Newspaper Page Text
:ute H storlcal S jcn.t
MONROE CITY DEMOCRAT
Volume XXXI Monroe City, Missouri, Friday, June 14, 1918 Number 11
Tha Western Front.
In the pnst monta we have had
much official infonmition as to
American participation in the war
We know that the rate of sending
jnen has been greatly quickened,
and that half a million Americans,
by no means nil of them fighting
troops, have reached France. We
are told this number will be in
creased to a million by the end of
the year, which is possible. We
hear rumors that it will reach
ljOOO.OGO by spring, which is un
likely.
It is also true that our Allies have
suddenly waked up to the fact that
their chief necssity is manpower
and that tardily they have called
upon us to furnish the numbers.
We have responded without hesita
tion and in a manner which will
never be forgotten by any of our
Allies. There has never been any
thing i more splendidly unselfish
than American policy in this great
crisis. We have turned our soldiers
over to our Allies to be commanded
by their officers and brigaded with
their regiments. We have dropped
all else to give our hard-pressed
comrades that which they have
asked for, as we strove to give them
food and ships, when they asked
for these.
If we had a million American
troops, fit for the firing line, in
France now, the German offensive
would stop automatically. It is be
cause our Allies underestimated
their task, failing to see how fatal
was the defection of Russia, that the
present terrible summer - opens be
fore us. But it is the last summer
of peril. There is this reassurance;
and already American troops are in
line in Picardy. There is an Amer
ican sector- two of them in Lor
raine; end still another American
force a portion of it hailed iu its
march through London has reach
ed the training area behind the
British front.
Our casualty lists are beginning
to indieate that the sad business
has begun in earnest. In a very
real sense America is arriving
and there is no longer any mistak
ing tbe fact that had we failed to
take the place of Russia, bad we
failed to undertake to replace the
Slav, our present Allies would have
lost the war. They can only win it
now as our efforts are constant and
unfailing. Optimism which aids
tbe slacker and invites the worker
to pause may yet prevent our aid
from being decisive. But nothing
-can prevent ir, if we all recognize
the situation as it is. Tbe last re
serves of the British are well-nigh
in; tbe last reserves of France are
going in. We can do little now,
when the desisive conflict is about
to break out again. But if we get
our men over there in sufficient
numbers, armed and equipped,
when the reserves of our Allies and
of our enemies are exhausted, we
shall be ready to replace French
and British divisions with our own.
Their mission is to bold until we
can come, ours to come as quick
ly as possible.
After you have gone through
several money giving campaigns
for tbe Red Cross and ctber move
ments auxiliary to the work of our
Army and Navy, you may begin to
wonder if you have not contributed
your full share. When this thought
comes to you just call to mind some
splendid specimen of young man
hood from your town who is in tbe
service.
What everybody in this country
would like to see is an eclipse of
the Kaiser.
Mr. Simonds Forecast
Let us frankly face the fact that
for many weeks we shall have to
consider possibilities which are far
from pleasant. The Allied problem,
now, is to avoid destructive defeat
in the months of this year. During
this time the Germans will have
numbers practically equal to their
opponents, possibly slightly larger.
that is, during the time when no
co nsiderable fraction of the Ameri
can troops now swarming over the
seas can be used in the first line
sa ve in grave crises.
If Foch holds the Germans this
year, he will accomplish a result as
magnificent as that of Petain, who
held the Germans before Verdun
u mil the British were ready To do
it be ran risks, his army was cramp
ed with the Channel at its back.
B ut he kept the foe in play, sold his
scanty real estate at high prices
only after long bargaining. And
when the British were ready and
h ad struck at the Somme, he bought
it all back for a mere song
I think it is a mistake to expect
some sudden turn of the tide, some
br illiant counter-offensive by a great
Al lied Army of maneuver. My
army friends tell me that this will
not occur, and that it is an error to
keep alive tbe illusion, which will
onlv increase the disappointment, if
things become critical again, as they
w ell may. The battle which is soon
to begin is a battle in which the
opposing strategies are patent.
Foch seeks to hold on with no grave
disaster until the campaign of 1918
is over." For h campaign of 1919
I he will have a million ' Americans.
S Hindenburg seeks a decisive victory
in advance of the American inter
vention. That is, he hopes and
means to make the campaign of
1 918 the last of this colossal con
flict. These are the two purposes which
we are to keep in mind in tbe next
fiv e .months, which is the period in
w hich the issue must be decided.
