Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1916-05-12
COLONEL WOOD
TALKS ON WAR
Portland Lawyer, Artist and cN'
Soldier Presents Underlying
Causes of War

enough 10 40 II. IL Is my nope lldL
from this war the plain man viii
come TO understand what fool and
monkey-iack he's made OF by this
thing we call government In the
sentences quoted are the key
thoughts of Col c. Il. S. Wood S lee
ture before the college community
Monday morning. The Portland
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, with his leon
Inc head and long. heavy gray hair
instantly impressed one as a man
who would say unusual and stimu-
lating things. He did
Col. Wood defined as his purpose
in the lecture the setting forth OF his
opinion of the true underlying causes
of the great war which will be found
to be the same as those of any other
war. In developing this topic, he
said, in part:
There has until recently been
justifiable belief that the world is
getting less warIike Spencer said
that the age of militarism is giving
way to the age of industrialism At
the end of the Russo-Japanese war
Lord Lansdowne said that it would
probably be the last great war. In
spite of everything, we are now in
the midst of the greatest, most de
structive, and most wasteful war OF
all time, ostensibly because Prince
Ferdinand was shot. But he was as
sassinated because of the agitation
for Slavic independence which went
over to Austria. Austria attempted
to put down the Slavs within her
borders. Ferdinand was IA member
of the military party, and was sin
gled out by the propasandists, But
why the propaganda? Because Ger
tain divisions of the Balkan people
were controlled by Austria and Rus
STA, which couldn't afford to lose so
much territory and so many subjects
at the expense of the other. Territory
aud subjects are valuable to exploit
But what is the Russian govern
ment? A great mass of toilers? No
A little oligarchy is the government.
Why? Because it owns the life of
the people. by owning land and mines
and the right to tax This is back of
all government. A few have control
of opportunities on which the lives of
all depend. The feudal system is
not yet dead. What does war profit
the people? They must go back home
and assume Il debt which can never
be paid by the human race living in
Europe.
This shot Ferdinand Austria
sent an ultimatum to Servia. Servfa
was given no time Austria did not
think that England, France or even
Russia would come in But Russian
territory, French banking interests
and English trade were threatened.
and the English and French govern
ments, and the Russian government
all came in, The process was the
same. The government of England
has the same control of privilege and
property as the government of Rus
STA England is government of
property, and so is this country.
France is exactly the same. The feu-
dial system still lives in the title ia
land In fee simple The power to
make war lies in a few men-a risto-
Gratis, investors, and bankers-not
the people.
The plutocratic governing powers
of Russia feared the plutocratic gov
erning powers of Germany and Aus
tria, and so with France and Eng
land. Government found ready to
IFS hand patriotism. It said to men
Hate each other and they were
fools enough to do it. Slavs under
Russia and Slavs under Austria are
cutting each others throats at the
bidding of the governments. 1t ia
my hope that the plain man will
come to understand what a fool and
monkey-jack he's made of by this
thing called government.
Trace all wars. grouped under
causes Of dynasty of territory. of re
ligion. The true cause was govern
ment. Men We're fighting for power
the control of property This war
is no different from any other. Eng
land and Russia, traditional enemies.
are together. England and France.
traditional enemies, are together.
They see that it is to their common
interest to make common cause
against a growing power. Germany.
1t is a wonder and a disappoint-
ment that country so highly social
lied, despite its bureaucracy. as Ger
many fell down so completely in It's
Willingness 10 go to war. But Ger
man workers saau,ad q, TO-, ...........