The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1943-06-11
WNU Service, Union Trust Building,
Washington, ID. C.


Washington, ID. G.
What's the greatest hazard your
boy must meet when he joins the
army? Not the weapon of the en-
envy. We know only a very tiny
percentage of those who don the uni
form succumb to that.
It's the mental hazard.
Take it from man who met it
and who, since, has read the alarm
ing figures which show the wars
(any war's) mental casualties.
And to meet that mental hazard
you need just one thing-mental
health.
Let me quote few words on the
subject of morale from one of the
books which the army and the navy
and the wise ones in other profess
sions say is a wonderful protection
for the mental health of the boy who
joins the army.
That book is paper bound. It costs
35 cents. 1t is called "Our Armed
Forces" 1t has lot of pictures in
1t and lot of sound sense. 1t is
printed by the presses of the In
fantry Journal, Ills 18th street,
Washington, D. c. It is not sold for
profit.
And here is what it says on the
subject of morale. Gas I say on the
air, "Im quoting"):
morale is an important quality
of citizenship inidhe crises of peace,
when the Internal security Of the ma
ton is threatened. 1t is even more
important in war, when the very ex-
istence of the nation hangs in the
balance. 1t is, therefore, an objec-
tive of army and navy leadership to
build high degree of morale in the
soldier and sailor.
About Habits
THE state Of mind we call morale
has its roots in long-established hab-
its of thinking and acting. A student
seated alone in his room, bent Sc
riously over his books, may be tack
ling his studies with high degree
of morale. He believes what he is
doing is worth while. He is deter
mined to overcome whatever diff
culties the subject matter offers. He
works with self urge. He gives up
the picture show and the ball game
if doing so is necessary for success.
He has confidence in his ability to
acquire the knowledge and skill he
is seeking. In the undertaking of
hundreds of similar duties in the
ordinary routine of living is created
the intangible virtue called morale.
The young man who enters the
armed services may therefore bring
with him the basis for the morale
upon which his success as a soldier
and the ultimate victory Of our ma
ton SO greatly depend.
"While morale has its roots in the
character of the individual and his
past experience, it may be greatly
strengthened by association and
close cooperation with others who
are engaged in the same enterprise.
Morale is contagious. It is a quail
ity easily transmitted from one per-
son to another. The serviceman re-
ceives his uniform. 1t is the symbol
of his dedication. With it he be-
comes part Of the great tradition.
Behind him into history is a long
line of those who have been so dedi-
Gated. The men who walked bare
foot in the snow at Valley Forge.
The Green Mountain boys with
Ethan Allen, laundering at the gates
of Ticonderoga. Calm men in the
gun turrets at Manila Bay. Marines
at Guadalcanal (. i. Chateau Their
ry Tripoli. Helmeted fiiers Of
a torpedo squadron at Midway.
Through the procession of heroes,
still bright as ii recedes into dis
tant time, has been handed down the
great tradition"
Environment
Now when Johnny Doughboy joins
up, he changes his habits Of life as
much as Christopher Columbus
would have to change his if he came
back and took job managing big,
modern corporation, or riding herd
on bunch of long-horns or bossing
section gang. It would be tough
for Chris to adapt himself to his
environment. If he couldn't manage
it, he would probably 60 haywire
and blow his top. The dinosaur and
some of his fellow prehistorics who
couldn't adjust themselves to their
environment retired permanently to
positions in museums. Man, some
men that is, adjusted. They took
the ice age, the floods and the fam
inc in their stride and here they
are ching and ah-ing at the dead