The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-02-05
pROBLEMSFACINC
STRICKEN WORLD
Shall Chaos or Reconstruction
in Europe Follow the Great
World War?
CHANGE OF SOME SORT SURE
Returning Soldier Feels He Has at
Least Earned Better Chance
Than He Has Hitherto Been
Granted.
Article III.

Article III.
BY FRANK CoMERFoRD.
Europe wears an anxious look. one
thought Is arouSing her from the
stupor of her misery She opens her
eyes in wide amaZement when she no.
tices and notes the striking change
that has come over her children. 1t is
pu2zIing her, although she we'll knows
what they have gone through how pa
tiPntly and unCOmplainingIy they sut-
fered, II isn't strange to her that they
have changed when he remembers
the peace of the years before the war,
the quiet, sane lives they lived, and the
four years In which they lived In wet,
foul sewers called trenches, slept in
tomhs on the edge of strip of hell
called No Mans Land, breathed the
smell of burning flesh, saw their pals
go west" buried their dead, grinned
at pain, laughed at death. Nerves of
steel could not stand what they have
gone through without being changed
by it.
They have put on mufti again. II
IS strange to them. The quiet streets
are dun. The demobiized soldier feels
the letdown. The tenseness over de
preston sets in. During the war he
didn't have time to think of anything
except the job ahead of him. Every
minute. every move was life or death
IN him Now he realizes for the first
time what he has gone through. won
dcrS why he is alive. Two thoughts
possess his mind; one the memory of
every minute of the days and nigh
Of the war-thc other of what is
uhead Of him, what is he going to do
with his life, He is at a strange cross
roads. The word Job" doesn't mean
much to him. 1t isn't that he is lasN.
He has to pinch himself to realize that
IT is over and that he is back from the
wqr.
Earned Right to Better Place.
Between the whizz OF machine bul-
lets and the Shrek OF shrapnel he
spent his time thinking. and his
thoughts were not all about the war.
He never got used to the war. but he
learned to forget II. He has brought
more than souvenirs and memories
from his experience. He has brought
home thoughts, ideas ana ambitions
from the trenches. Many a night. look
ing over no Mans Land listening To
the "hanShee" of the war, he thought
ana resolved that II he ever came
hack he wanted. and would have.
better chance in this queer thing called
Life, He feels that he has paid for
a place. and he has paid. He has
earned the right ~ 2 decent place in
the world. for which he fought He
helped save the world and he looks to
that world to save him from a mean
ingIesS machine existence. IF it doesn't
he has made up his mind to use force.
He is willing to work. wants to work.
hut he insists on being part of his
work, rather than his work being all If
him He sees feels and measures
He feels his humannesS The war
emphasized the value and meaning Of
the human being. 1t was life or death
He Is alive lie wants a human inter
est in his work.
Hundreds Of demohilized soldiers in
different parts Of Europe, In different
words, In different languages. have
said to me: or the world isn't going
10 give us a better chance than il gave
us before the war. then the world
wasn't worth fighting for. When we
fought. they told MS II was 10 make the
world snfe for democracy and to make
life worth while. We thought this
meant us and ours. We have learned
| that life isn't only question ~ q job
and enough 10 cat we want to he
treated like human beings A man
wants to feel that his work means
more to him than Just wages. He
spends most Of his time at work, the
rest Of IT is spcnt with his family ana
in sleeping So he win be able to work
the next day. WHY shouldn't he hay,
nm Interest In the business, and why
| shouldn't the business have an interest
! in him? We don't want 10 ran the
business. all we ask Is a say I'm It,
! friend Y say in II. Some people think
that 10 he fed is to he free--it isn't.
Being free means being treated like
human being
have found many good honest men
and women who have lost interest in
work. They say I'VE don't get fair
! share Of what we make. We fight
among ourselves for Jobs because we
have 10 or Starve, and they pay us rs
little rs they can" am not reasoning
| or arguing this question. am stating
n fact which indicates the state of
| mind ~ millions of men and women IN
! Europe who did their bit for civilian
ton during the past four years
Fair Hearing Must Be Granted.
Calling these people boshevlsts
| doesn't silence them nor solve the
| problpm. Such tactics irritate and
deepen the unrest. Their grievance
must be glyeu a fair, patient hearing
| Their attitude OF mind must he reck-
oned with II We hope TO get back TO
| normal living. | have heard some say
that these people must be given to I'M