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About Regimental mirror. (Fort Benning, Ga.) 1943-194? | View Entire Issue (March 23, 1944)
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!
