Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1918-09-13
ORGANIZING MORALS I'm
THE AMERICAN ARMY.
(By J. &. Jones.

of soldier boys" as they have trailed /
into this great training camp today I
Their careless, stunning gaits, and ,
their wilted collars and shirts. and
their citizens clothes, match up very /
well with the shyness and embarrass-
ment occasioned by the newness of
this mode of life. ,
line, that has been going from the
camp; and my emotions were mixed
as I saw them entraining, for they
were bound for ports OF embarka-
tion. These Soldier boys" were men
their gaits we're regular and firm;
their shoulders were 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. 1--WE 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 correspond
ent of the Examiner came here from
Washington to follow up the process
which in the centuries of war since the
fall 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-
ton started some 900 years ago to
put the business on a scientific basis.
Strangely enough science displayed
its 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 Unit
ed States entered the big European
struggle; and the epoch-making peri
cd OF organizing morals was attempt
ed "The career to which we are
calling our young men in the defense
of democracy must be made an asset
to them" wrote President Wilson sew
eral months ago, and he added: mot
only in strengthened and more virfle
bodies as a result of physical train
ing, not only in minds deelened and
enriched by participation in a great,
heroic enterprise, but in the enhanced
spiritual values which come from a
full life lived well and wholesomely. -
Mr.. John r. Golfer, dierector Of pub
licity Of the War and Navy Depart
ments Commissions on Trainine
Camp Activities, had been telling me
how this pledge OF the President hal
been made good, and the accounts hi
gave Of the work being done under
supervision of Raymond B. Fosdick
My pleasure In the self-imposed tasl
in that am able to write home to thu
mothers who are anxious as t.
where is My Boy Tonight" and tt
say to them that these boys are safe
from the snares and pitfalls Of thu
and In the army as a whole, than arr
the civilian youths, for 1t is an unas
sailable fact that vice and drunken
ness have been reduced to such 1
minimum among our armed forces
that civilian America is dropping wa.
behind in the progress Of our mora
and spiritual development
Here in camp, into which has beef
poured the youths of every state, an
reminded that youth is romantic Ant
idealistic." Youth doesn't sit dow
and hold its hands, and chirrup; III
be good!" Youth does something
and that something down on tn
Mexican border was SO notorious tina
Washington was shocked; tina
something" in the Spanish Americal
war, In the Philippine campaigns, an
in the civil war, has happily neve
been written into cold type.
The Young Mems Christian AssC
citation, the Knights OF Columbus. an
the Jewish Welfare Board owe
great debt Of gratitude to the wal
since through war they have become
like youth, romantic and idealistic,
which 10 a big jump from their for
mer sissified environments. These II
situations have becoce thorough
humanized, and together with th
Young Woman's Christian Associt
ton and the Red Cross. they has
come to a point where they work 81
mysterious ways" their miracles I
perform.
Every American should visit
training camp. Here there are mile
or unpainted board buildings. used
the various purposes OF camp life; o
the parade grounds thousands OF 50
diers are learning the game they ~
to play over seas. Happily Uncle Sal
has discovered that in the science I
war Democracy must be made safe b
protecting the rights OF each indivit
ual soldier. Romantic and Idea
Tat ,v,,,thgs-y,. Io,,.nay oIa~,u Al,o 80 ~