Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-09-27
ORGANIZING
MORALS
How The Definition Of the World
Soldier is Being Changed in Amer
ican Army and Navy Training
Camps and CantOnments-WOrk of
Y. M. c. A., X. c. and ]. w. B.
(By ]. E. JOnes)

l have been watching the long, lr-
regular lines of Soldier boys" as
they trailed into this great training
camp today. Their careless shuffling
gaits, and their wilted collars and
shirts, and their citizens clothes, !
match up very well with the shyness
and embarrassment occasioned by the
newness of this mode of life.
have likewise watched another
line, that has been going from the
camp; and my emotions were mixed
as l saw them entraining, for they
were bound for ports of embarkation.
These soldier boys" were men-their
gaits were regular and firm; their
shoulders we're thrown back and their
khaki uniforms harmonized with the
expression on each young face. AS
their cars pulled out of sight their
voices foated back upon the air. eve
won't come back till it's over, over
there" they sang.
/ The definition of the word "sol-
der" has been rewritten since the
spring of 1917, and the correspondent
of the Tribune came here from Wash
| ington to follow up the process which
|
of the Roman empire have passed
through the periods when armies
were simply unorganized hordes, or
followed well-equipped knights and
men-at-arms onto the fields of con-
fiict, until class, tactics and organiza-
tion started some 900 years ago to
put the business on a scientific basis.
Strangely enough science displayed
it's most marvellous triumphs in war
fare, but little thought appeared to
have been given to the welfare of the
men who have had to bare their breasts
to the conflict, until the United States
entered the big European struggle;
, and the epoch-making period of or
ganizing morals was attempted. "The
} career to which we are calling our
young men in the defense of Democ-
racy must be made an asset to them, I"
wrote President Wilson several
months ago, and he added, "Not only
. in strengthened and more virile bod
} les as a result of physical training,
= not only in minds developed and en-
: riched by participation in a great, he
roic enterprise, but in the enhanced
spiritual values which come from a
full life lived well and wholesomely.' %
] Mr.. John R. Golfer, director of pub
licity of the war and navy depart
/ ments commissions on Training Camp
Activities, had been telling me how
this pledge of the President has beer
e made good, and the accounts he gave
!. of the work being done under the su.
0 pervision of Raymond B. Fosdick were
e so optimistic, that | came out here
n to camp to "take it all in" My pleas
k ure in the self-imposed task is that
= am able to write home to the moth
o ers who are anxious as to where Il
e My Boy Tonight" and to say to then
s that these boys are safer from tn
s snares and pitfalls Of the world her,
IS in this great army camp and in tn
Il army as a whole, than are the civil
l. ian youths, for it is an unassailabl
ie fact that vice and drunkenness hav
been reduced to such minimum
IS among our armed forces that civilian
,e America is dropping away behind j
10 the progress of our moral and spir
e. itual development.
a. Here in camp, into which has bee
,e poured the youths of every state,
~
r; tic and idealistic." Youth doesn't 81
down and hold its hands, and chirrup
"I'll be goed!" Youth does some
II. thing - and that something" dow
on the Mexican border was so motor
Gus that Washington was shocked
: that something" in the Spanish-An
r.. erican war, in the Philippine can
Nv paigns and in the Civil war, has haI
t. PLY never been written into cold typ
he The Young Mems Christian ASS
s. citation, the Knights of Columbus, an
the Jewish Welfare board owe a gres
on debt of gratitude to the war, sinC
on through war they have become, lik
as youth, romantic and idealistic
a which is big jump from their fot
lis mer sassifed environments. Thes
10 institutions have become thorough
st. humanized, and together with IL
rs, Young Women's Christian Associi
eir tion and the Red Cross, they ha,
r. come to a point where they work I"
ed mysterious ways" their miracles
perform.
Every American should visit
training camp. Here there are mil
Of unpainted board buildings, used
zee the various purposes of camp life; {
at the parade ground thousands of sc
ct, diers are learning the game they a
os. to play overseas. Happily, Unc
Sam has discovered that in the 81
gr' ence of war Democracy must be ma
safe by protecting the rights of ca
Individual soldier. Romantic al
idealistic youth" no longer plays t
d. game of military life unaided and u
ks supported. The man in khaki is 1
EN- ceived as gentleman everywhel
the and he has made good the confden
fNz-A.-..I - ~ooo Az