The Monticellonian., 1918-11-29

A ing the men under his comnahd
 just prior to their inspection by well-known English general Alter the colonel had explained to the men the details of the inspection, his clos Ing remark wss, NOW. when the gen eral is here stand still. don't spit, and for Gods sake don't call me Bill
 There may or may not be any truth in this story but it is wonderfully typ teal of the men that comprise the Brit. ish expeditionary forces, whether they are in France, Mesopotamia, Serbia. Saloniki, Russia or any other part ef the globe. Never in the history of the world has there been such democracy as exists ill the ranks of the allies fighting in France today. The young second lieutenant whose ancestry perhaps dates back to some Norman noble who landed in England with Will Ham the Gonqueror. is eating, sleep ing, working and fighting side by side with the eoster from Whitechapel or the laborer from the Liverpool docks. And the beautiful part of the whole
  reality as well as in name.
 The ponderous German military ma chine was evolved from the traditions and experiences of nation fed upon war and the idea of war for centuries. and the bedrock principles of ruthless discipline and the breeding of an off cer caste with the iron power to rule, savagely if necessary, were adopted as the starting points of military effi- ciency.
 Yet the war has shown that in many ways the German system of army building is entirely wrong-that disei- pline and democracy can exist side by side, and that the minimizing armed mannequin of German creation is no match for the soldier whose power of initiative has been fostered and deyel- oped by more humane and encouraging training methods.
 The Canadian army corps is splen- did case in point, more especially in view of the magnificent record for bravery and endurance which it has maintained since the first gas attack at Ypres in 1915 gave it immortality
 Nearly 90 per cent of the Canadians are volunteers-menw who gave up their positions in offices, factories, on farms and in mines to fight for an ideal-lib- erty. Few had even rudimentary no- tions of military training, yet so keen were they to get to France and so ca pablo was the organization devised to meet an unprecedented situation that well within two months after the out break of war no fewer than 33,000 men, fully equipped and partially trained, were dispatched to England. History will record this fact as one of the greatest military efforts of all time-a triumph for democracy as op- posed to the Potsdam principle
 Since the beginning merit has been the only path to promotion in the Ca nadian army positien influence or wealth cannot alone bring advance ment. As a consequence many peculiar and sometimes humorous situations arise. For instance. in one regiment the commanding officer and the senior
 
 commissioned officers in the same regi. ment. Just one other ease: A million aire manufacturer who is q corporal was walking along road in Flanders. A major approached anG recognition was mutual. The mator had been q bookkeeper in the millionaires factory prior to the war. Now the millionaire calls him sir and salutes him. and does it willingly and eheerfully
 The fine spirit of comradeship often amounting to friendiness, that exists between officers and men, characterls- tic of ! country free from caste preju- dices, in no way impairs discipline or efficiency as the record of the Cana dians in the field So amply proves The