Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-06-07


under guard because Of their drunken
condition within a day after embark
ing.
The story is false. have personal
ly investigated 1t in every French coast
city where American troops are rcccir-
ed. My Investigations have followed
three lines, civilian life, military au-
thorities, and the Young Mems Chris
tian Association. Nothing even ap-
preaching this condition has ever OK
listed.
Before going farther let me insist
that such n tale was ineXcusable. and
that no report Of the kind should ever
he passed on without first hand knowl-
edge. A slander against the army cr
masse, however well intended and 10y
whomevcr repeated. is n poor reward
for the men who are daring all for us
who are entering now upon hardships
and dangers no pen can describe. and
who are the finest flower of our Amcri-
lean civilization.
I would not speak Of the construc-
tive work that Is being done to guard
the morals Of the soldier and of his
response 10 these far reaching efforts
without making 1t clear that the uni
formed man is not in every instance
free from vice. There have been anu
there arc outbreaks on the part OF in
dividuals and groups that the authori-
ties deeply regret. This war Is not
Sunday school, and all kinds OF mcr
are fighting 1t. Personally wish that
Botany Bay" might be establish
ed for the chap who insists upon go
ing the limit" and whose influence Is
dcmoralizing to the younger men cs-
pecially, who without his example
would become seasoned without being
spoiled. As to the extent OF the cX-
ccsses OF these soldiers who are sub
normal morally simple statement ol
my own expeSiense .iss Alppina3snG,
small and large, on the coast and In
land, by day and by night; | have
associated with many thousands OF
men. and have yet TO see my first
uniformed American under the iniiu-
cncc of liquor In public.
Have we forgotten that these SOL
diers were men before they were SOL
dicrs? They are the cream OF ON
colleges, churches, offices, farms and
shops: for 1t Is cream that we nr,
feeding to the war-god who stalks
across the fields of France. Our sons
and our brothers who arc here and
who are on the way are the product OF
American idcalism and tho fruit OF
American Christian and educational
influences. The uniform has not
changed them. and for every chap The
service in France has morally destroy
ed 1t has given new birth to ten men
I should be dcrclict in duty and false
to hundreds of thousands of anxious
parents at home If. having the evil
dence warranting this statement.
hesitated to speak.
The statistics of the surgeon genera
and of General Pershing prove that
the American soldier Is living on q
higher moral plane than the mora
plane of civilian life. My flrst-hand
Investigations bear out the official fig
ures.
Recently about two hundred mer
lust arrived In a French port started
out to color up the town n bit. 1t was
not long before they returned under
escort to their quarters: the patrol had
quickly and thoroughly done its work
There were many bruised heads and
uuite as many wiser minds. These re-
fractory two hundred were out Of q
total OF more than $4,000 new ar
rivals. The story could be played
up" as a screaming headline. Amer
leans Paint French City Red" but un-
der such headline 1t would he lie.
The military. patrol. or the IN. r.
as he is familiarly known. Is big as
set to General Pershings campaign
for a clean army. He is everywhere
In some places he Is the only police
authority, but In cities where theil
own civilian officers he has absolute
police control OF Americans. He regis
ters you at the station, greets you on
the street corner, and salutes you whcr
YOU depart. He Is uniformly courteous
provided you are law-abiding and de-
cent. II was q soft-spoken. hard hit
ting NJ. p. from Georgia who found
q taxicab for me one stormy midnight
when arrived unannounced In great
city. This same patrol had just broken
I'D an incipient street brawl.
When / recall conditions in our owr
American cities under any circum
stances which bring together large
bodies OF men, and then consider what
our leadership has accomplished with
this cosmopolitan masculine multitude
in France, I marvel and stand uncover
ed. What we owe. and what we mus'
not fail to give whole -heartedly. Is
vote Of thanks, not a resolution OF In
quiry or censure; vote OF thanks with
the assurance of our unremitting CO.
operation and support.
The programme Of our military ad'
ministration in France Is so compre'
hensive that out Of my own expert
ences with 1t could write thick vol
ume. My only hope here is briefly te
indicate 1t.
The programme concerning liquor
and vice is. first, prohibition and tota
abstinence. and second. where prohibi'
ton and total abstinence have failed
the saving Of the individual from dis
ease.
The army does not recognize or II
any way protect immoral houses Th'
military patrol-and this is becoming
more and more true of the naval pa
troll, which has been slower In develop