The Washington herald., 1917-04-08
The ramOunt Need.
(Chicago Trihune.)

The American government and people
by Gen. Robertson. the successor OF
Kitchener as head Of the British military
system.
The way to victory may be long, and
certainly it viii be hard"
We are like the British in our optim-
ism and in our preference for 'muddling
through We ought 20 realize at the
beginning that We are not going to a pic
nc. We are not entering a ladies' war.
but real war where real missiles are
flying and not merely words. where blood
Is spilled and lives are taken on a titanic
scale.
We must realize that we are making
war upon the greatest military power in
the world, and that power is still uncon-
quered and may yet conquer. -"
But at the very threshold of this task
stands out one paramount duty, the very
rock foundation of our national defense
IL Is TO establish universal service. not
Tor this war but as the permanent de-
Tense principle OF this republic
The volunteer system with its demoral-
lzation of business and industry. its in
Justice to individuals. its ineficiency in
military consequences. the system Of con-
fusion, waste. and politics. must 90 for
a IL.
are to be secure from violent reprisal
after 1t, or from aggression in future
years. We must establish the system of
universal service" the system of COM
PuIsory training of young Americans in
peace and Of universal service in war.
That Is the sine qua non Of our safety.
we have waited too long for it and paid
tor our procrastination in blood and
treasure. Let Congress now nut an end
TO century OF wrongheadedness and
pass at once measure creating an army
or obligatory citizen service and estab
lshlnS that institution permanentIy as
the foundation Of the nations defense.
War.
Christian Science Monitor
In entering into a war tbor q
nehooves nation to make sure thai II
ID In the ranks with those who have thoir
quarrel just. If ii has taken every stem
70 avoid war, II it has assured itself
that 1t Is lighting on behalf of right and
or principle then it can go forward
caImly and deliberately TO the end.
'hristendom. of course. knows that war
Is wrong. Cnistendom knows that n
the lesson of the Bible has been as
Simulated and demonstrated war would
nave become an tmpossbiIity long ago
Chrlstendom, unfortunately, however
has not learned that lesson. much less
demonstrated the healing Gospel of the
, Christ, so Christendom fights, fights for
what to It, its blindness, Is the best
II knows; and fights because It realizes
that believing all the things that II does
believe. believing in the materiality and
strife with which the human mind Is
filled 1t realizes also that there may be
self-sa Crffce found on the battlefield
which may not be found in the counting
house, and that there is a glory of re-
nunciation to be gained in risklnc every
thing 1t holds dear and sacred for the
sake Of principle. which 1t may not recess
sarily gain in seeking the rewards of
peace for itself, rewards which only too
often end in the satisfacti of material
instincts, of that love of applause and
OF that greed of power or OF that un-
willing gness to face the threats of evil in
the defense of right, which drew from the
Founder of the Christian religion the
words Get thee behind me, Satan"
Self-Branded.
pittsburgh Post)
Senator La Toilette, of Wisconsin,
and Senator Norris, of Nebraska. have
branded themselves by their deeds as
no words of others could brand them.
If words can have any effect upon
them none can plague them as their
own. Their arguing from the view
point of the enemy against that of
their own country on the eve of war
shows how far they have wormed
themselves beyond regard for Ameri-
can sentiment. 1t is not that, If they
prefer peace at any price to fighting