The Topeka state journal., 1919-03-05

They's one kind o. person I'd have
it in my heart to feel sorry for except
that he made his own bed and must
lie in it. That's the officer who's got
his men down on him, whiIes they was
all over in France with a common
purpose, that OF chasing autocracy
often the face Of the earth
I reckon it never dawned on this
yers sort of officer I'm a. taIkin'
about. that there was more. than one
kind OF autocracy. Some Of 'em. may
be. never had no chancet to know
uothfn about autocraCy nohow. nor
nothin' else that was OF much ac-
count
OF course. they's a lot OF EN- that
, was real folks. and they'd sense
enough to know that the doughboys
they was commanding had just as
nigh ideals, as a rule. as they had
en-. since they was willing to serve
their country as privates. and treated
sometimes like they was pirates. They
wasn't more'n a few hundred thou
sands willing to serve thataway. tho
some OF 'em took il right graceful
when the, government took 'em,
whether or no.
| But what I'm telIin' you is, that
! them officers over there that has
made the life of the doughboy one
srand spree of misery is goin' to get
/ hissen when those boys get home and
| WREN they speak to 'eul. and in other
ways show their inferiority-
| 1 know one private that had drove
/ his own ambulance in France, till
I the ambulance corps was took over
i by the government, and then he come
| home to enlist. but was turned down
/ or account of flat feet or something
| But they took him in the draft. any.
way, not in noways findin' any fault
! with his feet. He never got out OF
I this country. but put in all Of his
/ time peeing potatoes and bIaekin
! shoes for officers or doin' anythine
/ they was mind to ask him to do
1 reckon they didn't know he was g
| millionaire, or mebhe they'd a tipped
| him sometimes, instead of cursfn z
Anyway, his company's been mus
tered out now, and he's recuperatins
/ at that there hotel down south, tbs
| Ponce de Leon. or something Of tha
| sort-and his captain waits on tht
table where he eats. He don't get M
| tips to speak OF. neither-that thert
captain. and this yere young million
| aire don't call him Sir no more.
But about our boys over there
| They's this that the overbearin' Off
Ger is goin' to be up against. when h
gets back in civil life He's a goin
| to get a black eye from them boys. n,
matter what he tries to do. The,
amt goin' to vote for him. Il he run
for office They amt goiu' to Civ
him no contracts. if that's his line o
work. They amt goin' to patronfz
his business, whether he runs a sho
shine parIor, a grocery store or write
insurance II he's a lawyer, hel
starve to death. They amt goin' L
let him get their divorces, nor writ
/ their wills, nor fight their lawsuits.
l II amt that them boys is naturaIl
Tvengeful- They went over there witt
their hearts beating high with cour
age and ideals OF government. and
firm belief in the ultimate salvation
Of the human race They're comm
home with a hatred for the Hun an
his methods. and a stern sense of jus
tice, and an everlasting contempt 70
the officers that didn't give 'em
square deal. or who used the brie
authority give them by the war {
lord it all over them.
So my advice to all such officers I
to move away somewheres wheF
there won't nobody recognize 'en. o
else to Join the regular army. Their
don't seem to be nothin' else for 'er
m do