The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1918-07-06
WHAT DO YOU REALLY THINK

zone OF the brightest writer's and
kkenest observers In the United States
is Editor Evans OF the Woman
Shield Mr.. Evans has given up his
desk for position in France with
the Y. M. G. A. and his letters written
leach month for the Shield are well
worth reading. The last letter is es-
Ipecially good. so good that We re-
print 1t here that our readers may
have chance to read It. 1t is as fol-
lows: "
Somewhere In France.
What do you really think OF It?
This is the question I have been
trying to answer every day az I min
gle with our soldiers. You may
sthink there are as many opinions as
there are soldiers, but not SO. There's
"a psychology IN public opinion. There
are instances where thousands OF
men. without conference. or publicity.
sor transmission of intelligence. have
done the same thing at the same time.
It's quite evident that there is form
ing "a public opinion" over here
samong our soldiers.
Public opinion iB 90 a nation, a
community or group Of men what
sconscience Is TO the individual. Nd
Particular number OF men will long
associate together without mutual un-
sderstandings, without meeting OF
minds. When Frenchmen under Laf-
ayette went to America and fought
flor democracy they became so OBJ
.sessed with the idea that they came
home and democrGtlzed France.
In fighting to overthrow the mill
stary monarchy OF Germany, the Rus
ssians 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 receive
.over here that they will take home
with them, and what Will be the eff
feet on our government?
There are various ways OF ex-
pressing 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 diff
ferent way. Many opportunities are
safforded 70 interpret our boys per-
sonally and collectively. have asked
1.-THE question that introduces this ar
ticle of thousand men-actually put
sthe question direct to that many men.
What do you think OF it?" and
pressed them 10 an answer. Combin-
iYg the answers of two-thirds OF them
Into whot may be called composite
answer, l would say IL was:
We've got TO whip the kaiserl"
You get this same answer in the
.most popular song among them, "And
We Won't Go Home TIL It's Over,
tOver There" The public speaker
gets II from them collectively, but the
sthing they cheer the loudest and long
sest is the fiat statement that we will
lick the Germans. So that's the pub
lie opinion" among our men In this
country"
II is difficult to visualize the flu
sture of our nation along industrial
lines for the reason that we do not
know whether or not we will be com
PEELED 10 maintain milltarism as g
fixed policy. One thing is certain,
unless Germany is disarmed, and tied
up by treaties that can be enforced.
,treatfes more durable than scraps OF
paper. all other nations must adopt
compulsory military service and con-
tinue the training of soldiers, the
manufacture OF cannon and battle
ships and munitions III Germany IS
not disarmed we will have TO stand
armed against her. III we must COM
pei our boys to give two years OF their
lives to military training il will mean
two million men constantly withdrawn
from business channels at an import
ant productive period OF their lives.
"a IS stupendous question and until
settled one can hardly make an in
tolligent guess at our future.
1t Is too early to determine the
.changes that will come in our mems
attitude relative TO industrial ques-
4ions when they return home. That
they viii be radical and will have
tremendous influence on our politics
and national life goes without ques-
tion.
Two years ago wrote from Stock
holm relative to the new viewpoint
n