New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1914-10-17

looked with greedy eyes on the
fertility and wealth of California.
Let us further suppose that this
people were allied to another pro
gressive race inhabiting Mexico,
which was also trained in arms
and possessed a large navy and
cherished hopes Of retaking New
Mexico and absorbing parts OF
Texas. 1t is obvious that we
should be supporting an army
large enough to fight both these
alien aggressive nations, and,
perhaps, a navy a little larger
than the combined navies of both
peoples. Our annual bill for mi
itary and naval expenditure
would be something over a thou
sand million dollars. If you can
imagine such conditions YOU may
realize in some faint degree how
this European war has come
about. But you will not then
get the feeling of European ma
tions unless you suppose as well
that our population has grown too
large for our territory; that we
are a terribly prolific peop,e and
we see every outlet for emigra
tion barrel by our hostile neigh
bors. But the very word emigra-
ton shows the imposslbility Of
our ever really feeling it. How
can a people that annually re
ceives millions of immigrants put
itself in the place of people
that is constantly emigrating2
Let us do our best, however, to
make the mental leap. 1t vii,
help US to understand.
When we begin to understand
the war in Europe, we may turn
with more seeing eyes to our
own country. War is terrible, but
it is sometimes, at least for some
of the combatants, inevita Bile.
And it brings its compensations.
1t is great human leveler. Rich
and poor alike take their turn in
the ranks, and wild human
sympathy shines in the eyes of
men who pass each other in the
street, men who would never even
have spoken to each other before,
men who might have trampled
upon each other in the ypsh" for
the spoils Of peace. What depths
of human tragedy manfully borne
with all the passion of mother
hood by the women of these
stricken countries we Of our
time and generation can never
know. But it is a cleansing trag-
edy. The spirit of self-sacrificc
breaths everywhere. Even the
women have a sort of gladness
that their sons are to die for their
country. Here is no boasting. as
in minor wars or punitive expe-
ditions. Only a faith in the Ill
innate victory for the forces OF
freedom. Old sayings of our
come back to memory
with sudden viyidnesS. Dnce ct
decorum est pro patrio mori; we
learned it as a schoolboy motto.
We feel it. with all our souls now.
Sweet and becoming it is to die
Tor our country. No notion OF
Killing or slaughter or the hor-
.ors of war. No picture OF
and spoils. Simply the
'hance of a lifetime to make the /
,ne supreme sacrifice. n sweet
md becoming thing to do. Can !
lot We in America almost envy
he Belgian his blackened fields
nd ruined towns for the chance
0 fight in such a comely fashion
or freedom and the ultimate
ightl
Two things occur to US most at
his moment. First. let us be-
are lest our horror Of this wa,
J not in great part slothful and
lxurious hatred Of the stress
I'd self-sacrifice Of war. did
e not go to war lightly when no
anger or great sacrifice was in
olved7) And, second. let us
ok around us and see whether
le present war in Montana and
le recent war in Colorado arc
OF just as shameful as the
lambles in Belgium and Galicia.
nd are not these sporadic wars
'mptoms Of an Armageddon to
,me? Most of Us never believed 4
the much heralded European
,nflagration. We can hardly
eieve in it now it is here. Yet
- tnv, ~,nar. karn hoa nnA hoon | ,