The Washington herald., 1919-05-04

did not shirk 1t whatever the risk
and did not think morbidly at FIRST. in
the FIRST six months of their train
ing, that It was the way Of death.
1t was only later. after the CHASTITY
cruelties piled up high. that each
young officer knew that his chances
OF escape were not Of much account,
and that when he put on his uniform
for the first time he was putting on
sacrificial clothes.
After the spell of training they came
out to the war-zone in France and
Flanders. went into the dirty bitches,
had their baptism OF fire. and left
behind the decencies and comforts
and luxuries of the life they had
known for this new life in cratered
helds. in holes in the earth, with the
smell Of dead bodies in the air about
them. and with death in the fields
where they walked.
Even then for a time they were up
lifted by enthusiasm for the adven-
lures of life.
They Liked the Game.
This was a great adventure. horrible
in its physical conditions, but with
a spiritual glory. They were keen
on their job. They liked its technique,
the handling OF that pretty little in
strument OF death-the machine gun
the business OF shaping a rla Don
Of good fellows. the science of COM
mand.
The comradeship OF the officers
mess was a continuation of the old
college spirit, finer in quality. strong
er in loyalty and friendship.
These boys learned to know their
sergeants and leaned on them and
learned from them. They were proud
OF the courage and good behavior OF
their men.
They had been afraid at first of
their own fear in great danger-a
boyish dread OF showing funk"
in bad places-but they were relieved
by the sureness Of their own courage.
However much afraid, they could al
ways put on a mask OF cheerful care
lessness. to give a lead to the men.
They found a pleasant spice even
In danger IL 1t were not too terrible
and took more risks than was need
full in No Mans Land and trench
raids. For the first few months they
walked about the fields of death with
uStu 10 see lhClil
with admiration in my heart.
1t was the length of the war which
broke many of them down. the inter-
minable length of it. so that the spir-
1t Of adventure died out, and their
abnormal way of life became normal.
and it seemed that the valor of men.
all their desperate endeavor of cour-
age was unavailing against the strug-
gle and resistance and gun-power OF
the enemy
The slaughter of many comrades
wore on the nerves of the boys who
survived
Gone After Each Battle.
After each battle twenty officers
would disappear from a battalion
mess. leaving two survivors to greet
the next draft of officers. And these
two knew that their turn to disap-
pear would come next on the law OF
averages.
1t was hard to keep cheerful. to
have everlasting faith in the victori-
GUS issue of the war. to renew the
act of sacrifice which every morning
and every night duty made in their
hearts.
The marvel is that to the end our
young officers kept their outward
cheerfulness as well as their gallan-
try. In dug-outs and billets many of
them revealed to me the secret de-
spair which assailed them.
rs this war going on forever"
they would ask. "Is this slaughter
decreed by the Gods"
Il don't want to die-I want to live.
Why should I be sacrificed to please
the politicians of the world-those
damn fools who are the cause of all
this s?'-"People at home don't UNDER
stand what We have to suffer. They
don't care. Those infuriated old fe-