The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1916-10-31

seeing the European side of the pic
ture-the efforts of the allies to draw
us into war with Germany; the efforts
of the Germans to draw us into war
with the allies-held our breaths.
There were times when it seemed that
war would be the only way out.
have seen Germans rejoicing at the
prospect of having the United States
quarrel with the allies; l have seer
the allies wild with delight over the
chance that the United States would
go to war with Germany over the Lusi-
tania or some other incident.
Thrilled Us That This Was Our
Country!
But always sane, sound, steady, the
United States came through 1t was
a magnificent thing to see from my
point of vantage in Europe. 1t made
one thrill to realize that the United
States was HIS own country.
Now, when l return home, l find an
election campaign under way l hear
men say that we have peace without
honor. We, in the European capitals.
who saw our government escape the
war traps, FELT NO LOSS OF HON
OR. We were always able to look the
other fellow in the eye and be proud
No one over there ever seriously
charged us with loss of honor, and
men are highly sensitive to such
things over there.
We were proud of American sanity
and of American craftsmanship and
that cool, calm reckoning of the Am
erican people which prevented them
from being stampeded
1t was a fine, thrilling thing to be
an American in European capitals and
to KNOW THAT IN OUR OWN CAPT.
tai at Washington there were men as
shrewd and as far sighted as any of
the statesmen of Europe: to know,
also, that the statesmen in Washing
ton were steadier, saner, less influ-
enced by hate and bitterness and bet
ter able to judge right and wrong than
the wisest statesmen in Europe.
Playing With Dynamite.
And to come home now to the United
States and witness the attempt to
thrust from the guidance of American
affairs the government which had led
the United States through his maze Of
diplomacy and machination is. to one
who has witnessed the affairs from
the European end, little short of terri
flying. 1t is like playing with dyna-
mite.
There is no politics in European ma
tions today. Governments are being
held in their places by coalitions.
Among the neutrals this also is true.
Holland has no politics, and it is safe +;
Switzerland has no politics and it is
safe. Greece DID have politics, and
. BEHOLD GREECE today.
With all the European peoples doing
all they can, even to abandoning cleo
tons, in order TO keep their govern
ments intact and unchanged, there are
persons in the United States, who. out
of sheer politics, and by discussion of
such petty matters as the removal of a
minor government official. seek to
overthrow the government Certainly
the steadiness Of our government is as
important to us as the steadiness of
their government is to Germans or
Britishers; our danger is as great if
not so imminent and apparent as
theirs. The certain grasp of our pres
ent government on war affairs is as
I important to us as the grasp of Won
Bethmann-HOllweg or Asquith is to
Germany or England
Trying To Upset Our Own Govern
ment.
J DO you know why zeppelins fly
over London? 1t is not to destroy ar
senals or kill soldiers. It is to dis
gust the British people with their gov
eminent and to provoke them to upset
1t on the ground that it is not protect
ing them.
/ Men are fighting in Europe now to
upset enemy governments and thereby
weaken their opponents.
In the United States some Of us are
trying to upset our own government at
a time when the war crisis demands
stability and continuance of the gov
eminent
Most nations, in this crisis, have
abolished elections. This was not nee
essary in the United States, nor would
1t have been possible. But this coming
election ought to be mere formality.
The vote ought to mean in so many
words, YOU'VE DONE WE'LL. MIR.