Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-04-15
War to the knife-on Paper.

From the Kansas City Star.
The sea reprisals of england and Ger
many have brought out much e~xtrayagant
talk on both sides about war to the knife,
war to the last man. war to the last
charge. of powder and war to the last
loaf of bread.
Fortunately these phrases, none Of
which IS new belong rather to the itera-
ture OF war than to it's practical opera
tions. None knows better than the states
men that war cannot be prosecuted to
the last man. When 1t reaches that stage
It Is a kin OF war that is dealt with by
the hangman; and while it is probable
no nation will soon be reduced to the last
charge of powder and the last loaf of
bread, It is very safe to say that If such
q situation should come about those re-
sources would not be used in the prosecu-
ton of a foreign war. The police would
need the powder to shoot the domestic
fnanciers who would try to corner the
loaf. e
1t is, however. a recognized %bellieerent
right OF nations to Issue these war-to-the-
knife manifestoes whenever occasion re-
Quires and to phrase them in the most pic
turesaue language of defiance. All ma
tons have been pretty good at 1t. The
Phoenicians threw a bar of iron into the
Mediterranean sea and declared they
would not be subjugated until it rose and
hoated on the surface. Frenchrnen put a
around his neck on the ramparts of Thion-
vile and proclaimed to the besieging Aus
trians that the city would not surrender
until the horse had eaten his hay.
All fighting animals are given the same
way. Cocks crow and beat their vines
In the pit, and while the loudest growing
may not affect the result of the main If
has sometimes been known to affect the
result of the betting. The elephant doubt
less has his own psychology of noise and
%tru1npets as he charges, the lion does nor
underestimate the terror OF his roaring.
and even the mosquito, denied the brute
strength by, Nature, is yet gifted with a
attack his victim from an entirely it diffe 70
ent quarter than that which his song
seems to proceed.
Certainly no nation can be blamed for
declining to admit that there is a limit
beyond which 1t will not fight. Such an
admission would not only be of very poor
spirit. but a fatal military blunder as
well. No patriot would march on any
such policy and no loan would
float. So while it is a necessity OF states
, mar Man ana , Of I'M military policy to proclaim
no state secret to hint that when 1t is
over there still will be left In england
and enough powder and bullets
to give disarmament a prominent place
on the peace congress program. There will
be bread left and men to sell 1t at a profit.
and there viii be money left to pay the
interest on the war debts. Those debts,
translated into Investments, coupons and
~annuities, will for generations be a source
Of life and luxury to the descendants Of
those Englishmen and Germans who now
know them only as a source Of priyation
and death.
So all this talk of starving entire civil
huS Hol UG taken TO mean
too much. About the last person In the
world who would desire to see the popu-
lation OF Germany exterminated is the
English trader. and about the last person
In the world would desire to see the pop
ulation OF England exterminated Is the
German trader. Statesmen may illuminate
and captains command, but the English
gun has not yet been cast that will blow
up an English market abroad, and before
Germany attempts, in any seriousness. to
destroy its market, In, England It will re-
fleet that export beer Is, after all. thicker
than water.