WAR SPIRIT IN AMERICA.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14869, 18 September 1918, Page 3 (Supplement)

WAR SPIRIT IN AMERICA.

SUPREME CONFIDENCE IN

VICTOR*"

VALIANT PATRIOTIC EFFORTS. (Specially written for "The Colonist" by C. L. 0. Smith.) - (From "The- Colonist," Sept. 6th.) One mv.st bo right in America to fully realise the immensity of effort, the determination of resolve, the supreme confidence in the nation's capacity, and under it-all a sober realisation of the imperative necessity to win the war. Yes, and once here one sees that the game as as good as won. It is probably no exaggeration to say that most ■ colonials land in America just a we© bit prejudiced against the general outlook in the States, an outlook which always contains "U.S.A." in bold" capitals. Being here, however, and getting a clearer idea of the American temperament and character makes the confidence of fhe people in themselves a very minor matter of complaint. My first admission to my challenging prejudice was that the Republic surely must be in this war right down, to the uttermost dime. The streets were teeming with soldiers—and soldiers (I can't help saying it) having the neatest uniform 1 have yet seen amongst the belligerents. The French have the most striking uniform, the Australians and New Zealanders the most solid and serviceable, the British Tommy qr.,ite the worst, and the Americans the neatest. All the infantry wear slouch hats, close fitting tunics, riding breeches, and canv,as leggings. The men themselves- are.-a most prepossessing body, just like the "old originals'' we sent away from the colonies. They are a lighter type than the New Zealanders not so powerful in the knee, thigh and shoulder—but wiry like the boys from the other side of the Tasman. Contrary •, to all my expectations, there was an absence of vain-glory about the people and the soldiers. Win —certainly they were going to win. Their confidence knows no bounds. But there is no tendency towards the idea that the Germans will collapse as soon as the boys from the U.S.A. get into holts with them. They appreciate the fact that they are just getting under weigh, that a long and hard struggle confronts them, and that the men who have carried on the heavy battling of the last four years havo not a great deal to be taught in the art of making war and carrying on. The "average 'American—l ignore of course the exceptions we have in every midst—candidly acknowledges the fact that he has .a great deal to learn in. the art of bloodletting and destruction, but his fixed notion is that once he has learned it there are no troops that can beat the "Sammies" in putting it into practice. Really they are jolly smart boys, and j one can't watch their bearing and their! drill without a feeling of satisfaction! that they are with us. .. I

The discipline amongst the States' troops is stricter' thanwoukl naturally Tje expected in so democratic a country. There is none of the freedom between officers and men we so often encounter in the colonies, and which, suiting our temperament, makes for good soldiering in the field. Thers are obviously more nrivates than ■officers to be seen hen-, driving expensive automobiles, occupyylg Tboxes at the theatre, and dining in ;£he best hotels, but nevertheless the punctilious recognition of rank is very noticeable. The methods of inculcating discipline are in keeping with the thoroughness with which the States enters' the. conflict. The conscientious objector occupies no part in the national landscape. ' His portion is an inexorable 21 years' hard" labour, without the option of changing his mind. Last week in one of the Southern States two coloured soldiers molested a girl. ' Next day, after a court-martial, in the pre- | sence of ten thousand men drawn .up i in. parade order these men were_ duly hanged in public as an example t6 those !of similar inclinations. Naturally the methods have a salutary result, and orimo amongst the soldiers is rare. The entire army is teetotal. The "severest penalties await any indiscretion in the^way of giving a man v. Uniform any intoxicant at all. I have never seen a soldier drunk in those parts. The war laws governing the people are equally strict. Whcatless days in the midst of glorious harvests were rigorously observed. To economise when dearth surrounds: everybody, as

in England, is natural, but economy in the midst of plenty for England's? and France's sake surely calls tor our approbation. I was told by one of the managers of a large wholesale warehouse, Balfour, Guthrie and Co. (a Scotch, firm), that the Eastern States senf'all their wheat to Europe, the West'sent all it had to the East, and the West lived en what it imported from .Australia. Another phaso of t!u> national discipline is tho prevention of 'empty and ignorant charges against the army or the nation's efforts. In Los Angeles recently -men who thought to question tho behavour of certain nurses in France were arrested with commendable expedition and dumped in gaol as enemy propagandists; If you have nothing- good to say, keep quiet here^ .because if you open , your mouth..in ■captious '.■criticism or ■. obloquy any staunch American will -immediately lay r 'ism'; inforniiatioh with ; the..police, i and "thjHl ifc^g^the gaol' or: the \iriternmoht eSnfp'fo*r-you. ■■'... :■•■.■• ■ The development of., a sound public spirit, as well as the development of organisations for the raising of funds, is undertaken with remarkable minuteness. Every such movement is termed a drive, and nothing could be more aptly descriptive. When collecting for the. Red Cross the country is parcelled off into areas. Each ax-ea has a director, each director a capable staff, each staff an army Gf trained shock troops— mostly women. There is no escape; the money is necessary; it must be obtained, and the collectors will stop at nothing short of turning a prospective y,ietim ugside down and shaking his specie out of his very pockets. The campaigns are conducted -with a feverish excitement, a- display of the national flag, parades of troops, newspaper propaganda, meetings, stump speehes and a general "go for your life atmosphere" which Avould leave an Englishman, in pained surprise, but which does the trick over here, and does it thoroughly. .

At present the nation is in the throes of a war savings-stamp drive in-the interest of the Red Cross. This is a scheme for raising money amongst the working people, a scheme the sucres? of which I have never seen equalled. The stamps were issued in January at 4 dollars 12 cents each. They increase in value at the rate of one cent. ; a month. In January, 1923, they are redeemable at 5 dollars—which, is equivalent to 4 per cent, compound interest on the. original purchase. The poorest people can lend their money to the Government by this means, and can, if they require the capital, obtain it withthe interest due on giving ten days' notice to the local post office. Prncticallv the whole country is giving the surplus of its earnings over its expenses to the Government in this way. I am writing from a big lumber rentre^ wherein aro found all nationalities— Poles, Finns, Austrians, Italians, Portuenese. tmd even Germans. Such is public' feelieng that practically every one of these men takes war saving? stamps every month.

As I say, everything the nation does is chaiacfceiised by thoroughness—even, to the lynchings. President Wilson, found occasion recently to speak very firmly on the subject of mob action. In certain Southern States it had become the custom to set off duly authenticated ' cases of atrocities on American troops by reprisals on Germans of known Fatherland leanings. Masked bands cultivated the habit or waiting on such on moonlight nights and festooning them to convenient trees. A reprehensible habit certainly, but indicative of the feelings of tho people in the States towards the disciples of kultur. Finally the feeling in America may t be summed up as one of supreme con- * fidence, but mti "cock-sareness." Thero is a profound admiration and veneration of France, a fast growing goodwill and respect for England, and cordial acknowledgment clr what Britannia has done for the Allies. President Wilson has the nation at his back. The menace of the enemy alien has been absolutely swamped by the tidal'wave of patriotism,, which is-strong enough to engender the conviction that even if the impossible happened and her Allies were, destroyed, America would' still fight implacably on with a sublime confidence in her ability to destroy the enemy of democracy. , ' *