New-York tribune., 1921-11-06

A@~ssNsA ~~~P AsAS <tE Vst kftG SVU - 0fs&&
sliced. The uife got quay to the
II IPL1NG'S lines might apply as well to
A the late war-sThe captains and the
IL ~ kings depart"-fcr the commanding
presence Of the former seems to have
snisted away in peace-time jobs, and the de-
parture of the latter apparently is definite. if
you except the constantly recurring Charley
Hapsburg. You might be inclined to think
that "the tumult and the shouting" too, had
cied away, and that an unearthly quiet had
succeeded the martial clamor, the calm before
the storm of tho coming Conference on Linn
itation of Armament.
But no. a low, ominous rumbling has been
The undertonc of the warris-over stiffness all
the while. Even in this now peaceful country,
out in tho wings Of the theater Of war, supers
have been furnishing the tenal background
for mob scene. To many of us it has been
inaudible; in fact, it wouldn't have been heard
at all if it had not been for the publication of
the novel by John Dos Passos "Three Sol
diers." Now. we know that three years or SO
ago there was a hoarse. throaty murmuring
of such magnitude and virulence that it could
not possibly have died down as yet, 1t was
it is-tfc great, old army crouch.
Careless of us not to have noted it, especially
since it is nothing new, but as cid as war itself,
1t has gone reyerberating down the ages,
wing with the squawk of the cenches, the
crack of the catapuits and the roaring Of the
cannon. The fighting, the food. the duties
and the discomforts, all have been targets OF
the crouch military, and in many Of the de-
tails of these kick, as the saying is, has
been coming. But the crouch subsidized, it had
been believed, with the signing of treaties or
the completion Of denlobilization. Not So It's
all been cumulative. legacy Of martial pess-
lnisn handed down from generation to gener~
alton to detonate in Mr.. Dos Passoss book with
a terrific explosion of--lmpolite, but expires
ssye ord-bellyaching.
The complaints of generals on one thing
to time in the public prints, but those of the
buck private barely have broken ranks, or
at best have been forced to be content with
small and sympathetic hearing in the family
circle The heroes of "Three Soldiers" and
all the rest of the rank and file with speak
ing part in the book wandered through an
endless slough of despond from start to finish
without gain or glory and nothing to do about
the mud but sling it. Nor were their ohjec-
tions poetic after the manner of the Light
Brigade, who were quoted as remarking sad
ly that some one had blundered.
One with the skill of Mr.. H, G. Wells in
reading the "record of the rocks might
translate therefrom the obscure kilograms
scratched by the clumsy hand of the Neander
thai man in protest against the headmans
latest expedition against q neighboring tribe
to lay in new supply of head wives,
what do we get out Of this?" the reluc-
tant warrior must have queried pictorially.
Probably sharp stone through about three
inches Of my four-inch skull and some dental
impressions Ia my neck. Here We have
hike Of three moons ahead Of US through
country infested by the most ferocous Of
dipledocuses. and then q tough argument
with tribe on . subject that means nothing
at al in nay life. If were to rate an extra
spouse or SO out of 1t, I'd show Soma snthu-
siaauA But not when the net proceeds Of
shss expedition 50 to old Dogtooth and the
other headmen.
'"The old man has too many wives as it is
more than he can shake club at. The last
time saw him do any wooing, he was away
Off on his swing. Didn't keep his eye on the
wife. and when he came around with his club
he sliced. Tho wife got away to the rough
and they never did find her. Rlams this
army life, anyway
Mr.. Homer, Greek gentleman who wrote