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Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
American writers on peace and against war
Nathanael West: One live recruit is better than a dozen dead veterans
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Nathanael West
From Good Hunting (1938)
FITZSIMMONS
Do you play cribbage?
GERALD
Rather!
FITZSIMMONS
Then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be popular. Only don’t talk shop.
GERALD
Shop?
FITZSIMMONS
The war.
GERALD
(Puzzled frown)
Really, I don’t understand.
FITZSIMMONS
(Smiling wryly)
Good. You’ll be very well liked. My trouble is that I don’t like cribbage.
GERALD
(Quite innocently)
Then why did you choose the army as a career?
FITZSIMMONS
I didn’t. I’m in the soap business. I supplied all the army posts. Years ago I joined up – out of sheer patriotism.
GERALD
(The snob shows slightly)
Oh, I see…you’re a reserve officer.
FITZSIMMONS
And a Colonial from a very unfashionable colony – Canada.
GERALD
(Throwing a dog a bone)
I’ve heard some reserve officers make excellent soldiers.
FITZSIMMONS
Very few. They haven’t the proper military slant.
GERALD
Yes – of course – tradition and training are extremely important.
FIZTSIMMONS
Much more than intelligence!
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