Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-03-27
Virtue 10 according to natures vices
are hsst.le and daneerous.-3snsea.
NEED OF APPLIED COURAGE


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NEED OF APPLIED COURAGE
Among the "reminiscences Of the
World War Is that Of French troops
passing through the square Of a lit
tie town that was being shelled by
the Germans. The latter had the
range on the square, which SO be-
came the hottest place in town and
the soldiers endeavored to go around
II. Thereupon a TAT French general
seated himself in the middle of the
square unconcernedly as though
shells were not bursting round
about. The passing soldiers with
whom he joked as they went by kept
formation without wavering.
This 10 but an instance of applied
psychology. We all are susceptible
to psychological disturbance. There
are waves of crime and waves of
peniterce, waves of confidence and
waves OF depression affecting US In
all the walks of life. In times like
these there is a wide choice how
ever, between the calm. courageous.
patient leader, and the embittered,
rancorous child Of discomfort. whose
morbid egotism finds strange delight
In the yell Of the mob.
Washington, and indirectly as
well as directly the whole country,
10 undergoing psychological dis
turbance. A wave Of bewilderment
is affecting us. The cause has its
roots in something very unlike love
Of country. welfare OF people, and
the like. Disaster accompanies 1t,
lack OF confidence in public men, in
our form of government, exultation
among those who are seeking to
overthrow it. chortling among the
rnadly ambitious who would ride the
wave to power, reckless of conse-
qiences to the country.
Calm in the midst Of the fire of
the mud shells is q man, the Presi-
dent Of the United States, COM
mander- in chief, but what about the
leaders Of the battalions and COM
panies. how are they conducting
themselves under fire? To date the
answer is not satisfactory.
McLean's paper, the Washington
Post. expresses a very poor opinion
OF Congress. 1t Is popular to do
that at the present time. and there's
reason. 1t would, however, be very
unwise to accept conclusions that
all In Congress are towards, that all
arb thinking solely OF reelection and
playing politics. that all are bereft
OF moral backbone Also there may
be political astuteness in paying
out the rope freely in the expecta-
tion the trouble makers will hang
themselves. that eventually the wind
OF denunciation will blow itself out.
Likewise the Washington Post
should be reminded that lying,
whatever the pretext, added ire
mendously to the disturbance.
The French officer who calmly
took his seat under fire had courage
and vision. He saw that his life
was not as important in the scheme
of things as he understood it, as
WIS the morale of the troops. How
many of the political leaders in Con
gress have the conviction that their
political lives are Of little conse-
quence compared with tho morale
and the good name Of this great
country and its hundred and ten
million people, most of whom are
honest and many Of whom in the
war days when public morale was
high made sacrifices? They cannot
avoid this question.
Desire to play politics is no ex.
cuse for playing the coward by the
man who has been placed on guard
duty. And were it so 1t has gone a
glimmering. Insofar as this de-
plorabie situation affects political
parties 1t affects both the Demo-
cratic and the Republican party.
Though at first denied it now is
admitted that the leasing policy was
begun under n Democratic adminis-
Doheny has been prominent
and was at that time in the councils
OF the Democratic party. Even so,
1t Is now declared thai he did not
ask for this lease. that the oil con-
tract was negotiated by DENLY and
Admiral Robson, believing 1t to the
advantage of the country to do it.
surely 1t is time to quit mudslinging
ana bespattering a decent country;
It Is time to sIft the facts from the
mass Of irrelevant and often
gossip. time to stop bay
ing the moon over communications.
kilograms wholly innocent of wrong,
and the like. which could have been
completely and satisfactorily ex-
without any hullabaloo, time
to quit cavorting like wild asses
fed on thistles and braying revela-
tiof, of asininity,
We do not assume that courage,
sense of duty are alto
gsther absent in Congress, but It is
isish time some Of It was applied to
the Job Of cleaning up. There
should be a real thorough job of
tlssAins. too.
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