WHAT THE SOLDIER THINKS
Sta,—Readers who accept Mr. C. S. Lewis's tasty soothing syrup will be in for a rude awakening. They had better take the harsh medicine of Captain, B.LA." and face the realities of the modern Serviceman's outlook. Shakespeare knew and understood his contemporaries. Mr. Lewis obviously does not. I have been back with the R.A.F. for three years, in an operational command in close contact with aircrews, and it has been an eye-opener to me on the profound change in intellectual quality that has occurred between my generation and the present-day flying men. In my time flying itself required just about as much mental effort as riding a bicycle ; the rudimentary bomb-sights of those days could be mastered by a child of ten ; air-fighting was a matter of guts, marksmanship and luck.
Today, flying a modern aircraft calls for a clear, cool, methodical and highly-trained mind ; and the various purposes for which the aircraft are flown—reconnaisance, bombing, interception and so forth—make heavy demands on intelligence. Yet there are tens of thousands of men who have gone through exacting training courses and simply mopped up knowledge and instruction which we in our tune never had to consider. This remarkable generation from the secondary schools is something entirely new in our national life. It has been taught to think, and now is being compelled to develop its mental capacities at high pressure. Morcver, it must never be forgotten that these young men grew up under the economiz depression. If they were not them- selves actually turned out of school to go on the dole—and many were— they were surrounded through their most impressionable years by famtl'es and friends for whom, apparently, the community had no use. The iron has entered into their soul. Can it be wondered that they have no faith in the competence or honesty of government? They contrast the frustrated and meaningless society of their boyhood with the purposeful organisation of totalitarian countries, which at any rate knew where they were going and set some value on their populations. I don't suggest
these men are Communists or Fascists ; but they will become so, unless those of us who still believe in free democracy show that the system is capable of giving meaning to life and a tolerable life to its citizens. To sentimentalise their deep discontent, as Mr. Lewis does, and pretend they are just rather lovable old grousers who don't mean any harm would be a fatal misunderstanding.—Yours sincerely, Ex-PILOT.
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