The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-07-31

FRAMED oOluleTS - rays AAAOuNc ~
Work of the Women. i
NEW YORK, July a1.-What did the
World war teach to the American army?
An article in the current issue of The
American Legion Weekly says that the
professional soldier discovered that a
race "softened" by Injuries can tougher
over night under the stimulus of a great
cause The writer of the article, Major
c. +. Kilbourne, was brigadier general
in the American expeditionary forces, and
commanded the third infantry brigade Of
the second division in the army of oc-
oupation, prior to which, as a colonel, he
was chief of staff of the Eighty ninth di-
vision He is now instructor in the gem
eral staff college of the United States ar
my and is the only American who
wears the distinguished service cross,
the distinguished service medal, the Phil
ipDine congressional medal and the con-
gIpssional medal of honor.
Major Kilbourne presents the subject
6.aphcally on account of his unusual ex-
perience in the World war and other
wars.
Probably the most striking lesson
le. rned by the American army during the
World war" declares Major Kilbourne,
? was the fact that, as military men and
permanent government employees, we had
oycrestmated our own relative patriotism
and had exaggerated the Indifference of
the civilian to the national welfare. We
very quickly found that the American
people were sound at heart that their
Il
TIER business to their country's inter
csts was as great as our own, and that,
of the two, they were the more deserv-
ing of praise.
For we were raised in an atmosphere
of readiness for the supreme test, 1t was
our business cheerfully to give up home
and family: we found that the civilian
was equally willing to go-more,, ne was
eager to assume the hardest of wars bur
dens.
The professional soldier had come to
suspect that the race was softening. We
were not alone. in this; many civilian
writer's had been dwelling on the degen-
4, Grafton of the human race due to the en-
= ervating effect of Injuries unknown tc
orr pioneer forefatheEs.
In this, also. we found we were wrong
Far from shrinking from danger and
farmer and the seaman proved that, in
reality, we were living in an heroic age
an age in which not only the fierce shock
Ill personal combat was required of the
soldier man, but also that much greater
courage which enabled him to Withstand
day after day, week after week, all the
horrors with which modern science car
surround DEATH
I'VE saw men stick till not their courage
but their nervous systems collapsed, will
shellshock, amnesia, and even insanity re
quilting. There were vastly more who
stayed till only a shell of man remained
than left the lines while still able to do
a mans part in the fighting.
We professional soldiers who went
through the war have no longer a doubt
that the citizens called to arms in fu
ture wars will be able to do anything il
tine fighting line our own abilities enable
us to plan for them. In brief, we have
gained confidence in and a deep respec
for our fellow countrymen,
And we learned that a democracy cal
produce as fine an army as any other form
cf government. We never had the ma
chine-lke discipline of the Germans; GU
men never maintained their equipmen
and surroundings as did the British, no
could we ever adopt the father and chill
attitude which made the French die to
gether, as one might say, affectionately
But in the American army of Occupation
we developed probably the best all-roun
army the world has ever known. Earnest
rober, loyal efficient, untried-that Amer
Joan army was the poised sledge-hamme
that made the German plenipotentiarie
sign the terms Of peace. Some of our a
lies may have forgotten but few weT
- 1rzo q a Fact q
y the slime
1T is that army which makes the prc
iersional soldier feel that, given organ
ization. we have nothing to fear froI
any other power or combination Of pow
ers We do not and cannot blind on
selves to the fact that the allied armis
stood between us and our enemies viii
we made ready: we know that such 70
tune will probably not be ours in al
other great crisis.
I'VE have learned that the real peac
obligation Of a professional army is nj
To maintain fine military posts. not
produce a wonderfully well drilled, we
set M and efficient standing army, b,
10 prepare itself Go expand and reeei1
IN enormous influx of raw material
emergency, to care for and to ydevslF
the vast man-power of the nation in Il
minimum of time. 3
"The foregoing are some of the mar
! things the army has learned from 7
war The full list is too great for d
cusson in a short article But one mo
muat be mentioned, and that IS the no
o. for good of our brave women. Nc
talria is one of the greatest causes
rioknese and deteripated morale in wa
the welfare workers not only prevents
much Of this. but they kept manv
younqster clean at heart and enabled hi
tn return to his home with his head Il
and "a greet his mother and sister wit
out shame in his heart. --'ss~se y