The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-06-19
WE'VE GOT TO
Whip THE KAISER"
Ask Any Soldier Now In France "Wha,
He Thinks Of It?" and You Re-
ceive the Above Answer.
"PUBLIc OPINION" AMONG Mel
Won't Have Much Uss for Very Rich
Man After the War 10 Over,
When the Boys Come Home
eY HARRY G. EVANS.


What do you really think of it? :,
This Is the question / have beer
trying to answer every day as min
gle with ours soldiers. You may thinl
|tfafe Ase; a msay~ spinions.. % .thsr'
are soldiers: hut not so There's I
psychology In public opinion. There
are instances where II thousands ol
men, without conferences or public
ity, or transmission of intelligence
have done the same thing at the
same time. 1t is quite evident that
there is forming a public opinion
over here among our soldiers.
Public opinion is to nation, q
community or a group of men what
conscience is to the individual. No
particular number of men will long
associate together without mutual
understandings, without meeting OF
minds. When Frenchmen under Laf
ayette went to America and fought
for democracy they became so OBJ
sessed with the idea that they came
home and democratized France.
In fighting to overthrow the mill
tary monarchy of Germany the Rus
SLAMS overthrow their own military
monarchy. No army ever fought on
foreign soil that didn't return home
with new ideas and new ideals. What
new impressions will our men re-
ceive over here that they will take
home with them, and what will be the
effect on our government?
Must Whip the Kaiser.
There are various ways of express
ing public opinion. The usual method
with US at home is by the ballot. We
determine what public opinion Is by
majority vote. Over here it must be
arrived at in different way. Many
opportunities are afforded to inter-
pret our boys personally and collect
lively. 1 have asked the question that
introduces this article of a; thousand
men-actually put the question direct
to that many men. What do you
really think of it," and pressed them
to an answer Combining the answers
of two-thirds of them into what may
be called composite answer. would
say it was:
We've got to whip the kaiser!"
You get this same answer in the
most popular song among them, "And
We Won't Go Home Till It's Over Over
There" The public speaker gets 1t
from them collectively, but the thing
they cheer the loudest and longest Is
the fiat statement that we will lick
the Germans. So that's the public
opinion" among our men in France.
1t is difficult to visualize the future
of our nation along industrial lines for
the reason that we do not know wheth-
er or not we will be compelled to main
tain militarism as a fixed policy. One
thing is certain, unless Germany Is dis
armed, and tied up by treaties that
can be enforced, treaties more durable
than scraps of paper, all other nations
must adopt compulsory military SER
vice and continue the training of SOL
diers, the manufacture of cannon and
battleships and munitions. II Ger
many is not disarmed we will have to
stand armed against her. II we must
our boys to give two years Of
their lives to military training 1t will
mean two million men constantly with
drawn from business channels at an
important productive period of their
lives. 1t is stupendous question and
until settled one can hardly make an
intelligent guess at our future.
When the Boys Come Home.
1t is too early to determine the
changes that will come in our mems at
titude relative to Industrial questions
when they return home. That they
will be radical and will have tremen-