The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1918-10-11
REAsONINGs OF A ROOKIE.
No. 2.
"Your Bit. ="

many different people and in many
different ways. with perhaps many
different phases Of incoming. The
result being that great many people
have perhaps too low a conception
for the words and just what they
mean to them. This is the way
rookie has reasoned it-perhaps he is
right, perhaps he is wrong-you can
only see for yourself by hearing what
he has to say.
When in the early spring of this
year Field Marshal Haig, command
ing the British forces on the western
front, issued his famous proclama-
ton to his soldiers calling on them
to fight to the utmost, realizing that
their backs were to the WALL" and
that they must put forth supreme
effort if their lines werc to hold
against the overwhelming force of
Huns; that was time when sturdy
Tommy Atkins stiffened up and real
ly did his "bit." The results were
that the Huns were once more re-
pulsed and civilization again saved.
Had the Germans pierced tho line in
their drive of last March, as was
their overconfident intention, the
struggle would have been prolonged,
perhaps gained by them. 1t was the
ability to use reserve strength right
at the crucial moment that saved
the battle for the logged Britons.
1t is the ability to summon and use
an unseen force that constitutes what
may truly be called "your Bit"
When period of human events
arrives, equal in Importance to the
time when the Greeks met the Per-
slams, to- the time when Rome met
Carthage and battled for world SUI
premacy, to the time when the mod
ern Romans engaged in life and
death struggle with the Gauls and
Teutonic tribes of western Europe,
equal perhaps to the time when the
Mohammedans met the Christians
and threatened to overrun entire
Europe as they had eastern Asia and
northern Africa; when time like
this arrives, such as now exists, can
you conscientiously say you have
done your bit unless you have done
your all? A fighting mans bit is
done only when he dies at his post.
He has given his all-you can say
you have done your full duty when
you have done likewise-when you
have done, not merely what is ex-
pected of you, but what you know IS
your supreme effort-when you have
used your hidden strength.
Too many people have thought of
this struggle as being far away and
having no personal interest for them.
1t is just as much of vital interest to
you as If German soldier were now
at your door with bayonet and torch
ready to destroy all you hold dear,
killing your children, burning your
home, strangling your mother or
father, and carrying away in shame
full slavery your wives, sweethearts
and sisters. The more and more you
realize that, the sooner will might
with all its hideousness be once and
for all destroyed. When might meets
right, when barbarism meets civiliza-
ton, when autocracy meets democ-
racy, when darkness meets light, it.
is time to do your bit-your very all.
This is war of wars. Germany has
succeeded in setting the world on
fire. Gigantic occasions call for gil
gantic efforts. To fling your all into
the breach is small if we think of
the outcome. Nothing can be con-
sidered too great when it becomes a
personal issue with you. 1t is not
a question of what you can do. 1t
becomes matter of what you must
do. The spirit of "They shall not
pass" needs to possess the forces that
now face the Huns.
When you stop to think of what
constitutes your bit, will you think
of the French soldier who has lost
his home, his loved ones, perhaps an
eye or limb, maybe he carries with
him the scars of a dozen different
battles, his happiness may be gone,
life may not hold very much for him,
he may deserve peace and comfort
for his services, yet his spirit remains
unbroken, he feels that he has done
his entire bit until he finally pours
out his life's blood for his country,
for civilization, and for you. 1t may
not be your privilege to ever cross
no mans land and battle the Hun
face to face, but you have something
equally as important to perform if
you are anxious to do your bit. Will
ingness to do entirely what becomes
their duty and singleness of purpose
4.