Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-02-25
By WESTBROOK PEGLER

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By WESTBROOK PEGLER ]
FORT DIX, N. j., Feb. %
Along toward dusk of a bitter
windy day last week a group of
several hundred young civilians
moved along a frozen road par
allel to the railroad siding, carry
ing small satchels and bundles.
Many of them were without
hats and some wore jackets in
stead of overcoats. They were
more a crowd than a military
unit. although they kept ranks
of sort, for they had left
home only that day to join the
army and. in all probability, to
fight in a war against Hitler's
NaZi Germany and possibly
Japan and, before it is over,
against God only knows what
mixed aggregation of young
men of other nationalities and
races.
A soldier in uniform walked
ahead, leading the irregular coll
umn against the biting wind.
and the absence of a band, the
absence even of a flag, en-
phasized the dreariness of their
induction into the army of the
United States as darkness gath
cred over the rows of winterized
tents in which they were to
spend their first night in the
service.
TNHE army was busy with other
L duties and, after all, these
new members were guaranteed
such physical comfort as the
post affords for the others, in
GLIDING shelter under canvas,
which is not as miserable as it
may seem in print. even in cold
weather, an issue of bedding
which now includes a mattress,
and warm evening meal.
After supper they would re-
turn TO their tents, most of
them strangers to one another,
and bed down for the night in
NNl SUI
strange new life. and the next
day they would receive uniforms
and KIT and begin TO learn the
difference between a general and
sergeant.
So il goes, and il has been CO.
ing for many day. not only at
Fort Dix. which lies in bleak
country down toward the Jersey
coast. and the picture of the
struggling civilians walking to-
ward highly probable war was
reminiscent Of those dark and
bitter Communist cartoons OF
the Art Young type Of young
men marching obediently into
the NAV of a monster labeled
capitalist war.
VET this war has been started
by German botshevism at
the signal from Bolshevist
Russia, whose slightest disap-
prevail could have prevented the
horrible attack on Poland. and
the capitalist American nation
only now. worse luck, is begin
ming to make an army TO defend,
not capitalism for its own sake.
but the liberties which exist
only under capitalism. against
the armies of the dictators.
That the free world of capt.
talism r1ightssmelt from under
their feet in the cause of such a
war. whaNwith the cost of arm
ing and fighting and drop them
all into fine savage world OF
Hitler and Stain. is a hooking
possibility.
Should that come to pass. the
survivors would return from
war to existence under a regime
unlnaginably worse than the
discipline of the humane. diff
dent and rather conciliatory
officers of the new American
army.
THE cold, the wind, the gloom
of evening on remote
rural plain combined to stir in
the imagination a sense of dis
elimination against these young
Americans called on TO abandon
their accustomed life while
other men, indistinguishable
from them. including men
scarcely able TO speak the
language of the country. hur-
ried past. bound home from a
days work at high wages, build
ing barracks and warehouses for
the army. !"
To be sure. the first night OF
a young civilian in the army
is always to be one Of loneli-
ness, and the ordeal known as
beast barracks at West Point.
in which the recruits are
taught etiquette and squads
east. is one that graduate Of
ficers always remember with a
strange pride in their own moral
gameness.
And be il said, too. that the
new men, individually, seemed
not at all depressed and made
themselves at home with no
outward symptoms of self
pity.
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