The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1914-10-06

been assassinated-and they we're
better men than any grand duke ever
was-but the world did not have to
go to war on that account.
Austria would not have started the
war II she had not had the assurance
that Germany would back her up, and
Servia would not have been so trucu-
lent II she had not known that Rus
STA, as the great sponsor of the Slav.
ic countries and peoples, would stand
by her. Russia felt safe in going into
1t, knowing France and England
would be her allies. On the other
hand Germany and Austria thought
they could rely on their triple ALI.
ance ally Italy to aid them, else prob.
ably they would not have taken such
an aggressive course. Probably also
Germany never believed that England
would take any part in the war; she
thought that John Bull was bluffing.
Then too, the Germans believed that
the Belgians would be on their side,
or at least remain neutral, thus per-
hitting great German army to be
hurried through Belgium, into France
and on to Paris. somewhat as in the
Franco-Prussian war of 1870.
In other words II all the belliger.
ents could have foreseen the results
that have already accrued, they prob
ably would not have taken the course
they did. A little use of President
Wilson's policy of watchful waiting
would have made the war unneces.
sary. The pretext for the war was
altogether too rival to stand the test
Of calm examination, and there was
undue haste and a wanton disregard
Of consequences all along the line.
When man deliberately lights a
match in a powder magazine we must
conclude that he is either fool or
criminal, and the results to the
world are about the same in either
case.
There has been tendency to blame
Germany for the war, but we must
remember that her side Is yet to be
heard; practically all the news is
censored and 1t is neither just nor
necessary to condemn anyone in ad-
vance. II Germany wins, then. she
ND hnu In nj a n n
for might makes right in war. II she
loses. then she will have b very dear
reckoning to pay, whether she was
to blame or not.
Germany =. is unfortunately placed,
however. She has little to gain by
this war, and much to lose. 1t Is
hard to think that she would have
brought on such q conflict deliberate
ly. 1t Is true that the German people
had very little to say about 1t. One
poor German soldier who was taken
prisoner asked his captors to tell him
what the war was about; 1T seems
to me to be an officers and not =
peoples war;" said he. And that
is no doubt true In a large sense.
These soldiers OF the different ma
tons who are now striving to kill
one another have no grievance; they
are neighbors and friends, not enc
mics, but they have been drawn into
the conflict by their country's call
and they will fight and die like le'
roes even though they may not know
what they are lighting over.
This is the awful injustice of II.
II the people who 80 loudly call for
war could only be made to do all
the lighting and suffer all the conse-
quences, 1t would be all right, but
the trouble is that they usually man
age, like all mischief makers. to get
out from under and to let the dam
age fall on others.
This war Is q crime against civiiiz.
alton, no matter who or what caused
It. The Germans have made splen'
did contributions to modern science,
industry, etc., United Germany has
prospered and progressed as no 9th
er nation except the United States
ever has, II she could have Kept
right on she might have gained az.
cendancy by sheer economic iorce.
Her great rival France has stag.
nant population, while her own pop
ulation is rapidly increasing. Her
trade in recent years las increased