The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-04-03
i, 5. Doing Won
DERS FOR BOYS
Harry c. Evans Describes conditiont
as He Found Them After Ten
Days at American Army Base.
soYs WELL CARED FOR THERE
Ecs Moines Man Tells Mothers Their
Boys Are Getting Better Treat
ment Than They Had Home

Boys Are Getting Better Treat.
ment Than They Had Home
(By H. C. Evans)
SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE, March
II have spent ten days at a great
United States army base in France
where there are thousands Of our sol.
dier boys and other thousands Of
American laborers. If our people at
home knew the tremendous magnt.
tude of our war preparations over here
every carping, critical mouth would
be closed. ,S
When we have won the fight and
men are permitted to write and news
papers to print the story Of the stu.
pendous strides our government has
made in so short a time, the world will
be astonished. Stretch yOur imaginar
ton a bit-no, it is not necessary to-
imagine anything-just use q little
horse sense and figure out some OF
the things that can be done with
$50, 1000, 100000. That was the amount
the last congress appropriated for war
purposes. 1t would build a $1,000
home for every family in every state
in the Union.
What We Are Doing.
What do you suppose we are =.
doing with the $4,000, 900 we are
spending every day, getting ready
to fight? | wish | were permitted
to tell you some things you DO
not know Oh! could write q II
story that would send the rcd ,SS
blood throbbing through the veins e
Of every patriotic American IN
sheer pride over things already.
accomplished. We have astound.
ed the governments and the fin.
ancal and industrial nta0nates OF
England and France by our ability HS
to do big things and do them
quickly.
But l would write you of our sol.
dier boys and their lives over here:
Before leaving home l heard much OF
the possible lapses Of our boys. Some
of our people seem to think that Wo
were sending over a lot OF unmAturo,;
reckless boys who would yield m eys
cry besetting temptation. They do NOT
realize that a majority Of our soldiefA
between the ages Of 81 and 81 are
matured. full-grQW1 men thQQeanaa
of them in the professions and busiheSs
for themselves. Neither do they real
ize that nothing ripens men lik0s
responsibility. Our boys have assurh-
ed responsibilities as great as ever
rested on the shoulders of q genera
tion Of men.
Our Boys Have chanaed.s
When 1 first saw a considerable
number of our men in France would
not have known them but for their
uniforms 1t did not seem possible
that these outstanding, virile men
were the sloppy, droop shoulGered
boys saw at home few months ago.
Their responsibility, the months OF
training in camp, the ocean voyage,
the acclaim with which they wen
greeted here, the devoted esteem III
which they are held, the great advent
ture-these things have Transformed
the boys into the man, full statured.s 4
Iwant our mothers to know that
their boys are better. behAv-
ed here than they were at home.
And there's a reason-nany rsa- @
sons, in fact. In the first place,
they have certain weiidefined du.
ties, hourly, daily. There arc no
hours and days and nights OF loaf
ing, during which no ono known 80
where they are. They must get l
out Of bed and go to bed at defln-
ite, fixed times. It's early to bed
and early to rise. The work every
day is hard; boys who dlsslpate
cannot endure it. and they lose
standing with officers, and men.
Their pride holds them In the line 4
Of duty. n.
War a Science.
War has been reduced to SCI.
ence, 1t is not the haphazard thing
it once was. Wanamaker's is no bet
ter organized for the business that
great institution transacts than Is an
army for the business it transactS.
is no more particular
about his heads of departments and
employees and their efficiency than Is
Uncle Sam about his officers and his
soldiers, and their efficiency. And
there is this difference in favor OF
Uncle Sam: He provides and enfOrceS
penalties for moral lapses: 1t is .
serious offense for soldier to get
drunk. punishable by imprisonment.
It is a more serious offense for sol Z
der to contract venereal disease.
Under a certain article Of war It 10
provided that if soldier units him.
self for military duty against the enc
my he will be held to courtmartial.
and when a soldier by his own act Z
contracts this disease he comes within
this law Now it is as serious thing
in the army to be hailed before the
as it is at home to bO
hailed before the police judge.
1t is as disgraceful to be put in the I
guard house as it is to be put in the
Jail at home. Imagine our fine, young
chaps at home so conducting themsel.
yes so as to be constantly in jail ana i
under disgrace. and you can magazine
the same thing is happening In the
army. ~
Strict Rules in Force. W.
But you say, the boys in civil IN
are under the influence of home ~ j
mother. And the boys here are W
the influence of the Young
Christian association and Generf
shing. The boy who is thoroug' 81
will be bad anywhere. The
is half bad is better managedN
tary discipline and penaltiesN
Continued on page l1Zs