Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-08-02


up prominent folk to deny the pos
sibility of war and to assert that the
existence of the sea furnished all the
protection necessary, exactly as promi-
nent folk in our own midst, in the days
before U-boats became really soaring
and when the German military power
seemed unutterably remote, were wont
to assure the United States that there
could be only folly in military prep
aration. Said one of the Syracusan
orators reported by Thucydides:
Gwen were our enemies to come,
so distant from their resources and op-
posed to such power as ours, their
destruction would be easy and inev-
liable. Their ships will have enough
to do to get to our island. They will
have no fortified place from which to
commence their operations, but in
truth 1 do not believe they would even
be able to effect a Decentralization. Let
us therefore set at naught these re-
ports and be sure that if any enemy
does come the state will know how to
defend itself in a manner worthy of
the national honor"
He talked, one perceiveS, as certain
American congressman used to talk !;
confident in the protection afforded by
a million patriots springing to arms
overnight. The Athenians did come,
of course. They nearly won. Had they
won there might never have been a
Roman empire. That is why the siege
of Syracuse takes rank as one of the
momentous battles of world history.
Athens which had fought for liberty
at Marathon in 400 B. c., had become
in Alb B. c., great, rich and powerful
state, eager to extend it's sway over
all the western world. All republics
of the past which acquired supremacy
over other nations ruled them selfshly.
There are no exceptions. Where
Athens conquered she imposed her
laws, her customs, her taxes and her
kultur. She kept her conquered peo-
pies as vassals and did not permit
them citizenship. She pleaded the
"eternal law of nature that the weak
should be oppressed by the strong.
She sometimes complained that the in
justice of Sparta compelled her to be
unjust to other nations. She might
even have spoken of scraps Of paper
had the expression been known in that
frightened age. She wanted Sicily
and the rest of the world. Had she
gained it Rome, if it ever came into be
ing, must have located itself elsewhere
than on the eternal seven hills. "Syra-
cuse" said Arnold, "waS a breakwater
which Gods providence raised up to
protect Rome'' And he argued that
! but for the destruction of the Atheniar
fleet in Syracuse harbor, Athens and
not Rome would have conquered Garth
age.
The Athenians came to Syracuse liz
! force. Their war galleys numbered
1874, with multitude of storeships and
troopships powerful force of the
best heavy armed infantry was supple
mented by a smaller number of sling
ers and bowmen. With all that wealth
and skill could provide of efficiency
the fated armada began its voyage In
the summer of 415. The Athenian force
accomplished its landing with success
1t invested the city. 1t might have
taken Syracuse then and there had l,
not wasted q year in deSultOry opera
lions elsewhere in Sicily and had moi
! treachery caused the removal of one
of its two really able generals, while
death claimed another, leaving the su
preme command to rest with the in
competent Nicias.
Lamachus was the general who died
He fell in an early skirmish. The
traitor was Alcib1ades, that most com
plete example of SURPRISING genius
, without principle afforded by all his
tory. Summoned home from Sicily tt
stand trial before the Athenian tribu
nal he fed to Sparta, where with the
utmost rancor of q renegade he exhort
ed the Spartans to renew the war witt
| Athens and send instant aid to be
| leaguered Syracuse.
1t is interesting to read in Alcibi
ades' speeches as recorded by Thucy
dides the revelation that Athens plan
ned the conquest and absorption of al
the western world and that she mean
! to accomplish this without serious ex
pense to herself. Athens intended tt
! take the islands first, he explained
! then with ports blockaded by her feei
f, to assan Peloponnesus with all hel
| force.
1--WE reckoned," he said, that each
| conquered state would give us supplies
of money and provisions sufficient te
pay for its own conquest and furnish
| the means for the conquest OF III
neighbors.''
Similar ideas seem to have found &C
ceptance and popularity in certain higt
! quarters just previous to August OF
| 1914
| Alcibiades urged the immediate dis
patch of q Spartan force to- Syracuse
4 II the force could not be large let there
~ least he sent a competent general tC