The weekly Alaska citizen., 1919-08-04
LET THE SOLDIER TELL, TT.

Il Europe, published by soldiers for soldiers, las quit the field. Its last issue was dated June l3, and in it appeared a leading editorial )n the League of Nations which can be taken IS fairly representative of the average view point of the American soldier who went thru he war.
 Most of these soldiers are back home low. The influence which their attitude is having on the American public may help the senate considerably in making up its mind about the League of Nations.
 The article referred to above appeared 1nder the caption, "Way as We K,,o1V It. :" It follows in full:
 The Flag on Ehrenbreitstein may weather few more summers, but this summer is the last that the A. E. F., as most of us know it, will sweat thru. We've finished And we have the satisfaction of knowing that we did good job and we're glad to quit.
 But can we carry the lesson home?
 Print can't do it.
 Photographs can't do it.
 Many will come to Belleau Wood, peo- pie who have read all about the Great War. Already worn paths scar that once pathles. hell. These people will see the twisted trees. But they won't see the sprawlns forms beneath them. They will see the bullet-bitten rocks. But they can never visualize the trembling horror of lying in those crevices while the German guns spat their death thru the grass. Here and there they may pick up an empty shell. But the ingerless hand protruding from the rotting khaki blouse has been graciously buried beneath neat white cross.
 The horror has been hallowed The misery has become picturesque, the murder turned to romance.
 And those little villages in the valleys. Their strange, sad windows look out across fresh meadows now like staring blinded eyes. They are so still, so deathly still not a single wisp of friendly smoke, no human color, only garish patch perhaps, where some unremembering bush flaunts it's green branch across the gray.
 This cannot touch the tourist. The home folks can never feel it beside their friendly hearths. Nobody under Gods great, tranquil skies can tell of the rotten ness of war but the men who suffered thru
 Upon them rests solemn duty. They must go home and choke the coward lingo who masks himself behind his false and blatant patriotism, and the merchant-poli- tician, not content with stuffing his home coffers until they burst-but anxious to barter the blood of his country's young manhood for new places in the sun!
 The Prussian Guards1nan died hard, fighting for such place. The men in frock coats who make the laws never had to stand up against him. They never took a ma- chine gun nest or saw barrage roll down, stop and then uncurtain wall of shriekng steel. We know what the Prussian Guards man means-his code, his cold courage and the blind patriotism that sent him forward, granting none the right to live but those who wore his uniform.
 We know, but we cannot give that knowledge to others. But upon it we can act. We can help build League of Nations with such sinews of war and such con- science for peace that no one will dare op- pose it.
 If we don't the blood will be on our own foolish heads which, by the grace of God, chance or some Prussian Guardsman's poor aim, are still on our foolish shoulders
 The time of the senate is completely oc- upled with the treaty and the minds of many 'f it's members with seeking new ways of making reservations to the conevant of the league of Nations From present indications vhen Messrs. Lodge, Borah and others finish heir proposed alterations they will have done heir best to have rendered that document in fectual.
 President Wilson has communicated the peclal agreement proposed between America md France to the senate in order to prevent he opposition from blocking further consid- ration of the peace treaty. The special al-