In"" that time we shall have, not
merely one more German blow, but
in all human probability several
The next will probably be greater
than any that follow, although less
terrible than the first. But as the
armies that strike are weaker, so
are those that parry. Now, as al
ways, the game of attrition is a two
sided game, although British and
French troops split tbe Allied losses
and tbe German bears his alone.
He will be worse off in the end. but
the end is not jet in sight.
The extremely high price of
leather has been a factor in produc
ing a new substitute which is al
ready being used substantially in
making workingmen's gloves and
other articles, and is proving to be
more durable than tbe split-leather
used for that purpose, it is claimed.
Tbe new material says Popular Me
chanics has a base of strongly wov
en cotton fabric, on one side of
which is a heavy nap that takes
the place of a lining in a glove. The
other sideis finished with a pliable
coating that is impervious to grease
and dirt. Unlike the leather, this
substitute does not harden after
being wet, but dries soft and
pliable.
It is estimated that 3,000 Chicago
boys will volunteer to do farm work
this season. Those who have offer
ed their services have been given
a course of training. The campaign
to register and place this labor has
been carried on by a farm-help
specialist of the U. S. Department
of Agriculture cooperating with the
labor committee of the State Council
of Defense.
Sound Reasoning
When an American citizen, in
stead of spending $100 for some
thing he wants, denies himself and
lends the money to the government
be performs a double service.
First he furnished our government
with $100 tbe drain on our goods
and services: that is, material and
labor To make the articles or
article be would have bought, or to
manufacture others to take their
place in the market would require
materials and labor. In addition,
to get the article to him labor and
freight space would be required
By doing without tbe article he has
left a certain amount material to be
used for war purposes, a ceitain
a mount of labor to be used in the
same way, and he has also relieved
to a certain extent the transporta
tion facilities of the country.
This may not be much in an in
dividual case, but when hundreds
of thousands and millions of Ameri
ca ns pursue this course it means
millions and millions of dollars
loaned to the government, tremen
d ous quantities of material left for
u ses of the nation in this war, mil
lion of hours of labor free to do war
work and a vast amount of freight
space free for national uses.
These sacrifices are easy to make;
they are small and trivial compared
to the sacrifices that our soldiers
and sailors make daily while they
offer constantly their lives for their
country the greatest sacrifice of
all.
However, one does not have to I
wait to sacrifice $00 to aid our
gov ernment; one may begin with a
twenty-five cent Thrift Stamp and
save what it would buy to help tbe
government. It is to inculcate in
the American people a great spirit
of saving that War Savings Societies
have been organized all over the
Union, in every State, City, Town
ship, Village, School District and
even School Room. The War Sav
ings Committee at Washington
thought out this method of saving
as the easiest one for every Amer
ican to follow, and put the price of
admission of one Thrift Stamp so
that everyone might belong.
Failures In Wartime
In current discussion of the effect
of war upon business it is often
assumed that, while war industries
will be stimulating by the war, there
will be a corresponding depression
in other lines which will result in
business disaster for certain classes
of business men. The advocates of
business as usual have urged their
views because they feared that war
saving by the many would mean
war ruin for the merchants.
If that is the tendency, its effects
are strangely under cover, for the
figures show that the general busi
ness of the country is still prosper
ous after 15 months of war, and
more prosperous now than a year
or two ago. In fact, there were
more than 40 per cent fewer busi
ness failures last month than there
were in May, 1916, while tbe liabil
ities of bankrupt concerns in May
were less than in any May in the
last 10 years.
Figures covering the whole of the
war period reveal nothing abnormal.
Business ras not been "as usual,"
but it has been good, or better.
Nowadays the big round Ameri
can dollar will go only about as
far as the 10 cent piece did in the
good old days when we could eat
a biscuit without having to get a
special act of congress giving us
permission to do so.
Don't Grumble.
Don't grumble secretly to yourself
or to others about the many cam
paigns. End them by helping to
end the war. The War Savings
campaign is for the purpose of end
ing the war victoriously at tbe
earliest possible moment.
Unless the men and women of
this country respond to the de
mands of war cheerfully, generous
ly and proudly in a whole-souled
manner the demands will increse
and the war will be prolonged.
Do your part June 28th.
There is not enough labor and
not enough material in this courtry
to supply the normal peace demands
also the war requirements of the
nation. One of the two demands
m ust be reduced. Either we must
dispense with needless purchases or
the soldiers and sailors must be de
prived of necessary equipment.
Which shall it be?
