South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-02-19

| ing OF peace concerns the laying
down Of rules by which peoples must
I reorganize and conduct themselves
after the struggle.
Serious Questions.
We have many serious questions
10 settle, now that peace is coming
In this country. there are no devas-
tated areas, business has been mere
I " interrupted. not destroyed Your
chief problem is the returning sol
der
I In your country and in mine. the
! government has taken hundreds of
young men by the nap OF the neck
| and told them. Here. you go and
! fight for your country They did
not reply. But that will interfere
with my education. with my career
The nation did not expect any such
reply. But that is exactly what took
place Young men were taken out
of their refinement, and placed IN
| strange surroundings. they went
through things the like OF which you
| cannot imagine. And now they are
coming back
Your own civil war taught one
| great lesson. When the soldiers re
turned from that war, and they ap-
piled 10 employers for work, they
met with the reply, You're lazy. we
don't want you That was true
There is nothing like the life OF a
] soldier TO promote laZineSs In the
army. a mans food is given him. his
clothing is furnished. his sleeping
quarters are provided. There is no
stimulus in the form of a necessity
to provide for self Naturally he be-
comes lazy. He does what ne is told
and nothing more.
Returns to Civil Life.
Then he returns to civil life.
Things are changed. Besides the
laziness which has been inculcated.
conditions he meets lead him to a
resentful view on life He finds that
some other fellow has his job. He
finds that some other fellow has
piled up the dollars during his alb
sence. He finds that he has TO take
n poorer job than he had before.
quite naturally he asks, Why is
it, that while l have been serving
my country for dollar a day, this
other man has been getting seven or
eight dollars day? Why is it.
while 7 have been risking my life.
this other man has been able TO
build himself home? Why is it.,
while I have been learning to be a
soldier. this other man has ad-
vanced into the better position
which I should hold?'
That's the situation. 16he soldier
has sacrificed everything. He has
given his all without a grumble,
without complaint. 1t is this les
son of sacrificial service which we
must learn. If we have learned it,
the war has done us good; if we
other war.
BE Willing TO Sacrifice.
I'VE must be willing to sacrifice.
It is only by this means that we can
reconstruct successfully If we are
going back TO the material view
point we held before the war, we
have gained nothing. If we are 60
ing back to our old slogan: Results!
Get EN-. No matter how, get emf
we are no better off than we were
|
in 1874.
Reconstruction in the United
States does not mean rebuilding of
buildings. remaking of roads. II
means the making over of the minds
of the soldiers as well as the MAX
ing over of our own minds.
1--WE must treat the returned SOL
der fairly. For his own good. we
must not put him on a pedestal. We
must take him practically. We must
get him back into civil life.
Before the war, and during the
struggle, there was much talk Of
German propaganda in this country.
And in my own mind I am certain
that German propaganda is still at
work. 1t is this propaganda which
is leading us TO hail the returned sol
der as a hero, and then refuse TO
take him back into life as a civilian;
to give him a job. to help him make
the most of things.
! Overcome Propaganda.
THAT is why I say the war is just
| commencing. We must overcome
/ this propa ganda. and must do the
right thing by the boys who, in the
spirit of Christ, went out and gave
their lives for an ideal"
Mr.. SchemmerhOrn's talk was not
as serious as that of the first speak
! er. For a long time after he arose
the club members were rocking with
| laughter at what he said. But then,
in a serious mood. he pointed out
the object of his talk.
The speaker commented upon the
good which has already come out OF
/ the war. the passing of the saloon.
and the ascent of the woman suff-
rage idea. That these were only two
( Of a number of improvements which
might be derived from the situation
was the speakers idea.