The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-06-15
The War to be Earnest.

It has been cOntended by many En-
ropean and a few American papers that
the United States in this war has not
yet shown that it was in earnest. This
criticism, whatever semblance of truth
may have appeared in it heretofore, is
no longer applicable. The new call foT
troops shows that the war is going to
be pushed with vigor hereafter, all
along the line. Dewey is going to
have all the troops he wants to enable
him to finish up the conquest Of the
Philippines which he gloribusly began
more than three weeks ago. All the
men who will possibly be needed under
any circumstances TO drive the Span
iards out Of Cuba, and then to hold
Cuba until a stable civil government is
set up in that quarter, will be had.
Whatever number Of men is required
to take and hold Porto Rico will soon
be under arms. Possibly there may be
other conquests before the war ends,
but for these, too, if there should be
any, the United States will be prepared.
There will be no complaints here
after Of any lack Of earnestness ON the
part Of the United States. II is nat
ural, Of course, for a powerful and rap
idly growing nation like the United
states to helittle feeble and deeaying
country like Spain, ana this eircum-
stance has detracted somewhat from
the gravity of the wa- on the Ameri-
can side. Americans have regarded
Spain with a good deal of contempt,
and thus have not taken the war quite
as seriously as some foreign observers
thought they should The disparity in
strength and general resources between
the two countries is 50 great that intel
ligent persons all over the world have
fOreseen that Spain would be ultimately
crushed. The sense of this disparity Is
greater here than it is abroad, aud for
this reason the war to Us has not had
the grave aspeef which wars generally
present to the countries engaged in
them. This consideration has furnish
ed the basis for the assumption that the
Americans have as yet only half real
lied that they are participating in a
war with nation which has filed a
large place in history.
The United States now, however, is
getting into a somewhat serious mood.
While the contempt for Spain as foe
has not been entirely dissipated, and
will not be, the country will take all
the precautions which may be neees-
sary to make the contest short and de
cisive. To show that there has not
been the flintest doubt in this country
or in any Of the leading European ma
tiOns as to the outcome of the war, it is
only necessary to point to the fact that
business here has not been checked,
and American securities and American
credit in Europe's money markets re-
main at a high figure. If therefore,
Americans have occasionally seemed
to forget that a war was under way
their excuse was obvious. But the en-
largement of their army shows that the
war is taking on a more serious aspect.
They are as little doubtful nf results as
they were a month ago, but they want
the conflict pushed vigorously and
ended early. The new call for troops
makes this purpose clear to the world.
It will also show the world that the
United States, the most peaceful Of all
the great nations, can turn its hand to
war readily and effectively when prov
ocation from.any quarter arises.-Saint
Louis Globe Democrat.