Oxford eagle., 1920-04-29
PROBLEMS FACING
STRICKEN WORLD
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
MEN CHANGED BY BATTLE.
Article TX
81 FRANk coMERFoRD.

4
wears. It changes the man. Men
who had never owned revolver
| or rifle. 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 q rife. pick out a
human heart for 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
wards where cattle We're being killed.
For four years they have been In a
human slaughterhouse, not only as
spectators, but as part Of the place.
1t steeled these men. Many of them
contracted the undertaker's point OF
view towards life, fatalism without
fear.
Experience In battle taught them
the meaning Of the word force. !"
They discovered that the individual
was only important and efficient when
he acted in concert with great group.
Everything depended upon team work.
Men learned that group of men
working in harmony, with nerve and
rifles with fixed bayonets, could do
wonderful things. They could take an
objective. In other words, take the
thing they wanted and needed. When
these men came back into civil life
and took off khaki and put on over
alls, the taking off of the khaki and
the putting on Of mufti did not erase
from their minds this lesson the war
had taught them.
This lesson has borne fruit. The
men. look at the employer as an en-
emy. The employer thinks of them
as commodity. Hatred is cordial.
The men want something. They de-
mand it. The employer refuses.
Their objective is to get the thing
they want and need. The war taught
| them there Is way, weapon-Force.
/
4 Today in Europe men reason, IF we
can't get what we want, and need, we
! must take 1t. We have the force" !"
Having grown habited to suffering, ac-
customed to blood and death, they
| look with Indifference on the question
! Of danger, Of price. They saw that
when nations could not agree they re-
sorted to force. They discovered that
| victory generally went to the nation
possessing the greatest force.
Threat Of "Direct Action"
| In the labor movement of Europe
| we have this idea In what Is called
"direct action" "Direct action" Is
nothing more or less than applying
| war methods to peace conditions. It
is an effort on the part of great groups
of working men to compel recognition
of their demands. They seek to Sc.
cure their objective by force. No al.
| lowance is made for the fact that
methods justifiable in war are moi
right in peace. Few people will deny
that war is the supreme expression
of force.
Many men got their first taste Of
fresh air and decent food while IN the
| army. Very properly the allied gov
ernments gave the best OF everything
to the men in the armies. It isn't diff
cult to get accustomed to good foot
and fresh air; it is hard to go bacl
| to poor food and the tenements. Baci
home, many of the demobilized so!
diers are not eating as well or a.
much as they ate during their service
Notwithstanding the rigid discipline
OF army life, men are treated as men
/ The humblest man In the ranks ha'
rights that must be respected. Thi
is not always the case in civil life
Then, too, while in uniform the pri
vate was made much Of. Glass dis
tinction was obliterated. He wa
looked upon as one Of his country
defenders. Since he has been demobi
4 lized he has been forgotten and neg
lected. This has soured him. He re
sents 1t. Social distinctions hav
come back. He is only a working maj
now.
Another cause of unrest among tn
working man Of Europe grows out
the war. Mobilization took million
OF men from their jobs. A great short
age Of labor resulted. Employer
were forced to compete to get mer
The usual competition was anon
men to get jobs. The law OF suppl
and demand affected the labor marke'
wages went up. The soldier went o.
to war. While he was in the trenche
the wages back home we're high. III
pay was small. Our 1ghting me
were not interested In pay. The
went to fight for principle
with the coming Of pence larg
quantity OF labor was dumped upo
the market. The demobiiized me
rushed for employment. Comrade
competed for Jobs The same old In
OF supply and demand sent wages +
borganinc. The number Of men VII
wanted Jobs wa@ much greater tea1
| the number Of places ayailable: So
returning soldier seeking job, W
offered q much smaller wage than 4
knew was paid Tor the same wos'
while he had been hghtin& & y
censed him. Ie figured that he ha'
given four years ont of his he, Az
come hof1e Tired and brolEe He lool
ca ppon the decline III Me1es a.
posItve dlacrl1alnat ati0h aeaInzt m.