The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-08-20

class room, workshop or theater.
A patient i'll with a communicable
disease should be isolated at once
and q, strict quarantine observed I'M
til all evidence of the disease has
disappeared. The exercise Of a little
care in the matter OF personal
hygiene will do much to prevent the
~~~~-S~~~~~4~~~-~-~-"O"
American cities. If they lack sky
scrapers they have ancient castles
and chateatx, What the French
build they build beautifully and Tor
A Young engineer over. there told
me- how when the Americans began
to double track the French railways
and to build the miles on miles or
switches necessary to handle train
loads of supplies for the armies, the
French were shocked at the shoddy
work done.
said. when we are doing a hurry
job in laying rails we drive spikes
In every other tie, and they rlVet
them after they are driven through.
We do that now, over here. The
French won't stand for anything
else. They say they won't risk rail-
road accidents for their troops"
Boosting Not Heard.
You never hear any boasting from
Americans in France. Our men are
learning humility. They know tnat
we do some things well, but they
know that we have much TO learn
from other older civilization, and
they are out to learn.
Our men are getting wonderful
education, not, only through their
army experience and their faculties
OF observation, but through the I.
NJ. c. A. department OF lectures and
entertainment. At first the idea was
simply to entertain the men in their
leisure hours, to furnish music and
moving pictures and vaudeville. But
the men themselves soon called for
better things, and the Y. M. G. A.
is preparing to give what amounts
almost to university extension cours-
es In the camps.
This spring Arson Phelps Stokes,
secretary Of Yale University, went to
france. and was made head of the
committee on education in the Z.
M. c. A. in the field. Mr.. Stokes
made a thorough canvass Of the sit
uation, visiting many camps, con-
sulting with army authorities and
with the men themselves. He visit
English Y. M. G.. A. in order to COM
pare their work with ours.
Eager to Learn.
The program Of education was not
complete when I left, but I saw a
must have been worked into some
thing truly admirable. The men OF
our army are going to be given a
real. practical education. Those be-
hind the lines who wish to continue
a college or technical course, drop
ped when the draft law went into
effect. will be able to do so. Those
whose early education was neglect
ed will have a chance to so back to
elementary school.
Men who do not care to take up
any serious studies will hear lee
lures, if they choose, in which they
will learn a great deal about French
and English history. In the very
region, perhaps the very town, where
great events Of history took place.
they will hear the story told. The
past will become real. It will help
our men to understand the present.
I know that our soldiers are
thirsty for this kind Of an educa-
ton. was asked by the 7. M. G. A.
to lecture in some OF the camps on
what I saw Of the. Russian revolu-
ton. It was with great reluctance
that I agreed to try one lecture. 1t
did not seems possible to me that
soldiers, tired with the days labor,
would care to listen to such a sub
ject.
Il win try it once or even twice,
IL you like" told the secretary,
"but I'm afraid 1t won't get across"
It did. spoke something like
thirty times, and every tir1s to
crowded rooms. I spoke in sheds,
tents, theatres town halls, and even
in the open. never had such audi
ences. Their eyes were keen and
bright and they drank In every word.
Afterward they crowded around
asking questions.
These men are not going to be in
terested in women who never read
anything but novels and the cheap
magazines, who know nothing about
geography or history or politics.
They will want to talk over their
experiences with their mothers and
sisters and wives, and IL they cannot
listen ihtelligently the men are go
ing to be disappointed.
Want Women TO Work.
Hundreds OF soldiers with whom I
talked showed me pictures of their
women at home. They said loving
things, proud things. but the women
they were proudest OF were those
who were doing some kind of real
war service. my sister Elizabeth
Is the head Of the Red Cross can
teen at the union station In my town.
They feed hundreds Of men every
time q troop train goes through"
My wife is pretty busy these
days, with the children and her sur
gical dressings classes"
These are the things the men like
to think of their women doing while
they are away. They see the women
workers in the canteens of the Red
Cross and the Y. M. G. A. in France.
They see nurses and women anbu-
lance drivers working regardless OF
WEAKNESS, carless of danger They
see all around them unselfish, coUr-
ageous service. The spirit is in the
air over there, and the men like to
feeL that their women at home are
like that. too.
When the boys come home they
want to come back to women who
have been born again into high and
noble patriotism Not only hats OFF
to the flag. Sleeves up for the flag
That slogan, adopted by the men in
the steel industries who are speed
ing up the building of ships, ships,
and more ships is the patriotism our
men are living every day in France,
and It is the kind they have a, right
to expect of the women at home