Newspaper Page Text
PAGE FOUR
W MIRRO r >
^w^cadsetuc i j *
M J{
Office* Building 73 Phone 2243
Published Every Thursday by and for the Enlisted Men of the
.Academic Regiment, The Infantry School, Fort Benning. Ga
THURSDAY MARCH 23. 1944
The REGIMENTAL MIRROR receives ('amp Newspaper
Service material Republication of credited matter prohibited
without permission of CNS, 205 E 42 St , N Y C, 17 The
MIRROR is also a member of the Port Benning Press Associa
tion, member newspapers of which are entitled to republication
of any item printed in this paper
COL E P PASSAILAIGUE LT VERNON C HOYT
Commanding Advisor
SGT WALTER MILLER Editor
Cpl Johnston C Woodall Assistant Editor
Pvt June Freed Secretary
Cpl. Bernard Langella Reporter
FIGHTING NAZI PROPAGANDA
IN A DEMOCRATIC ARMY
One of Hitler's main beliefs is the “ease” with which
the “masses of the people can be fooled'” Simply because
he never mentions REASONS and ARGUMENT BY FACT
as weapons in his arsenal must we consider them as coun
ter-weapons to his propaganda. Nazism goes back to that
period when the human race had only feelings and emo
tions and acted only on urges and prejudices. Since reas
oning came later in the development of the human race,
since Hitler wants us to skip that stage, we must realize
that precisely in that sphere of human activity—reason,
discussion, search for the truth—-can we defeat Hitler
“Propaganda.' Hitler wrote in Mein Kainpf, "should
n’t even concern itself with the truth if truth favors the
other side. The mental grasp of the masses is very lim
ited. their understanding slight, their memory short By
propaganda even heaven can be palmed off on a people as
hell, and the most wretched life as paradise ”
Our army orientation program can be the answer, if
we cooperate Chest-beating, primitive dances and super
man chants don’t enter into our orientation periods. In
stead there is the one thing the Hitlerite cannot risk in his
own country and does not want us to have in our country
open discussion leading to independent conclusions on
the war, our enemies and allies. Since Hitler recognizes
that approach as his enemy, we must be prepared, at each
orientation hour every week, to air among our fellow sol
diers all rumors and bits of Nazi propaganda we have
heard or read
For example, let us take the drunk feeling that THE
WAR WILL SOON BE OVER and measure it by Hitler’s
own yardstick:
If Hitler could make us believe his satellites are de
serting him (as he once tried to make us believe he want
ed only peace). . if Hitler could make us believe the war
will be over in 60 or 90 days (as he once tried to convince
us that throwing the Czechs to the wolves meant “peace
in our time”>. then he has made us believe that we can re
lax our pressure and take a national furlough Our men
in training would lose the sense of danger they must pos
sess to learn and apply their grim business; our produc
tion would fall off; we would be caught off-guard, looking
HOMEWARD instead of BERLIN-WARD Hitler’s propa
ganda victory could be as great as a smashing counterat
tack gaining him time and at the very least an easy peace.
Here’s where the “SHORT MEMORY” comes in . . . the
Allies might forget the “false armistice” trick of 1918
which won for Kaiser Germany a sudden full armistice
and conditional surrender instead of total defeat and un
conditional surrender. They might forget that every in
terval of peace since Hitler has been in power has been
just a breathing spell—for Hitler.
All rumors that lead to complacency must be aired
and discussed as part of our orientation program, because
the chances are that they are Nazi-inspired or Nazi-sup
ported. And when they are met with reason and logic,
Hitler’s enemies, they are found to be part of “limited
mental grasp, slight understanding,” emotions that are
Hitler’s friends.. .palming off the “wretched life” of wait
ing for another war as the “paradise” of a quick and easy
peace.
REGIMENTAL
REGIMENTAL MIRROR
"This Article Is For Those Who
Cannot Believe In Miracles"
By Chaplain Glenn S. Reddick
In one of the Gospels is rec
orded the story of Qhrist’s rais
ing of the son of the widow of
Na in This brings'up the whole
question of miracles If we are
tender-minded we accept them
but if we are tough-minded we
reject them. We will assume
that this article is for those who
cannot believe in miracles.
BELIEF IN MIRACLES
If you believed all the mira
cles of the Old and New Testa
ment you would believe them
jon the grounds of pure faith
j alone You could not believe
them from reason. You would
i believe them on the grounds of
। authority. If you were an un
informed Protestant you would
believe them because they are in
an infallible book, namely the
Bible, which is true from kiver
to kiver, according to the funda
mentalists. If you were an un
inquiring Catholic you would
believe them because an infal
lible church told you they were
so. You would have to believe
I in an age of miracles which is
I now past You would believe it
i because you would say that God
i is all powerful, hence can restore
| the dead to life. You could be-
I lieve it because Christ was the
' Son of God. according to ortho
dox theory, which many think
ing people reject. You could be
lieve it because it shows God’s
i love and care for the individual
। You could believe it because it
> was done by Our Lord for God’s
; glorification and not for His own.
