1t is
intended now, 1t is understood. to write
the prohibition into the new army bill.
At times nationality in despair seeks
only to go where no one but just God
can hear and to devote expression en-
tirely to profanity. There is an uncanny
genius for perversity working in Wash
ington. There Is no other explanation
possible.
If young man goes to college. to work,
to a poolroom, to any place he may or
can. he regulates his personal habits
with lne use OF IODdCCO as ne
pleases. But IL he is selected for the
nation. to give up his time for common
good. then he must be deprived of priv
ilege OF selecting his habits in this re-
spect, but must accept the edict of some
meddlesome reformer who never did a
thing except crafty a tremendous appe-
t!te for egotistic enjoyment
The men who go into military service,
particularly when 1t is active service.
surrender virtually every comfort except
that of tobacco. The nations of Europe
make every effort to supply their SOL
diers with cigarettes and tobacco. To-
bacCo is recognized as having an impor-
tant effect upon the soldier psychology.
The trenches would have been more mad
dening IL the soldiers could not have
smoked. Tobacco was at least one solace.
And our genius for malignant perver-
sity and for imposition upon men we ask
to serve the nation and sacrifice them
selves indorses this vicious little bit Of
sumptuary legislation.
Christian Science Monitor)
That military expert who informed the
readers of paper, published not a