Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-11-27
Editors Letter Box
Answers "A Reader"
Editor Kennebec Journal:

Editor kennebec journal:
"A Reader" in a letter to the Journal
OF Nov. -, raises several questions, and
the request is made, "Will some one
please EXPLAIN These questions are in
the minds of others, and as no one has
made the desired explanation in this con-
nection l will attempt to do So How did
President Wilson keep US out Of war? BY
thus allowing the Kaiser to have the
whole say as 10 when should go in
During the campaign for Mr.. Wilson's re-
election the submarines kept quiet. MAX
ing it appear that his diplomacy had been
successful Those who believe We should
have been i'll the war much sooner had Mr.,
Roosevelt been President do not overlook
the fact that only Congress can declare
war The President, as commander-in-
chief of the army and navy, can make
war at any time and any other nation
can make war on us. as Germany did
with the submarine. Congress can only
adopt a resolution recognizing that
state of war exists, or calling on the
President to make war. Those who voted
against the declaration of war last spring
voted 10 deny the fact that Germany wan
making war on us. Had MI RooseVet
been President he would have met war
with resistance at the first. and the kal-
ser knew this. The turn that American
notifies took in 1912 side-track'ng MI.
roosevelt. was the Kaiser's cue for IN
aertal1inp 10 conquer the world. j am not
a nolitical supporter Of Mr. Roosevelt. but
believe the Kaiser feared him too much
to attempt to conquer the world with '"at
alert, aggressive, weil-posted cosnopoi'-
tan In command of the army ana navy OF
the worlds greatest republic. Last sum
MGR Or. IT, s. Macarthur. VINO KNOWS
Russia better than any other American
reneated,y called attention 10 MT. foose-
,e,t.s great influence with the Russian
,oorIa hut Mr.. Wilson refused to send
him there and we have RUSSIA IN STATE
~ anarchy, making separate peace anu
three wears of war in prospect ioG ns "s
ooreaouence The question Of our unprs-
aredness Is raised. But we had ahunu-
-, warning. and Congress, in session
nha, the war commenced, had passed
,,ws and made large appropriations for
siren ~ heu'ng the army ann navy VIM
.o,,e one please explain" what became OF
the money thus ACCOMPLISHMENTS
~ millions o. dollars? Under Roosevelt
and TART warship launchings were IRE
ouent Under Wilson. with vast appro-
nriations, they wel}-nigh ceased. An I'M
portant part OF Germanys preparation
for world conquest was the work OF peace
societies in America. to keep us unpre-
pared Many innocent persons. papers
and societies like the w c. 7. u. were
duped into being catspaws for Germany;
INT others. like Otto Koenig's Christian
Herald. have revealed to keen student
that they were on the inside from the be-
ginning. 1t is suggested that as so many
merchant ships are sunk b. Submarines.
and destroyers are the best detens.
asaints the underwater pirates, We
should build destroyers instead OF mer-
chant ships. We must do BOTH but il
takes much longer to build the destroyers.
and the merchant ships are needed at
once Besides, the submarines are not
sinking enough to accomplish their pur-
pose, and that mode Of warfare is al
ready proving a failure.
"A Reader" seems to think the German
navy is not bottled up because it Is able
to operate in the Baltic. But the Baltic
is the bottle, with Heligoland bay and
the Kiel canal as the neck. That neck is
so filled with mines and guarded by forts
that Il would be suicide to send warships
into it. Does it require six or eight
months to equip and drill our soldiers to
At them for service?" Yes, emphatically.
We are making the mistake OF thinking
that because we do not expect to strike
Germany very heavy direct blows before
next spring, therefore we need not hurry.
But we must hurry. rush, drive, with all
our might. The farmer merchant, Ia
borer, mechanic,-everybody. man. wo-
man, child,-must realize this war. dro,
everything else. and drive. drive orwell,
f. e. HARRIS, Thorndike, Ne.