I In this case you would believe it
( because it is recorded by St
j Luke, and he was a physician,
j and he should know when a man
i is dead or in a coma
DISBELIEF IN MIRACLES
It is abhorrent to some people
to believe in miracles To them
a miracle is a violation of the
laws of nature. The following
are the grounds for disbelieving
miracles: —
1 The Gospel accounts were
written in a day of miracles and
fables.
2. They were written years af
ter the events took place
3. They were written when
. people had an exaggerated man
ner of speaking
4. They were written before
i the discovery of many of nature’s
I laws.
5. They were written when
man believed in a Transcendent
God
6. They were written when
there was a confusion over the
connection between physical and
moral laws.
You can believe in certain mi
racles. J believe that Jesus knew
the human mind. It is said “He
knew what was in man.” I do not
question but what he worked mi
raculous cures with people with
diseased minds like the Gada
rene Demoniac.
THE MIRACULOUS CHRIST
Although we might doubt
some of the miracles we must
admit that Jesus was a miracu
lous individual. This is so for
the following reasons:
1. Jesus was miraculous in
changing men. He made cow
ards brave. He made doubters
believers. Today He makes
thieves honest, drunkards sober,
and avaricious men generous.
2. Jesus was& a miraculous
leader. No one*could lead men
as He could. He led men after
His death. Countless martyrs
followed the great leader to cer
tain death.
3. Jesus was a miraculous
speaker Truth flowed from His
lips as water from a mountain
spring. What he said gripped
men His words were frequent-
CAPTAIN GLENN S. REDDICK, CHAPLAIN OF THE
Academic Regiment, at his altar in Building 75. Fourth Bat
talion, First Student Training Regiment. 'Official U. S
Army Photo--The Infantry School.l
ly on the lips of great men. Lil
coin loved to quote Our Supreme I
Commander
4 Jesus had a miraculous ori
ginality of mind Instead of fol
lowing the Son of Man Idea or
the Messiah Idea He originated a
New Idea, namely the Kingdom
of God Idea. He brought the fifth
great philosophy into the world
5. Jesus was the founder of a
miraculous institution There are
four fundamental institutions in
society, namely the home, the
school, the state, and the church.
Jesus changed and glorified and
blessed the first three and added
the fourth, the Church. For a
time it was the most powerful
institution in the world. It made
and unmade kings. Today the
President of the United States
and the King of England must
acknowledge Christ and His
Church before they are allowed
to assume their offices. Lord
Macaulay said "The time may
come when London will be
smoking ruins dnd the British
Empire no more, but the Church
of Jesus Christ will still be in
existence.” Nations rise and fall
but the gates of hell shall never
prevail against the Church of
ARMY'S POLICY ON CONDUCT
TOWARD WAR PRISONERS
Frequent instances have been reported of late of vio
lation-^by both military and civilian personnel at Fort
Benning—of the regulations of the War Department re
garding prisoners of war
Many members of the Academic Regiment, in the
course of the normal performance of their duties, come
into contact with PWs, and because of ignorance of the
rules governing their conduct at such times might fratern
ize and talk with the prisoners. According to the pro
visions of the Geneva Convention, to which the United
States conforms, talking with prisoners not in the line of
duty, giving them presents, mailing letters for them, and
other unofficial, personal attentions are forbidden.
Since the Commandant of The Infantry School has
recently seen fit to remind all personnel under his com
mand of the Convention provisions, the War Department
policy and post General Order No. 78 on the relationship
of Americans to prisoners of war, it can be assumed that
strict compliance will be required of all Academics in the
future.
Thursday, March 23, 1944
Jesus Christ.
6 SUMMARY
Whatever the miraculous Christ
touched was changed. He touch
ed Nazareth, a little country
town, and it became world fa
rnous. He touched Jerusalem
and it became the spiritual cap!
tai of the world. He touched
twelve ignorant men and eleven
of them became world famous
Peter became the Prince of the
Apostles. He touched bread and
wine in the Last Supper and He
established a service before
whose altar millions bow in ado
ration, reverence, homage and
praise. Soldiers partake of com
munion, as before the Battle of
Tarawa, and go out to die una
fraid. They have been touched
by the world’s most miraculous
character
Has He touched your life?
Has He filled you with ambition
and energy to do something to
bring His kingdom to earth? We
may doubt that He touched the
bier of the widow’s son and
brought him to life but He can
touch a dead, selfish, greedy civ
ilization and bring it back to
life from the death of war, ha
tred, greed, avarice and slavery!