Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-14
j. S. SOLDIER
A HERO, SAYS IAN HAY
Much is Made of the American
Soldier and Much is Ex
pected of Him.

The American soldier is fortunate,
above all. in respect of his social welfare.
The Americans do not claim to be n mill
tarv nation-they hate the word-but
they do clam rightly, to understand home
life They are the most domestic and
home loving nation on carth-poSsibly
because there is no need for them to stray
outside their own great land III search Of
adventure or profit
An American citizen cherishcs a senti-
mental affection for his home town. quite
incxplicablc to the roaming Enghshman,
who can make himself equally comfortable
in Wei-Hai-Wei or Wigan Home Sweet
Home" was written BY an American.
Homo and mother reign supreme in the
American heart, and the American IS not
ashamed 10 own IT, And therefore. since
the American boy in camp today IS often
undoubtedly and frankly homcsick a
condition which the more rcticent English
man but rarely admits the whole mother
hood Of America is mobilizlng to set the
matter right
The attention lavished upon the Amcri-
can rookie III 1918 would rouse envy
in the breast Of many of his British fore
runners of 1914, whose opportunities for
social relaxation were usually limited to
the regimental canteen or a distant and
overcrowded Y NJ c. 4 hut or movie
show And national anxiety for the wei
fare Of her soldiers has produced in Amcrl
ca today a most happy alliance between
America : two outstanding characters
tics generosity and organizing ability.
AS a start. the American y. NJ. e. A.
was given the supreme direction Of tho
social life Of the army and navy The J
NJ c. A promptly appealed for IS million
dollars and obtained it within fortnight
TODAY in each camp and naval base
stands huge \ NJ G. A. social center
with recreation rooms, writing rooms and
an auditorium capable Of holding three or
four thousand men. There IS also host
ess house. for women visitors to the
camp The Icmnnc clement IS strongly
represented
Sunday afternoon in particular mill
tarl- camp IN the neighborhood of large
town i vortex vortex OF sweethearts
and wives-encircled by an impossible
barrier OF motor cars, In fact, the mill
tarv authorities Of the camps have been
compelled 10 intimate on more than one
occasion that one may have too much Of
good thing. and that there Is a war TO be
finished Consequently, good deal Of
tins kind OF exuberance has been sensIbly
modified by the removal OF units TO camps
IL some distance from their home district
Altogether, the American recruit can
not complain that his patriotism Is un-
appreciated. In America today every
man IN khaki or blue Is a hero; and ms
countrvmen, being more dernonstratIye
than We, do not hesitate to tell him 50.
Roughly speaking he receives about as
much petting as one of our wounded or
convalescent men.
In return. an extremely high standard
of conduct is expected Of him A carping
critic might call It impossibly high. He i
forbidden TO partake Of alcohol IN any
form while his morals are ruthtessly safe
guarded al every turn. The Americans
are essentially d race Of ideaLsts, not
afEaid to express their ideals Their ideal
Of this new army of theirs Is an army OF
ronsldes, blessed by abstention from
strong waters and upheld by the sword Of
the Lord and Gideon.
Reduced 10 terms OF prohibition from
beer, and supervision by innumerable
vigilance societies, these blessings may
strike the prosaically minded beneficiary
as a trife drastic. Still, the blg idea is
there all the time, and America cxcels at
carrying big IDEAS into execution.
So much for the soldier But the civil
ian Is doing his bit too Her soil is 50
rich and her territory so vast that We III
England and France are apt 10 overlook
the fact that America is feeling the war
pinch too The cost Of living has doubled
Sugar is nearly as scarce as with Us There
Is a serious scarcity Of casual labor for
the tide Of immigration which supplies
that demand has ceased to flow since the
outbreak Of the war.
There has been coal famine so serious
that il was actually found necessary at
one period to import coal from England III
order to enable certain liners To sail from
American ports. There Is scarcity Of
meat and wheat, largely because America
must feed the Allies IS well as herself
Compulsory ratloning is on the way; and
no bad thing either; for Is with us, the
just are making sacrifices for the benefit
Of the unjust.
Meanwhile a voluntary program Of
self denial has been promulgated by the
government. Thousands Of men, women
and children are cheerfully submitting
to that program, not because it is com
pulsory, but because il il playing the
game Ian Hay, in the London Times.