LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
WHAT THE SOLDIER THINKS
SIR,—The article by " Captain, B.L.A." in your issue of November 24th makes depressing reading, and one wonders whether sufficient allowance has been made for the British soldier's immemorial privilege of "grousing " about everything in Heaven and earth, past, present and to come. The lugubrious list of fears and suspicions which compose the bulk of the article suggests also that the ordinary grumbling of the British Tommy has been amplified, and perhaps slightly flistortcd, in its passage through the Captain's own loud-speaker, which has, as he admits, a distinct " leftward " bias ; but this is no matter of party politics.
The winning of the Peace is as much a matter of life and death as the winning of the war, and whatever "Captain, B.L.A." and his men may think, the Beveridge plan has not been shelved: we do not mean to lose the peace and precipitate another war ; careful plans are being laid for the resettlement of the fighting men and for giving them a square deal ; and we do mean to profit by the mistakes we made " last time." Being human, we may make others, but at least there is ground for hope that they will not be so gross, or so catastrophic in their effects as the blunders that were made in and after 1919. And when all is said and done, do the armies really think that they will have no obligation or opportunity to help build the world of the future? Is their contribution to be confined to " having a bit of fun when they first get back home "? If so, and if the results are what "Captain, B.L.A." expects, they, equally with us, will be to blame.
And is it really true that our men have lost all faith and hope, all belief in the goodness of God and of human nature ; that they are all tough, hard, cynical and completely disillusioned? I do not believe it is. If it were true, the outlook would be bleak indeed, for without faith and hope they will labour in vain who try to remould the shape of things to come. Constructive criticism is necessary and desirable ; but cynicism and scepticism, complaint and suspicion, born of war-weariness and discomfort, are a disservice to the nation in relation to the difficult period, of resettlement, 'just as much as in relation to the conduct of the war. They are a stumbling-block for the weaker among us, who are all too ready to turn aside from the goal in despair at the difficulty of the road that leads to it.
Rather let " Captain, B.L.A." and others like him turn their influence with their men, and their undoubted talents and leadership, towards encouragement rather than discouragement ; to spreading knowledge of the facts about post-war planning ; and towards instilling the belief that the peace, like the war, must and can be won if only we are, all of uF, soldiers and civilians alike, determined enough to win it.—Yours
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