The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-02-17
Shall Chaos or Reconstruction in
Europe Follow the Great
World War?
MEN CHANGED By BATTLE
Soldiers Have Learned What Can Be
Accomplished by the Use of Force,
SternIy and Efficiently
Applied.
Article TX
BY FRANK coMERFoRD.

wears. 1t changes the man. Men
who had never owned a revolver
or rife, who had never even shot one
off. who had never killed anything in
their lives, were given firearms. They
were drilled, taught TO shoot taught
to kill. The education was thorough
and scientific. They learned to look
down the sight of rife, pick out q
human heart for a target, fire and
eagerly watch for the man TO fall.
They were trained to rush madly at
a wall of human beings and drive bay
onets into mems heads and bowels.
Many of these men few years be-
fore would have tainted in stock
yards where cattle were being killed.
For four years they have been in
human slaughterhouse, not only as
spectators, but as part of the place.
1t steeled these men. Many of them
contracted the undertakers point of
view towards life, a fatalsm without
fear.
Experience in battle taught them
The meaning of the word force"
They discovered that the individual
vas only important and efficient when
he acted in concert with great group.
everything depended upon team work.
Men learned that a group of men
working in harmony. with nerve and
lilies with fixed bayohets, could do
wonderful things. They could take an
objective. In other words, take the
hing they wanted and needed. When
hese men came back into civil life
nd took off khaki and put on over
lis, the taking off of the khaki and
he putting on of mutt did not erase
rom their minds this lesson the war
lad taught them.
This lesson has borne fruit. The
men look at the employer as an en-
my. The employer thinks of them
a commodity. Hatred is cordial.
he, men want something. They de-
nand it. The employer refuses.
heir objective is to get the thing
| hey want and need, The war taught
hem there is way, weapon-Force.
pday in Europe men reason, "if we
ant get what we want, and need, we
iust take it. We have the force
Iaving grown habited to suffering, ac-
lstomed to sblood and death, they
,ok with Indifference on the question
danger. of price. They saw that
hen nations could not agree they re
rted to force. They discovered that
ctory generally went to the nation
assessing the greatest force.
| Threat of "Direct Action"
In the labor movement of Europe
| e have this idea in what is called
| lirect action" Direct action is
| 0thing more or less than applying
| ar methods to peace conditions. 1t
an effort on the part of great groups
| working men to compel recognition
| their demands. They seek to Sc
| IRE their objective by force. No al
| owance is made for the fact that
Methods justifiable in war are not
light in peace. Few people will deny
{ force.
Many men got their first taste OF
esh air and decent food while in the
rmy. Very properly the allied gov.
rnments gave the best of everything
the men in the armies. 1t isn't diff
nit to get accustomed to good food
nd fresh air; it is hard to go bach
poor food and the tenements. Bacl
ONE, many of the demobiliZed sol
Tiers are not eating as well or as
much as they ate during their service
Notwithstanding the rigid discipline
f army life. men are treated as men
he humblest man in the ranks has
ights that must be respected. Thi.
not always the case in civil life
hen, too, while in uniform the PR
y ate was made much of. Glass dis
/ motion was obllterated. He wa
aaked upon as one of his country,
tenders. Since he has been demobi
zed he has heen forgotten and neg
eted. This has soured him. He re
ats it. Social distinctions hay,
cme back. He is only working mai
w.
. Another cause of unrest among tn
liking man of Europe grows out O
IL k war. Mobilization took million
men from their jobs. A great short
{ e of labor resulted. Employer
ere forced to compete to get mer
= he usual competition was anon
!; er To get jobs. The law of suppl
: nd demand affected the Labor marke-
! l-sS went up. The soldier went OF
; var While he was in the trenche
J eases back home were high. Hi
ax vas small. Our fighting me
e az. not interested in pay. The
eit to fight for principl,
ith the coming of peace larg
q anJity of labor was dumped upo
h market. The demobilized me
! sized for employment. Comrade
t atneted for jobs. The same old La
supply and demand sent wages t,
III aiming. The number of men VIII
II Dave, I.A