The Lamar register., 1917-03-28
Our Part in the War

No one, as we have said, can now
tell how far the war we are about to
enter into will lead US. We are go
ing into it to compel respect for in
ternational law and for the rights of
the United States. Our entry is
based upon the infractions of that law
and the violation of those rights
growing out of the ruthless submarine
policy of Germany. 1t is our purpose
to maintain our flag upon the high
seas at any cost, and in pursuance
of that purpose We shall do what we
can to put an end to submarine at
tacks upon our merchant shipping, to
protect our ships as far as possible
from such attacks and to sink every
German submarine that comes within
reach of our guns. But however eff
fective or ineffective such action on
our part may be we cannot cay, we
can hardly even guess. The silence
Of the British Admiralty IS to the
success of its measures against un-
dersea boats leaves us nothing upon
which TO base an estimate of our own
powers in that direction. The British
government has had more than two
years experience in contending with
this arm of the German navy, but we
have no means Of knowing what it
has accomplished That we can have
the benefit of that experience, what
ever it may be, goes without saying
and that our ingenuity and resource
fulness will supply additional factors
of offensive and defensive fighting
can also be taken sor granted. But
even so, we are far from being GER
tain that we can bring Germany to
terms by restricting our warfare to
the sea.
We shall, of course. endeavor so
to restrict it, for officially ct least,
we have no desire to enter into tho
military operations against Germany
upon land. A great many Americans,
no doubt, favor that course of action
at once, but much water is likely to
go over the mill before t is SER
iously considered by the government
except as a future possibility for
which immediate preparation should
be made. Yet necessity may demand
even that, and if necessary it will be
done, with all the force we chn COM
mand. II we cannot accomplish re-
suits at sea we may have to go farther
and contribute our men as well as
our money and our ships TO the COM
mon cause against the enemy. Wheth-
er we want to do this or not, the pop
ular will, once aroused, will not per-
nit us to stop short of the complete
fulfillment of the purpose with which
we enter the war. The American
people have no liking for war They
are reluctant to begin, but once start
cd will fight to the finish
Therefore the possibility Of military
action. remote though it may be,
should be accepted and as fully pre-
pared for as if II were n certainty. 1t
will be many months before our raw
levies could be anything but an en-
barassment to the allies, and in the
meantime the probability is very great
that the war will be brought to an
end without participation IN the op-
erations on land. But, none the less.
we should be ready for that eventual
ity if necessity should compel it. I'm
der what conditions we would enter
the war with our armies would be
governed by circumstances it is i'm
possible now to foresee. It is well
to look the thing squarely in the face
and realize. without hinching, the
seriousness of what we are doing
Globe-Democrat.