Life — October 25, 1917 — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Bayonet Drill M*v0R REGINALD BARLOW of the Three Hundred and Second Infantry is instructing officers at the big New England camp at Ayer. The New York Evening Post lately quoted with strong disapprobation his remarks to young officers to whom he is imparting bayonet drill, as reported by the correspondent of the Boston Journal. The Major, in reply, expostulated somewhat violently with the Post, and declared that the Journal man was a liar, and the Post the same, and that his daily exhortation to his student officers was not what the Journal said, but ran as follows: We've got to teach these men to be mean; they must look mean, act mean, because they are going against a dirty enemy, an enemy that recognizes no sportsmanship, but who uses every means in his power to kill—in order to combat that spirit we've got to make our men just a little bit more proficient in the art of killing than they are, we've got to put the spirit of kill in our men, and so put the fear of Christ in the Germans. The Major seems a zealous officer, and his instructions seem actuated by a purpose that, in the main, is sound. But his theology is faulty. It is not the fear of Christ that it is desirable to put into the Germans, but the fear of God. Christ personifies benevolence and mercy. It is not Christ who says, “Vengeance is mine!" Quite the contrary. Make it “fear of God,” Major. As for getting a homicidal ardor into men who are to be employed in killing Germans, it is an unwelcome duty, proper to the task in view. Killing Germans, especially by the bayonet, is a dirty job that has been forced on the Allies by Prussian ambition, and cannot be shirked. We would not have our soldiers shirk it. Neither would we have them go about it without proper training and instruc- tion. Killing German soldiers helps to end the war, but to be killed by them merely lengthens it. Major Barlow is working, according to his lights, to end the war. Probably his work is good, but to our mind his exhorta- tion is not up to that of the British drill sergeant training young American lieutenants in France, whom Reuters cor- respondent quotes as saying: Ready, gentlemen. Prepare for trench bayonet prac- tice by half sections. You're to take these three lines of trenches, lay out every boche in the lot and then get to cover and fire six rounds at them ‘ere tin ‘ats. Don't waste a shot, gentlemen; every bullet a boche. Now then, ready. Over the top and give ‘em ‘ell right in the stomach, Fritz likes his victuals, but not that sort. Get at ‘em. And again: Now remember, gentlemen, there's a Fritz in each of these ‘ere cubby ‘oles, and 'e’s no dub, is Fritz. ‘E's got ears all down his back. We taught ‘em that trick; so see that your feet are pneumatic, and for ‘eaven’s sake don’t sneeze, or his nibs will sling you a bomb like winkin’, and there'll be a nasty mess. Keep in mind you're fighting for your life. Clean and quiet killin’ is the word. “Clean and quiet killin’” seems a better formula for SAE THE FIRST HALLOWEEN training young officers than Major Barlow's “We must teach these men to be mean.” But that is only one more illustration of the value of a sense of humor, not only in the transactions of life, but of death. Come Across! TT eoany is out for campaign funds to elect Hylan mayor of New York. The funds will be forthcoming. Under Mayor Mitchel and his police administra- tion times have been rather strenuous for the underworld, but its members can al- & ny ways scrape up money when there Ape) is a prospect of a Tammany ad- PRES ministration and a Tammany po- POARS Ol lice force. Now is the time to subscribe, ladies and gentlemen. The Nature Faker ISS SORGHUM: Isn't Mrs. Roxton pretty! She seems to be growing younger every day. Mrs. Otpmynx: Yes, indeed; she is one of our most successful camoufleurs. ATERLOO was won on the playing fields of Eton, and history will record that Germany was beaten on the back lots of America. comichookseara] es Oe ~———me