Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-11-02

shape to take care OF itself against
all possible foes. People have a
right to disagree with the president
upon problems of this kind, but. they
ought to give him the same credit
for candor and honesty which they
demand for themselves.
It appears that the Russians are
coming back and according to var
ious reports, which appear reliable,
have won a number of important
successes the past few days. The re-
sources of Russia, in men and agr1-
cultural products, exceed those OF all
the combined nations of the central
powers. Russia has a population OF
ITS, 100000 and could put 15,0OO,-
600 soldiers in the field. She is short
on ammunition and officers, while
Germany and Austria-Hungary seem
to be thoroughly we'll supplied with
both. If Russia had been prepared
as Germany was the central powers
could not have stopped her onward
march.
Ex-senator Brown of Nebraska
was in Washington few days ago
and gave it as his opinion that the
presidents popularity in the west is
slipping. The senator is right about
lit and if the foreign war had not
broken out the slipping" would
have been more marked. That war
happened Just in time to save the
president and his party from the leg-
itimate results of the new tarif law.
The war created an abnormal de-
mand for American field and factory
products and prevented European
competition in the American mar
|ket. If the president is reelected 1t
will be due to the fact that the peo-
ple endorse his war policy.
The revocation Of the liquor per-
nit of the Des Moines Drug Com
pany. a wholesale concern that does
a million of dollars worth of busi-
ness annually at the capital city. has
induced the management to an
nounce that the company will re-
move Its business from Des Moines,
The company cannot be restrained
from selling liquor according to law
and II it does not want to do law
ful business the quicker 1t gets out
Of the state the better for all con-
cerned. In the crusade against the
illegal liquor trafhc the people must
exnect to encounter some disagree
able things. Everybody wants the
state to grow and prosper, but 1t is
better to have all the people pros
porous than to have few big whole
sale establishments become ricn
through doing an illegal business.
It is pointed out that as Germany
expended less during the year pre-
ceeding the present war upon ner
navy than the United States did that
orr navy ought to be in fine condi-
ton. Germany expended $1l4,ooo'-
600 and the United States $l6l'-
900 900. It is likely that one dol
lar In Germany will do as much as
two dollars in this country In the
wav Of naval Improvement, even
when every cent is honestly anu
economically expended. It Is some
times q question about our appropri-
atoms being honestly expended out
It ia seldom that they are economic
ally expended. Our system Is YET
crude, compared to that OF Germany
and over there they have no politic-
ians to take care Of and the polite
fans have no friends to reward. Con-
ditions in this country are improv-
ing, but the process is slow and II
will be some time before we can
make s16o,oOo,oOo do more in the
way of naval preparation than Ger
many can do with $114,000.O00.
When James Wilson was secretary
of agriculture under the administra-
ton Of President Taft he predicted