Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 92, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 April 1916 — HARD TO CONTROL NERVES [ARTICLE]

HARD TO CONTROL NERVES

Even the Bravest Men Have Been _Known to Exhibit Fear. Before Being Inured to Battle. Men in the trenches, now quite used to the war game, have been described as feeling “jumpy”—the sort of affliction that used to be called “mauseritis." Here is a state of mind not necessarily blameworthy, nor even unsoldierly; the bravest have experienced it. The feeling is given various names. As when a young nobleman was sent to the hospital suffering from “heart paralysis.” Being immature, a mere youth, his heart, in fact, his whole body, was undeveloped—a man in spirit, but not yet in body. Being so conspicuous a figure It was up to him to display the supremest courage; and of course, he made good. All the same, there was a profound shock to his physical organism; and something had to evidence that shock. His soul was strong and brave; but his physical being, with its subconscious will-to-live, was afraid; and no shame to it or to its princely owner. Why should men get equivocal about fear on the battlefield; why not frankly call it that and not “nerves” or some like foolishness? The courage lies all in going ahead despite the fear. The sublimest courage is the “two in the morning” sort, when one’s physical condition is at its lowest ebb. And the wonder is, just that kind of courage is now being so magnificently and so lavishly displayed all along the battlefronts, where much of the fighting is done at night. All soldiers are likely to be afraid until they get used to warfare. This has been true of many famous com-manders—-Augustus, who wen fame at Actium, Turehne, Napoleon, Ney. “A coward is he,” declarer the bravest of the brave, “who boasts he never was afraid.” Demosthenes talked fight aplenty; but he ran away from his first engagement, as did also Cicero, —Scientific American.