Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-02-18
DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO QUIT
Sensible Summary Of The American
Spirit.
MANHOOD GREATER THAN DISCIPLINE

OF Whlch ne SPEAKS, Snaiy<os s"e
! Actuatins Forces That Made the
| Soldiers of the United States Invin-
chile in the War.
Wesley Mccormick in N. Y. World.
How do you account for the Amer
Iican soldier?" I asked Peter Clark
lMacfarlane, author, lecturer, traveller
and war correspondent whose "Bilge
and Ma" stories of our destroyer
forces and equally human fictionizins
of the work of war have made his
name familiar to millions of American
readers.
81 don't account for him." said Mr..
Macfarlane. Il can't. He's unaccount-
able. He did whit every fool in the
world expected he would do. and what
every one who was half wise conceded
was possible. Oh, yes, away down IN
their hearts the wise ones expected him
to do it too. but Intellectually they
conceded that he couldn't.
I'VE are accustomed to say that the
unexpected happens. But it is when
the expected happens that we can't
get over the surprise. The American
soldier did exactly what was expected
Of him; that is why he astonished the
world"
Mr.. Macfariane was with our forces
in France during the last eight months
of fighting. He had extraordinary op-
portunities to mix with the men in all
branches CT the service. He saw them
going into battle and he saw them COM
ing out; he saw them under the first
shock of fire; he saw them in the exulta-
tion of victory, and he saw them when
the battle had passed beyond and left
many torn and blinded and utterly In
capacitated for life. But through 1t
all he says he never happened upon
an American soldier who had lost his
nerve.
Courage" he remarked, "is not an
/ adequate word. Courage is common
to all races. American courage Is a
thing by itself. 1t is different from the
logged courage of the British, or the
cool, stubborn, almost calculating cour-
age Of the soldier Of France. It seems
to consist at first Of a sort Of divine
limpatience. But 1t is not a mood. 1t
is something ingrained In the Amer
lean character which manifests itself
in every mood. 1t may not keep him
from being scared, but 1t will keep
him from quitting even when he is
scared. It may make him reckless
where recklessness is required; but no
melodramatic bravado can account for
the spirit uniformly shown by our
wounded men.
"I have seen our boys with their
faces fairly shot away. unflinchingly
and uncomplainingly submitting to a
never ending series Of operations.
while new pieces of bone and new
chunks of skin and flesh were ripped
from other parts Of their bodies and
made into serviceable. but unbeautt-
full noses and Jaws and cheeks. In
many cases these boys could not grit
their teeth because they had no teeth
nor laws nor muscles left; but they
gritted something in their American
souls which answered the purpose and
never let one Of us catch them whim-
pering.
How can you account for such
courage?" Mr.. Macfarlane continued.
1.-THE courage Of man who patiently
learns to smoke cigarette through
his nose because his mouth has been
put out of commission, but is still able
to register a good American kick II he
can't get his favorite brand OF cigar
ette."
| Mr.. Macfarlane has written good
many stories Of typical heroes VINO
exhibited amazing nonchalance In
danger. This is the type Of heroism
which captures the imagination of the
public; and it is possibly the kind OF
heroism which Is most apt to attract
attention when decorations are passed
around. No one begrudsed the appre-
citation given to the man who saunter-
ed out over No Mans Land to win q
50-cent bet and come back with an
armful of Germans; just as no one be-
grudges the applause given to the
substitute player who sends the ball
over into the Harlem River when the
score is tied in the last inning. But
grand stand plays do not win Worlds
series either in baseball or in war. and
Mr.. Macfarlane was far more interest
ed in courage of another kind.
mo one questioned the individual
bravery of Americans" he said. BE
fore our troops had ever been tried
out, it was conceded in all quarters
that Americans had intelligence, ini-
tiative and resourcefulness which,
man for man, made them super
ior to almost any national group
on earth. But right there was where
the great doubt arose. Were they not
too full Of individual initiative to sub
nit to adequate training? They would
unouestionably die bravely as indivi-
duals; but could they attain that COL
Elective morale necessary to withstand
a German drive? 1t would take diff
ferent sort of courage. perhaps, to
subordinate their independent spirits
to military discipline. Did the Amer
Iicans have this sort of spirit?
ut was discovered that they did"
Mr.. Macfarlane answered. land one
of the surprises of the war was the
way in which the impatient Yanks pat
iently submitted to military routine.
And it must be said that the best
trained regiments always did the best
work in the fighting line.
But after everything has been al
lowed for discipline, 1t was that Amer
lean something which couldn't be dis
ciplined which made them a terror to
the Boche. That divine impatience
which military men had feared, proved
to be Americ. 5 greatest military con-
tribution.
"The heroic message, My men would
tLa orla En-