MORALS OF TROOPS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 February 1918, Page 7

MORALS OF TROOPS.

AMERICAN 'SOLDIERS AN J. PARIS TEMPTATIONS DISEASE THE GREATEST DANCER. Paris is like an American city to-day 'vrites Norman Hapgood from Paris to the New York Evening Post). Those who are used to it in peace times would find it strange. In spite of the numbers of Canadians, Australians, British, Belgians, and Russians, the Americans have of late become so numerous as to determine the appearance of the city in its central portion It is a series of surprises, the experience an American has in meetings on the street with the men lie had known and never dreamed of seeing on this side of the water In the main it is an inspiring experience. It means that these men, while the younger ones are training for the field, have given up work and family to come here for one part or another of the useful, necessary labor of organisation and supply behind the lines. But it is not all so comforting. There is a considerable amount of distress caused among Americans of responsible character by tile conspieuousness of the dissipation of the minority. That it is a small minority needs no argument, but it is enough to do harm. And coming at a moment ivhen there is a feeling that we have perhaps talked a little too much about our preparations, about what .we are about to do, this kind of conduct is a serious injury to us. Unhappily five hundred men of that type can make a more sharp impression in a city than five thousand of'the solid, generous and constructive workers. ANOTHER SIDE OF THE CASE This looseness in Paris connects itself with the same problem in every town in France where there are American troops to-day, and with the far larger number of towns in 'which' there will be troops before next spring. The morals acquired by the troops while they are over here have a bearing not only on how much we contribute to the defeat of Germany, but ah,o on the extent to which we shall have given any reality to our talk about fighting for civilisation. A Frenchman said to me the other day: "If somebody after the war should make a collection of all the different forms of bunk talked in all countries about, motives, it would require very many volumes.'' Let us suppose there are a million young Americans in France when the war ends. They come over good average boys. Only a small minority of them have the fixed habit of commercialised vice. Suppose when they return to the States a majority of them have acquired that habit, and introduce it among their friends in their towns and villages. How much will they have done, on the wb'ole, for civilisation? The spread of venereal disease since the war begin luis been one of the most horrible aspects. There is a certain ultimate danger, even in the success which the army achieves in controlling the diseases. ' That is to say, if a soldier reports promptly his need of preventive treatment, the chances are high that he will escape. But what of the habit he has formed? When he gets back to his American town there won't be any expert medical centre for him to run to at once and 'be saved. Men train for so slight an affair as a college boat race. They oug'ht to deem themselves in the strictest training for the whole time, of their service abroad. Ceneral Pershing, after a full talk on this subject, said to me: "Although the practical side of protecting our' men from danger incident to careless conduct must be taken into account, the moral side is also extremely important and cannot be too much emphasised."

THE SOLDIER'S DUTY.

To the tusk of controlling this danger there are many aspects. Part of it haft to 1)0 carried out in America and part in Europe. From the reports that cross the ocean. T imagine that the War Department is interested in the subject, and understands its gravity. Tf the hoys in every training camp in the United States understand before thev sail where their duty lies, much will be gained. Once set the right ideal accepted, and the rest of the problem is merely the suitable employment of leisure. With this question of leisure the Young Men's Christian Association is wrestling intelligently. The Association has accomplished so much in the British Army that our association has much valuab'.' 1 experience to guide it. j\Toving pictures are of the highest importance. As an ideal there ought to he an opportunity for any soidier to see nu interesting film wherever he has time on his hands. The great "lints." with the singing and social life of ali kinds, are the centre of the eflort. Tn Paris at the present moment wellknown men are being organised into groups and sent to the camps to give talks on topics that will interest the boys, and at. the same time will tend to keep them rightly oriented. It is hoped to have as many well-known and interesting doctors aa possible on the list of speakers. Negotiations are now on for the utilisation of the teachers in the sclioolx of the villages in wWeli our soldiers arc quartered, so that any soldier who wishes to use his leisure in acquiring French can do ao. I Two of the steps being taken have to do with introducing the right kind of feminine influence, which is undoubtedly a necessary part of the creation of ■i wholesome atmosphere and spiritual standards. One is to bring in a number of intelligent and experienced French women to look after the French girls in thn villages, and prevent their becoming demoralised bv the new and unnatural conditions. The other is already successfully begun. Tt. is to have canteens in charge of attractive American women, (veil-balanced, but charming, usually ■about thirty to thirty-five venrs old, selected for their fitness to give the boy« a -pleasant social time, while at the same time exercising on them unobtrusively the best kind of influence. Tn a way the work will become rapidly more difficult because the numbers to lv reached will soon be so very much lareerthnn thev are at present. Tn so far as the effort to nmke lcir-mv interesting succeeds, there will he made possible the fundamental reform of keening the soldics awav from Paris, unless Indeed they have such associations and interests there that tlw'y can take their leaves of absene o in the great, city without injury to "themselves Tf it turns out to he possible to have .he boys enjov themselves elsewhere .1 big stop ahead will have been taken. pt<ow.km nr or-rt at?a(v T/KVirci?^ T.oavos of absence. l 'permission?." a--they »ve called,. ri«ht'y mangel.

at tlii> very r»oi of mora!-' Same of tlic iMdich put tlifDi iiii'.a;) of i'ny other consideration. The J-'reneh ideal is to have the soldier his permission witi' Lis fiiinil.y, ;'iui tlic Bi'iiish, for that pail of tlic nruv Unit come- from England, Scotland, Walt's, and Ire'.tuid, arc able to follow tlic >,anie plan. Probably the principal reason that in matters of morale there lias been much more trouble witli the < "ana ;l:ans and Auslritliana than with the rest .if tiie British Army, is due i.:> the distance of their homes At. the Americans have not the home to rely on, the aim must be to avoid the 'big cities and io make the villages and the country where they are "itwated good places to live in. Tlic Germans have been drastic in this respect, as in all others, and it would he stupid not io recognise the value of their discipline. It may he said, and said with some jin •tice, that there 'has been much brutality in their treatment of women in the' occupied districts, and that they by 110 means encourage the ideai toward which the best American opinion is working—the ideal of fundamental chivalry and consideration. Nevertheless they have .no intention of reducing their efficiency by dissipation. They may la.ek spirituality, but they lack neither discipline nor science. Their soldiers, therefore, do not get venereal disease. In France the Allied troops are endangered not only liy the loose women who live in any village, but by otheis who go there after the arrival .of the soldiers. The Germans, on the contrary, as soon as they occupy a town or village, send away all the women whom tficy find to be "dangerous" Let me stop a moment for an analogy from another field, that of commercial efficiency. Immediately after the war the trade of a vast nation is to be competed for by England, the United States, Germany, and other countries. France has a few hundred persons learning Russian,at the present moment. Germany has several thousand women alone learning the language at this time. They are selected for their youth, energy, and attractiveness. Russian prisoners are compelled to give them lessons. Attractive, descriptive catalogues of German gods are already being prepared in the Russian language. German travelling men may not be popular in Russia just after the war, so these thousands of well-taught young women will be 'hurried in as travelling talesmen to capture the markets.