The diamond drill., 1919-02-01
. A SMASHING or IDOLS.

Some OF the idols that the American
people set up or that have been Sc
up for them by others during the pas
two years are being smashed these
days. shattered all TO pieces as the
boys get home and we are able tC
learn from first hand sources the true
inwardness OF all the things that hap.
pened across the water. We're learn
ing much first hand stuff. these days
many things that we didn't read about
while the war was on. Some things
we hear about now were not printed
then because It was not policy, but
much OF II was not printed because the
government wanted US to think the
opposite way to which the facts point
For example, there is that story OF
the great exhibitions OF brotherly love
between the American soldier and
the soldiers OF our allies, especially
those OF England and France. Talk
TO the soldier boys who came into
contact with the soldiers OF our allies
and you'll get a shock. II the stories
the boys tell-and where there is SC
much muttering there must be some
basis for it--are half true there is
violent jealousy and much ill-feeling
between those soldiers and our own,
especially between the American and
the English soldier Fist fights and
verbal alterations between the two
sets were much more in evidence than
was brotherly love.
In talking with a number OF men
just returned from France last week
it was learned that about the first
salutatlon the American soldier got
from his English cousin was, why
didn't you wait until the war was over
before you got in? "The French sol
diers called us crazy fighters be
cause we waded in and stormed the
machine gun nests instead of attack
ing them scientifically as the French
did"
Through all the comment one could
read anything but cementation of
the soldiers of the Western and Euro
pear. continents by this visit OF our
boys to France
Some enthusiasts have started to re-
write the history OF the American
Revolution so as to make it appear
that England didn't really mean to be
harsh to the Colonies. Don't be in E
hurry to put that Angelo touch to the
story. Let the truth stand stripped
of the prejudice that contest at arms
always brings, but let it be the truth
We've paid our debt to France. We
are glad 10 have been able to pay II
for IL was commercial transaction
with Louis when he sent Ills navy and
portion of his soldiers to fight Eng
land, his rival, In her most vulner-
able point His solicitations wasn't
for the wrongs OF the colonists nor to
make democracy possible
Our soldier boys will be well In.
formed upon the feeling OF European
countries towards America and 1t is
well that they are for they are the
hope OF those who want to cut out the
idealism that has surrounded this
war venture of ours and get down to
the sound bedrock of America first
last and all the time.
We want TO be friends with Eng
land. with France. with Italy and with
all the other European nations, Of
course we do. and we can be the very
best friends OF them when we are able
to paddle our own canoe; to hold our
own with any one or all OF them. All
this brotherly love stun will melt
away as trade becomes keener and the
nations that were allies on the bat
tleheld become rivals In trade marts
The good resolutions OF the days OF
battle, the idealism that has been writ
ten into this war by the poet and the
songster will fade away as the dollar
advantage sways one way or the
other IN future trade relations. The
world is the same old world that II
was before the war. II hasn't been
made over in the four years storm:
Il simply acquired more wisdom.
"a - E
THE Y. NJ. c. A. TROUBLES.
A live topic these days Is the criti-