Identifier: porttolisteningp00kerr (find matches)
Title: Port to listening post
Year: 1918 (1910s)
Authors: Kerr, Hugh Thomson, 1871-1950
Subjects: World War, 1914-1918
Publisher: New York, Association press
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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France are notthose of America. Frances attitude toward temper-ance and toward immoral men and women is not ourattitude. When in a port city at which our men landthere are thousands of licensed prostitutes, how couldone who knew these conditions be an idealist? Howcould one blind his eyes to the dangers that lurk inthe way of every American soldier, when he knowsthat wine is the common beverage in France and thattotal abstinence is all but an unknown virtue? Themoral conditions in France are neither black norwhite, and the moral conditions of our American sol-diers are neither black nor white. The Americansoldier is not a saint. He is just a common man. Heis much like other soldiers. He can make the wordsof the British Tommy his own: Our padre, e says Im a sinner,And John Bull says Im a saint,And theyre both of em bound to be liars,For Im neither of em, I aint.Im a man, and a mans a mixtureRight down from is very birth,For part of im comes from heaven,And part of im comes from earth.
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THE SOUND OF THE GUNS 25 Nevertheless, man for man, our soldiers are betterthan they were in civil life, and in integrity and moralpurity they hold the best record of any army on earth.I do not say that they do not drink. I can only testifythat I did not see a drunken American soldier inFrance. I do not say that immorality does not existin the Army. I know that it does. But I do knowthat conditions are better than they were, and I knowthat the moral condition of the men is better thanit was when they entered the Army. The records areopen for all those who wish to read. After careful investigation of the subject I am con-vinced that ours is the cleanest army that the worldhas ever seen. The credit belongs to every one. Itbelongs to the United States Government, which seeksabove all an efficient army. The credit belongs to theofficers in charge, who are more interested in theirmen than any professional investigator can ever be.It belongs greatly to the Y M C A that is doing one ofthe fi

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