Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-12
] IN THE TRAINING
CAMPS III.
The Reciprocal Infiuences,Ina
Ultimately Produce the isest
Inv Jos. ii. ode,l. in The 3outiook.y

lGSk1y Jus. ~ $780, Il,
There are all kinds of men tns ny
where else. There are men with the
morals OF a. mud turtle and the vision
iof9 a bat, but there are also multitudess
who are spreading the coptagiontof 9
splendid manhood through the :
racks. Some VIII come back to civil
life unimproved. but they are the ones
who would go to the devil on desert
island. But many, many thousands
will testify in years to come that the
first glimpse they ever had Of the pos
sible beauty and grandeur OF HE
came from association with their COM,
rades in camp. For example, In Camp
Devens there are numbers of men
who came from the textile cities OF
New England, where socially. eco,
nomically and morally they were pre-
damned: they have never a "a
thing. But in Camp Devens, not
counting the commissioned officers of
the personnel OF the depot brigade,
there are 695 college men represent,
ing ~ New England colleges and uni
versities. They are the best Of our
race, the Towering Of the purest n
sanest homes, men who could founsk
fathers did 800 years ago. They were
drafted into service and their influence
upon the thousands of other men Is
already having a marked effect.
Few people, even among our poll-
1ttcal and moral economists. realize the
influence of taking a million and q
half men out Of our competitive sys
tenn and placing them under law
of cO-operation. When the men UNI
derstand that their messmates are not
trying to steal their jobs or get their
money, they haven't the slightest b.,
lection to doing kindly and generous
things for one another. The conf
plexion of their world has changed,
and they change with it. When they
see that the best men in camp are not
ashamed to be decent, they want to be
are not afraid to pray, they are will
ing to pray also. Two men wen to
the Y. NJ. C. "A. director in Camp
Devens and said that they wereHtn the
habit Of kneeling down and saying
their prayers every night at home.
What ought they to do here? Try tt
out" was the advice. They did: the
second night two others in the bar
racks Joined them: the third night a
few more; gradually the number in
creased until considerably more than
half the men resumed the habit Of
childhood and knelt by their cots In
prayer before turning. in. A COM
pany captain in one of the canton
ments the first evening his men stood
at attention for retreat said: "Men.
this is a serious business we are n
gagged in; it is fitting that We shouhas
pray about it., There and then this
Plattsburg reserve officer made
simple and earnest prayer for the di-
vine blessing upon their lives and
their work. The impression upon n
men was described to me as trenend-
Gus. Such incidents. although not
common, indicate the general spirit Of
the men of ampler early opportuni-
ties are already exercising a refining
and an uplifting influence upon their
less favored fellows. Old misunder-
standings and prejudices are passing
away; social distinctions are giving
way to a new solidarity; individual
goodness. repressed for lack OF an
couraging environment, Is coming
frankly to view. The effect upon the
favorites of fortune is no less marked
than upon the men who came from
mean streets and sitting tenements.
A young millionaire whose most seri-
GUS business in life had been buying
automobiles and raising fancy. stock
on a country estate. was doing man
full work as a corporal in a supply
company. This is the real thing. aft
I0l dAlS- ~ odAu " ~ - AAA~OSoA
graduate of 1916, o a reserve Off
Ger, said that his company in six
weeks had gathered more spirit for
team work than his college class had
gathered up to the middle of the
junior year. How did they do it??"
I asked. ''They all started on h
same level and aimed for the same
end. There has been nothing to pull
them apart in cliques; rather every
+hjnu hinds them tOpether. j. They
have picked up speed and snap; nothtl
ing can stop them now. And 7
haven't seer any Of the little mean
Enesses 60 common@in college,.
So there. area. hundred reciprocal
influences iplaying on the men all the
time; some are being remade. others
modified ;smany who had never known
the impelling Force OF "a great motive
or the. alluring spell Of a high ideal
have found both in the purpose and
spirit Of the new army. When I be-
gan my Investigation Of the campAy
my proclaimed aim. vas to discover,
not what kind. Of soldiers Uncle Sam
would send to France, but what kind
Of men Uncle Sam would send back
to their homes and their communi-
ties after the war is over. I have dis
covered both; for in mixing. better men
we are making finer soldiers. and In
making efficient soldiers we are pro-
ducing a higher type Of men
healthier physically, broader mental
", and nobler spiritually. IF Germany
should crumble before these men a
Iget into action. If we have laNished
billions Of dollars to train men for
battles they will never fight. yet tho
money has been well spent. andiI con-
slider It the best investment in citizen
Ship the country could have made.