The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-12-01

ana tnaC port OOnSLanIlHOples n uuOI
of wider opportunity is opening and
soon Russia hopes that her immense
grain fields will prove a veritable
stream of gold in providing food for
many millions beyond her borders.
Surely none can find fault with so mo-
BILE an enterprise, none can question
the right of :. Russia to improve
and develop her people and in
cidentally to increase her wealth. Is
she not justified in entering the ire
mendous conflict and making the most
Of that opportunity now presented by
| joining the Allies and winning her
way not to the sun but to the sea
Single-handed, she, too, could not
hope to achieve her aim for many
years to come, because time, much
time, is needed yet to develop her
resources and teach her millions those
! lessons of obedience, sacrifice and
manhood absolutely essential in con-
tending successfully with such an an
tagonist as Germany.
Have we not at last the answer or
rather is not the answer to be found
by the combining of all the facts stat
ed regarding Germany, England,
France and Russia? Is not the war
due to the. jealousies, fears and false
ambitions Of all these nations of Eu-
rope? Once again we must say no;
but we will admit that all of these
are secondary or contributory causes.
Let us try once again. Italy, the
land of poetry and song, the land of
art and sculpture, the home of the
beautiful, the aesthetic, the delicate;
Italy, whose wonderful climate and
more wonderful people draw to them
selves all the admirers of the elevat-
ed, the pure, the charming; Italy, ev--
en- Italy, has at last drawn the sword
and become partner in this feast of
rage, passion, blood and devilishness.
Moreover, her enemies say that she is
a traitor, turncoat, a coward, wait
| ing until her allies, Germany and Aus
tria, are surrounded by the foe and
weakened by many hard-fought bat
tie, then leaving them in the lurch
and joining hands with the Allies be-
cause she believes the Allies will win
and that she will be sharer in the
spoils of war My opinion is that such
statements are unjust to Italy. Rath-
err do / believe that Italy, finding her
self allied with nations who believe
that scraps of paper may be destroyed
at will, that solemn treaties may be
abrogated if national ambitions run
counter to them, has decided to leave
such partners, finding their methods
incompatible with her sense of reason
and right, and has chosen wisely the
best time for doing so.s What folly
for her in the beginning of the war
to have taken such step as she now
has taken! All the world was amaz-
ed, stunned, at such action on the part
of Germany. The confusion of ideas
arising from such piece of folly, the
uncertainty as to her best future pol
icy quite natural under the conditions,
; and the unquestioned ruin she would
bring upon herself if in revenge at
her disloyalty the armies of Austria
"came down like wolf on the fold,
their cohorts all cleaning in purple
: and gold"; all these seem to me good
: and sufficient reasons for Italy doing
as she has done. If l find that my
J partners are rascals, shall / forfeit
: my self-respect by continuing my part
; nership with them?
Have we not at last found the rea-
son, the true reason, for the war in
: Italy's decision; decision in harmony
with the sentiments of the world
: condemning the ruthlessness and bar
barity of Germany and Austria? And
| once more shall we say, most emphat-
ically, no!
Let us not puzzle ourselves any fur
! Their, but say that the true reason fol-
! this war and all the wars the world
has ever seen is found in the eating
of an apple. Ages and ages ago
s when the soul of man was born, there
I began a conflict in that soul entailine
S all the sorrow, all the tears, all he
G bloodshed and all the sin of man. II
n will be recalled that the scene was g
+ beautiful garden filed with luscious
y fruits and fragrant flowers. The own
q er of the garden, man, woman, anc
I a serpent wer the actors in a tragedy
: The serpent beguiled the woman anC
s tempted her to eat an apple; she in
S duced her husband to partake. Thu
e Owner of the garden was angry a
u the man and the woman because HI
had told them not to cat of the frui
u OF That particular tree. In his ange
s He drove them out of the garden be
y cause of their disobedience. The de
/ scendants of the man and woman in
9. herited their tendency to disobcy
T. and so sin came into the world. Al
e will admit that if there was no sin, il
e the world there would be no sorrow
u no tears, no crime, no war, for al
le would live at peace and every on
e would think as carefully of his neigh
y boris rights and happiness as of hi
, own.
ID Now, war is like an epileptic fiji
e When the fit comes on the patient fall
e to the ground, wallowing and foam
" ing; he is bereft of reason and is al
ID together a most disgusting and fear
in full object. The fit passes, reason re
ID turns and the patient becomes quit
of normal again. But the disease is sti
sr there and only time is needed for tn
IN recurrence Of the terrible symptoms
ot declaring most positively there is n
hope of release for the tortured sui
~ ferer until the cause of the disease
D. removed. All the wars of the worl
of are but the recurring fits of madnes
Sc and insanity which will surely contir
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