Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-05


train has written his views on war
temptations in which he says that the
training camps are more likely to bet
ter morals than harm them. Append
ed is the manner in which he handled
his subjects:
A very MISUNDERSTANDING lady ap-
preached a soldier on one of the
streets at Camp Dodge and asked the
direction to the barracks of Company
-, field artillery.
Il have two boys here" she said,
| when she had learned the desired To-
cation. Il have just had a pleasant
visit with one of them and am now on
the way to see the other. He is in the
quarters over by the flag yonder."
| She looked at the great, beautiful
American flag Haunting the breeze
high in front of the artillery COM
pany's barracks, then continued:
II am proud to have my boys fight
for that fiag-proud as only the moth
er OF two brave soldiers can be. But
have heard that the soldier is subject
to frequent temptation, and fear that
more than the battlefield. My boys
are good boys, and let them go will
ingly. But l only gave their lives, if
that need be-not their souls and char
acters-and If they are returned to me
l want them returned as pure. clean
and manly as when gave them"
The soldier was impressed with the
motherly lady's statement, for she had
looked long and lovingly at the flag
as she spoke and had paused often, as
though her love for it were as great
as for her sons, and she knew not
which she loved greatest.
Madam" the soldier finally re-
piled, Il think there need be little
fear for your boys here. The early
training is likely to furnish the guild
ing principles Of later life, however
frequent temptation may come"
The motherly lady agreed after IAN
other long pause, and then moved on
toward the quarters of her son.
Doubtless the most misunder-
stood thing about the army of today is
the moral life of the soldier. And
perhaps this misunderstanding is
somewhat justified, for it is based upon
the army of yesterday, the morals of
which were not always of the highest
type.
But today we have new army. A
new class of men compose it. New
rules govern it. A new purpose i'm
pels the soldier. New influences,
, never before known to the army, seek
ing to counteract the bad influences
and to build up the character of the
, men have been created. And for those
who, unmindful of these good infiu-
! s,,Ci ct an.
ly deeds, severe punishment is infiictL
ed by the various court martials.
i Despite these facts, there are those
who believe the army to be place
where men lose their character.
: Before this war has proceeded very
far, many of these wrong impressions
: will be radically changed. Many think
for instance, that an officer is heart
less being Who drives his men like
, so many slaves, but lie is not. Others
think the enlisted men of the army are
moral bankrupts, worthless elsewhere
. but this impression is equally wrong
Those who compare the army OF To-Day
, are drawn fresh from the homes Of
, the land and are the men with whom
, ! al OF us have associated during the
! past years. They are now in uniform
! but are moved, by no different i'm
, pulses. SO far as morals are concern
, ed, than they were before coming into
4 see the soldier and the officer OF the
\ army of today as he really is.
? | Strange as it may seem, these wrong
4 impressions of soldier life seem mos
: prevalent among the parents of the
: land. They are, of course, very deeply
4 interested in the kind of lives theil
4 boys are living They ought to be
\ Parents who do not show deep con
: Germ in the welfare of their sons dc
n not truly merit the name of parents
> Some of these parents have gone tt
a the extent in their anxiety for theil
!, sons of writing to officials of the arm,
y inquiring about the daily lives of theil
: boys. One letter in particular, which
: was permitted to read, gave the i'm
!, preston that the writer believed tina
q when a young man enlisted in thu
: army his individual responsibility!
: ceased, and he automatically acquired
the right to be a reprObate. This be
q lief is certainly wrong. The soldier il
, personally responsible for himsel
wherever he is. and under all circum
| stances. II he fails to realize thi
8 fact and conducts himself in an un
0 manly manner, he is punished by tn
= military courts.
y Another of these letters spoke of tn
a peculiar temptations" of the soldier
+ 1.-The soldier cannot be blamed,'' tn
: letter read, IF he yields to temptation
5 for he is subject to peculiar circum
= stances and temptations" This par
: ent seems to be blind to every fault O
the soldier. Let us not seek to eX
a cuse the soldier on such grounds. Fl
z has no more peculiar temptations
O in the army than he had in prive life
= IL as many.
|, 1t would seem better to recogniz
d that, as the soldier said to the lady
v 1.-THE early training is likely to fur
e nish the guiding principles of late
life." and the army gives peculiar or
n portunities" for the exposure OF glar
i ing faults in the previous moral train
v ing of the man. Indeed, if there
! anything at all in the relation betwee
physical perfection and moral quail
a ties, the army training camps are tn
[, places where men may be expected t
: acquire morals if they have been dc
e ficient in that respect.
e. When the soldier is not on dut!
r every possible dfort is made to thro'
proper influences about him. He
in easy access to the Y. NC. A.. tn
one grand institution that stand
> yy.,s ~ N0N\