Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-07-21
YOUTH AND WAR
BY Frederic .. Ilaskin.

Washington. July 21.---Whst will
tho young people OF today think
about war when their time comes TO
hold the reins Of government This
is a question 10 which some OF the
peace societies are giving special at
tention.
II ia dlscoursginR TO attempt TO alter
the traditions Of ruling generation
the graybenrds. and the firm awcd.
safety-first, middle-aged men. But
the younger generation--whst IDEAS
Of warfare will It form from It's school
books and what will be It's impressions
of tho European War, and the con-
fusIng talk Of peace and preparednessY
Peace advocates hope for great things
from the students OF today.
School books are being discussed as
particularly strong influence for or
against war. There liz some debate as
TO whether school history books have
not been largely responsible for max
Ing war seem romantic. General John
+. Organ. commander Of the Twenty
seventh Division. a. II. r., believes
that our school histories should be re-
| written.
II think" he says. that can trace
my own military career TO Barnes
| history, with one particularly inspir-
| ing picture Of Phil Sheridan waving
his hat and yelling: Turn boys. turn
| We are going backr"
General Organ suggests that our
conception Of patriotism should be re
vised America has peace heroes
aplenty," he says, "and their careers
can be made just as inspiring al
those Of our warriors"
There ia no question that patriotism
and fighting have been almost synony
NOUS in the minds Of school children
And tho school history. with IT'S anec
I6otes Of thrilling hand-to-hand en-
counters, and it's pictures OF whit
horses cavorting about battlefield
has portrayed war az exciting spor'
The economic results Of conquest an
the pestilence and death side OF war
fare were hurried over by tho schoc
historians as being beyond the chill
dren's grasp, or too depressing.
Modern War Not SO Attractive.
Until lately the possible conss
quences Of presenting the coiorful sid
Of war have not seemed 50 seriou
War had not been made efficien
, wholesale slaughter. But with tn
Hast war the galloping hero was di'
mounted by efficiency experts an
made a cog In an enormous rnachin
t, Science produced more ways Of KILN
md manning men than Caesar
Napoleon ever dreamed Of. And Il
future wars we have the prospect
Lswisite gas, invisible, odorless. b'
= so deadly that a singIs air raid won
= consume a city. General Tasker
T. Bliss Is responsible for the staterne
y that an air raid with this gas won
= have wiped out the whole first Amer
can Army Of 100000 men.
= Decidedly. war isn't what Il used
o be. It is small wonder that peace a
!. vocates are suggesting that the graz
q mar school historians play up b
n Franklin, Columbus. Henry Ford al
n other famous folk whose claims
q foms do not rest on their Eighth
abilities.
l. Farther along IN the school syste
: tho student gets economics and
;. may learn something OF how and W,
% the people OF g. nation pay for gre
- social disturbances He may lea
!, that wars OF conquest are arranged
:. men in power and fought and pa
- for by the everyday citizens. But {
=" little grammar school history bot
with its dashiug heroes In unifoI
II may have colored the whole lie
ls the boy by that time.
VI . III
u tegins 10 form conscious opinic
ST about the ethics and necessity for VI
fare. In this country there has bt
Mt no striking outburst Of youth sill
re- the war comparable to that in @