The diamond drill., 1919-02-15
IF THE BOYS COULD TALK.

uuiiOIln, tucH Say oouce"aho' eN
a wounded soldier that we met recent
ly.
That's the attitude OF almost all
the soldiers you meet these days. They
feel that they are being unnecessari-
ly kept from their return TO civil life.
or course one must make allowances.
Soldiers without crouch are said to
be poor soldiers. But, II isn't all
grouch-not by long way. The boys
know that they are being neglected;
they know that they are feeling the
leash OF unnecessary restraint. They
know that many who are suffering
and needy get no sympathy and they
resent It. They know that much o.
the laudation which has been fed to
the American people about the we'll
fed, well-looked after doughboy was
bunk.
A soldier boy writes to us from
France and, by the way, this soldier
has wife and family at home that
need him much more than the army
does: my work is all done here, was
completed some time ago, but we are
held In ldleness. l think that when
the government sent us over here II
should have, at the same time made
arrangements for our return when our
work was completed, not keep us here
in suspense. / need to get back to
work 10 support myself and family
have played Santa Claus long enough
That's the way all the boys feel"
In this connection an editorial in
last Sundays Chicago Tribune is very
much to the point IL follows:
Soldiers wives still wait for
their unreturned husbands, but
the well-gowned wives OF skill
fully tailored peace emissaries
cross the ocean in specially pro-
vided ships and occupy the most
luxurious quarters in an over
crowded, underfed city.
A complacent gentleman who
suffered neither hardship nor
danger in this or any other war
assures our tired, gagged sol
dlers that they fought for human
itv. How does he know what any
hghting man ever fought for?
The soldiers fought for their
country, and, having brought
victory to their country, they wish
10 come home before the stay-at-
homes get so nrmly intrsnched In
every line OF endeavor as to make
the sscriRce OF the soldier last his
entire life But they are kept in
their muddy billets in Europe or
| their uncomfortable cantonments,
while the peace time men at the
peace table address each other
With high sounding titles and
throw flowers to an unapprecia-
tive multitude on the roadside.
The peace piffler is again on
top. The soldier is not only back
where he was before the war
broke out, but farther back. lie
is divorced from industry and he
is denied even the expression OF
his opinion OF the crime the tea
party pacifists committed against
him
The pacilists may be rocking us
into Utopia. They may be rock
ing us into war. They are play
ing sure hand themselves. They
will benefit IL Utopia comes. They
will suffer nothing in war. There
fore, they have no compunctions
in gambling Utopia against war.
They do not see the desirabillty
OF getting safety and peace with
out Utopia.
, The soldiers would not gamble
war against Utopia. They want a
quick, safe peace and an honor
able peace. They want TO get
back to the families which they
left in order to night for their
= country, for they did not go forth
to fight for pretty phrases.
But they are muzzled by mill
tary censorship as autocratic as
Prussia's worst, and pacifists are
gambling the soldiers lives
! against a pleasant thrill
- - -
The newspapers OF the state are
receipt OF . circular from Edwar
Frensdorf, former acting warden ,
: the board OF control OF the Jackso
state prison In which II is elaine
~ that tha hudoat communication hau n