16
THE CADUCEUS.
UNDER THE CROSS AND TRIANGLE
Private GEORGE RYDER
TALIESIN W. DAVIES, Y. M. C. A. Secretary
SABBATH AND SOLDIER
SUNDAY should HAVE GREAT
EFFECT ON MORALE.
No doubt the Puritans were wrong
in their interpretation of the Sabbath
and so were the Pharisees. The Phar
isees were concerned with an institu
tion; the Puritans, with a doctrinal
God. The Pharisaic emphasis was up
on the ceremonial; the Puritan inter
ests were theological.
To day we are more concerned with
man; we are humanitarian in our ten
dencies. To the Pharisee the fourth
commandment. “Remember the Sab
bath Day , to keep it holy,” seemed dis
tinctly to invite exalation of the Day.
To the Puritan the sovereignity of God
in all things was the fundamental dog
ma, and all things were imperfect
by this praticular dogma.
But in Je.sus’ discussion of the Sab
bath the emphasis is placed upon the
human side of things: “The Sabbath
was made for man, and not man for
the Sabbath.”
It would seem that the Lord’s Day
might be of much significance to the
soldier from the viewpoint of morale.
Morale has physical, mental, moral
and religious sources, and the Sab
bath can minister to the soldier along
all these lines. History has conclusive
ly proved the need of one day’s rest
in seven. The failure of Prance to
change the proportion of rest days to
working days is- well known.
Th bearing of a fit physical condi
tion upon the soldier’s life is so ob
vious that it need not be dwelt upon.
Sunday furnishes an opportunity for
the soldier to feed his mind in pas
tures new. A man should not allow his
mind' to run to seed because he is in
the army. A great aid to morale is for
the soldier to be utterly in sympathy
with the cause for which he is fight
ing. Some reading in history and dip
lomacy becomes necessary. The mass
es of the soldiers turn to the “love
story,’’ but surely morale can be weak
ened by over-doses of the romantic
novelists. Too much stress upon the
war or upon the life left will be un
fortunate. A scientific study or some
philosophy will be an antidote lor
some; but for the majority humor will
be best. Butler’s “Pigs Is Pigs,” Tark-
ington’s “Seventeen,” or a volume of
Mark Twain, are invaluable in the
maintainence of morale.
Religion has a vital place in the
making of the ideal soldier. There
were never any better fighters than
Cromwell’s psalm-singing and playing
men. It is not alone the religious sol
dier’s belief in a future life that gives
him the advantage, though that does
give poise and purpose to the soldier;
but the feeling that one is allied with
the great forces that make for right
eousness in the universe and the con
viction that these forces are not im
personal but have their being in a
Supreme One, gives . stoutness and
steadiness to a man.
The Sabbath Day gives to the sol
dier an opportunity to cultivate in
quietness his grip upon these great,
invisible, spiritual forces and their
Controller. The greater one’s confi
dence in this Spiritual Person and in
hiS'power, the better the soldier’s mo
rale. One can fight and one can die
for a person much better than for a
set of ideas or a philosophical state
ment. To be in touch with the Ai-
mighty God whose purposes are work
ing out in our universe, Js the privi-
h:ge that the Sabbath offers. One can
do this any day. but not quite so
easily as on the Sabbath; and one can
do it alone to a certain extent; but,
from the viewpoint of espirit de corps,
it is better to wroship God in assem
blies so that many minds shall think
the same great thoughts together and
many hearts feel the same surges of
exalted fervor.
AMUSE K. OF Cs.
REAL ICE WATER.
The government has placed water in
the “Y” building, lor which all the
men are devoutly thankful. One can
not help being thirsty these hot days,
and the fountain in the “Y” will serve
many men. The water comes into the
tank through a pipe which is coiled at
the bottom of the tank and on which
ice is kept. The ice has no contact
with the water itself.
■Y” NOTES.
A very effective government four-
reel moving picture, called “Fit to
Fight,” was exhibited at the “Y” last
week. The detachment men we’-e de
tailed to come and see this picture,
which very vividly sets forth some
well-established principles of living.
VARIED PROGRAM
SONGS AND SWATS MAKE UP
FINE ENTERTAINMENT.
hTe point is that this business of
soldiering is so difficult a thing that
it requires the whole of a man to do
it well. A man who merely gives his
body to the task never amounts to
much; a man who gives his mind also
does get somewhere with it; but only
the man whose whole spiritual nature
is in the process attains the ideal.
And the Sabbath Day furnishes oppor
tunity tor the development and main
tenance of that whole manhood with
out which the soldier will always be
an incomplete soldier.
An entertainment of a pleasing na
ture was given last Tuesday evening
in Building No. 2. Among the fea
tures were solos by Miss Blanch
Manning; a negro mammy recitation
over the ’phone by Miss Rosalie .lones,
both of the city, comedian stunts by
Sergeant Taylor; singing and play
ing by Private Tronclone, tenor solo
by P. P. Sponneli, and a bass solo
by H. Ruff.
One of tne most enjoyable and va
ried stunt night programs yet given
at the base hospital Y. M. C. A.
building was staged Tuesday night.
Athletics, the singing of solos, and a
number of monologs were included in
the program. “Elder Cobu” Gray, of
the Y. M. o. A., than whom there is
no better entertainer at the camp, led
off with an address on "Do Married
Men Make the Best Husbands "
provoked a storm of applause. This
was followed by a number of humor
ous songs by Mr. Gray, who is the
social secretary of the army Y. M. v
A. at Camp Greene.
Severfal boxing and wrestling bouts
followed, all which were followed
with interest. Private Clarence Kre-
mer, of the base hospital, boxed tor
two rounds with Corporal Arthur Bch-
weher. The next event was a wrest
ling bout between Sergt. Hagi and
Private Maranow, both of the base
hospital. Baranow was the heavier
man of the two, but he was highly
entertained by his opponent.
A blind-fold boxing bout between
Private .1. A. Turner and Private Vin
cent Dradi was ridiculous, and the on
lookers were unroariously apprecia
tive. The concluding athletic event
was a boxing bout between Private K
W. Donovan, of the base hospital, and
Semretary A. E. Bergman, of the Y.
M. C. A. This was very fast. No
decision was rendered in these tights.
Private .lack Foster, of the camou
flage company at Camp Greene, sang
a number of solos that were splendid.
Among the selections which he gave
were: “She’s the Lass for Me,” "ti s
Nice to Get Up in the Morning,” and
others. Mr. Gray gave a monologue
and sang a song in conclusion.
opened by program.
An entertainment last ni,ght (Fri
day night) formally opened the base
hospital recreation center of the i
of C. A good program was arranged
and plenty of amusement was provid
ed. A large gathering was present.
Two ambitious soldiers volunteered
to paint the “desk” at the Y. M. C. A.
building. The boys had to work over
time to do this work, as the painting
was done at night after the pro,gram
of the evening was finished. The im
provement in the appearance of the
desk is very marked, and the boys are
to be congratulated lor their fine
spirit.
Private Albert C. Shorkey left the
hospital on Thursday to take up farm
ing for six weeKS. He will be engaged
on his father’s farm in Vermont.