men who have
attained good positions in civil life, who have said to this man "Go!"
and he goeth, and to that man "Come!" and he cometh, is to find their
positions reversed and to be under the orders of a corporal or
sergeant with a touch of the bully about him, happy to dominate men
more educated and more intelligent than himself. I can quote an
example of an aristocrat who, in spite of his splendid chateau in the
country, was mobilized as a simple soldat.

At the barracks this gentleman found that his corporal was a labourer
in the village where the old chateau stands. In order to amuse himself
the corporal made M. le Chatelain do all the dirtiest jobs, such as
sweeping the rooms, cleaning the staircases and the lavatories. At
the same barracks were a number of priests, including an archipretre,
who was about to become a bishop. Even the most ferocious anti-
clericals in the caserne had to acknowledge that these men were
excellent soldiers and good comrades. They submitted to all
inconveniences, did any task as though it were a religious duty, and
submitted to the rough life among men of foul speech with a
wonderful resignation. But that did not save them from the tyranny of
a sous-officier, who called them the hardest names his tongue could
find when they made any faux pas in their barrack drill, and swore as
terribly as those in Flanders when they did not obey his commands
with the lightning rapidity of soldiers who have nothing more to learn.

These cases could be multiplied by hundreds of thousands, and for
men of refinement there was a long torture in their barracks when
there was no mental satisfaction in useful work for France. Yet their
sacrifice has not been in vain perhaps. "They serve who only stand
and wait," and they proved by their submission to the system a loyalty
and a patriotism equal to those who went into the trenches. They, too,
who know what war means--for war is not only at the front--will come
back with a deep-rooted hatred of militarism which will make it more
difficult in future for politicians who breathe out fire and slaughter and
urge a people to take up arms for any other cause than that of self-
defence.

19

It is curious how long the song of La Marseillaise has held its power. It
has been like a leit-motif through all the drama of this war in France,
through the spirit of the French people waiting patiently for victory,
hiding their tears for the dead, consoling their wounded