Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1915-06-18

IL you will allow me q little frank
speaking on this subject, l know a
certain element of men not uncon-
nected with public affairs that in spite
of the moralists and the iron hound
code, view this fact with boundless
content; and good and respectable
men at that. What they had hoped for
from the hasty marriage, the hedge
priests and the official playing Of Sir
Pandarus has come about in another
way. 1t is not conventional, it is
shocking to the national ideal which
is Mrs. Grundy; but the children will
&c born, nevertheless, and that is the
great thing in the minds OF these men.
For however revolving all these
Things may be and however sordid and
shameful, there is not thinking
Statesman In Europe but is weighed
down by the appalling prospect of de-
populated and ruined countries that
plainly opens before us.
The question thrust with primitive
Dluntness upon these statesmen is
whether, when this war madness shall
subside. there may be left enough
abie-bodied men to carry on the bust
ness of the nations.
What are the losses so far?
over Seven Hundred Thousand Dead!
In the opinion of the best Judges
the total losses in killed, wounded and
missing, on all sides up to Nav /. in
Guiding all the fighting areas from
South Africa to the Hebrides. was
more than 100000 men.
VI these more than 100000 had been
killed. France alone mourns 100000 of
Fer sons slain on the battle lie.
More than 100000. This IS ut the
rate of about 1900 month in killed.
II the war shall continue until the
end of the year, as the cooler prophets
agree it will, 1Ai the present rate Of
slaughter shall continue, the death lists
by that time will amount 70 about
100000. :
Probably 100000 others will have
been so crippled or disabled they win
henceforth have little or no part in
productive industry.
1t is not only amputated limbs.
Thousands will have been blinded am,
tens of thousands rendered insane
We may believe then that in round
numbers by January 1. 1916, 2,2OO, 0co
will have been blotted by death or dis
abling from the productive forces nj
Europe.
States Necessity Above the Moral
Code
1t is for these reasons that the pros
pect today in Great Britain is re-
sarded as menacing. 1t is for these
reasons that respectable citizen, not
before accused Of lax principles. is
moved to distribute circular defend
ing. on the ground Of the necessities
of the state, the moral obliquity that
the stricter part of the nation is now
condemning.
The men swept down in this nael-
strom of blood are the strongest and
best that Europe produces. The efre..
CT their loss upon industry and COM
nlerce no man can guess. have talk
eG with economists and socioloRists
end none pretends to have reached n
conclusion. An immense number of
widows and other dependents VIII be
lett; there will be fewer workers 10
support them. Literally thousands. of
towns. villages and hamlcts have Keen
obliterated. II many Of these are. 10 he
rebuilt. the demand for labor will lie
for a, time considerable. But why le-
II ild towns for vanished p:p.:l.l-
ton?
1t is no wonder that most econom-
lists foresee a huge migration to the
Americas while whole tracts Of Europe
are left tor q generation to be nothing
but oldering walls and desolate plains.
Under these conditions. as you will
no doubt agree. the statesmen that are
prepared to overlook the ordinary
standards. even STANDARDS as ironl
bound as the British, are not without
q shadow of excuse.
Chaos having come again. the con.
ventions smash down with the rest. \.