You are not asked to give up
anything. You are simply asked to
POSTPONE the pnrchase of need
less luxuries goods and services
not necessary for your health and
e fficiency. And you are asked in
stead to lend tbe money to the
United States so that the Govern
ment can purchase the goods and
services which you temporarily
give up, and use them in prosecut
ing the war. On January 1, 1923
the Government will return the
money to you with interest at the
rate of four per cent, compounded
quarterly. If necessary, you can
get the money any time before
maturity.
The War Savings movement is so
important as a war measure and so
splendid an opportunity for profita
ble investment that the people of
Missouri need only understand it to
respond to it. We believe that they
will respond to it in the same pa
triotic spirit which has prompted
our fighting men. We believe thar
from now until June 28th, the men
and women of this State will unite
wi th those of other States in hurl
ing America's reply to the German
menace by pledging freely and
conscientiously to save for Victory
"Business as usual" was the
emanation from an untamed brain.
Nothing in the business world is
done as it was before the world war.
Before the war had upset thing
generally the country was full of
financial theorists and thev have
not all gone to war or died. Every
where we find business guessers
people who don't know. There is
nothing strange about this state of
affairs. All precedents have been
upset and there remains nothing by
which future conditions can be safe
ly placed. We may just as well ad
mit tbe whole truth, the business
world is up in the air and the only
sane thing to do is to move
cautiously, ride on the conservative
wagon, keep out of debt when pos
sible to do so, work like a steam
engine, and help every time when
asked to give something to help win
the war. When the war is over we
will be able to find ourselves 8gain.
There are 200 women carriers on
the rural free delivery routes in the
United States, and the Fourth As
sistant Postmaster General says
their services are perfectly satisfact
ory. But, then, it is an easy matter,
on a rural route, to read and deliver
on tbe same day all the post cards
received.
The best thing about the praise
being showered upon the American
troops in France is that they de
serve it
America Will Never Yield.
Another springtime has come and
gone in our north temperate zone,
and the world-war enters a period
of summer fighting that will soon
have brought us to the beginning
of the war's fifth year. It is the
general opinion that the military
situation is near its critical climax
Events have so shaped themselves
that both sides see a possibility of
terminating the conflict through
victory upon the West Front The
Germans have been doing every
thing iu their power to strengthen
their forces for further attacks up
on the Allied line in France. Their
aim is to break through the Channel
ports, and to shatter the British
front, while rolling back the French
armies and occupying France Out
of victories thus gained they hope
to evolve an early peace. They are
staking all their fortunes on this
summer's offensive. They have in
mind a league of nations, with a re
united and harmonious Europe un
der Germany's leadership and under
her fully acknowledged domination.
Even if Germany should conquer
such a peace in Europe (which we
deem impossible) the United States
would not admit defeat This coun
try would be able to defend itself
against Germany, no matter to
what extent the Teutonic empire
might become aggrandized.
Furthermore -assuming a reas
onable degree of preparation for
self-defense in South America the
United States with Canada's part
nership could protect the entire
Western Hemisphere from any fjrm
of German aggression. All com
petent strategist understand that
in aiding the European Allies on a
large scale to meet Germany in
Europe, we are undertaking what in
every aspect is a much more diffi
cult task than would be ours if we
were fighting Germany unaided and
alone. The European war has as
sumed a form that is relatively ad
vantageous for Germanv. and that
puts us at the disadvantage of im
mense distances. It is because they
understand this in France, and be
cause all the more thoughtful and
candid minds of Great Britain also
understand it, that they appreciate
so deeply the willingness of the
American people not merely to
carry on a war against Germany
by reason of our own grievances,
but to aid them in the particular
aspects of the war that circum
stances have now rendered most
exigent. The action we have taken
makes the league of nations a pres
ent reality rather than a future as
piration. We have espoused a great
cause, and we are not carrying on
the war for our own national
needs
The War Department has just
announced that conscientious ob
jectors who decline to perform even
the duties of tbe military organiza
tion which are classed as noncom
batants. shall be segregated at Fort
Leavenworth. There they are to be
examined by a board of officers,
and if they are found to be really
sincere in their attitude they will be
furloughed from the army for agri
cultural work. They will be bound
by oath to work on farms at a
private's pay, plus subsistence.
They will not be discharged from
the army, and any violation of their
compact will be punished.
It may be necessary to force each
member of your family to take a
spoonful of flour substitute before
each meal, as that is the only way
some of it can be gotten rid of.
