Arizona republican., 1916-09-03
An Inconsistency Uncovered


 Colonel Watterson of the Louisville Courier Journal is apparently much impressed with Emperor Williams explanation of his non-appearance in the trenches fighting private soldier against per .hdous England" Colonel Watterson, who is himself regarded something of fighter in his own home town" does go far to controvert the kaisers claim that his life must be conserved carefully for the welfare of Germany" in order to carry out the duties assigned him by divine appointment. But Colonel Watterson is impressed by the statement that
 I could take my place with the youngest of you, and I promise that would leave my mark on the enemy. But the inscrutable Almighty has willed otherwise. Into my has been committed by divine destiny the leadership of country its armies and it's forces on land and sea
 The burden of thinking, deciding and leading has been hard upon me and realizing this know that my life be rsked in the foremost line of battle where my feelings if uRrestrained would carry me swiftly
 It should be noted in fairness that Colonel Wat terson does controvert in terms these premises but in his fashion he dssents from the kaisers conclusions and he points out way in which the emperor gratify his wish to perform personal service on the fighting line; and he puts his of the matter thus:
 Almost anyone with power think at all would realize that if Divinity played the part with the Kaiser he says hasf the Lord has appointed Will rule the German people; to do their thinking deciding and leading for them and If 1t is imperative that his life be conserved for the welfare of Germany in that the duties assigned to him by the Lord may performed then surely the Lord God Almighty IS able protect him from the bullets of Germany's enemies wherever he may be, and his precious life be "risked," however his body may be exposed
 If the inscrutable Almighty" has selected the Kaiser to do the things he has done the past two years the incrutabe Almighty certainly has the and the purpose to preserve the Kaisers life until the work assigned to him Is finished.
 We cannot quite see the inconsistency discov- cred by Colonel Watterson unless agree that all who believe in overrulng providence are inconsis tent in taking precautions against casualties which they admit God has power to avert Most of us could offer logical for the precautions take as did the old Indian fighter who firm believer in the doctrine of predestination. One Sunday morn ing he church. armed with his trusty rifle. A neghbor told him that he ugging that heavy weapon unnecessarily. Unless your time has come,' said the neghbor Indian kill you" That is true" replied the frontiersman, but if should meet Indian whose time has come, would be guilty of sin if I had left my rifle at home"
 The real difficulty in the matter the kaiser's explanation for the ordinary thinker comprehend the reasoning by which the responsibility for the sanguinary of all history is placed upon over- ruling power. It requires than the faith which removes mountains" convince that the nous suffering which has been inflicted upon humanity can rightly be shifted from human shoul- ders. serves the purpose of Colonel watterson the subject lightly though he deftly. But the average will hold human agencies re- sponsibe for the of blood which have been shed in the of the world the real cause of which has not vet explained