The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-04-03
BREAD OR BULLETS?

one OF two ways OF making war on
Germany.
One way is by direct attack. This
would mean formal alliance with the
Entente Powers, and the sending Of
warships and armies to Europe. The
sending Of warshps would be easy,
for obvious reasons. The sending Of
big armies would not be an impossi.
bility. England has sent millions of
men across the channel and Canada
has sent some 100000 across the
ocean without the loss of soldier
so far as is known, and with what
the United States navy could add to
the guard OF sea lanes there would
be few losses, regardless OF Ger
manys increase in submarines.
The second way would be very
largely defensive. Having prepared
proper protection for our coast, our
resources could be devoted to feeding
and otherwise supplying the Entente
overs which are directly engaged in
fighting Germany.
70 starve England is Germany's
present main object, if not her last
hope. 1t is not SO much a powder
fight as bread fight, and Uncle Sam
can save his powder by firing off his
bread, with as decided effect upon
the final result as though he exploded
a blast under every German in Eu-
rope. In other words, the business
of supplying means for the Entente
to crush Prussianism would, under
this policy, become a, national bust
ness 1t would defeat Germany's |
purpose to make America so busy
with her own part as 4 belligerent |
that the present supply of munitions
from America to the Allies would
cease.
Starvation is a brutal, ugly, bar
barrie, altogether miserable policy, i!
war or in peace, in respect of Ger
mans or Englishmen. If the United |
States engages in it, it will not be
because it wants to, but because it
has to. Sometimes fire has simply |
got to be fought with fire. 1t was aw
full to dynamite a thousand fine homes
and business buildings in San Fran
cisco, that frightful week Of April
1906, hut it saved the city from ami
hilation.
Again, we oppose the starvation Of
The millions Of fellow Beings IN Eng
land, and we will do our best ito pre-
ventait. Since Germany has :virtu.
ally declared war on US, there is nc
such sentiment as neutrality in us.
and Germany has chosen the ,weap
ons for us..one of which is starvation
For our choice Of the latter, we have
precedents without number and. iusti
hcation in the action of cultured"
Germany herself. -
Nor is a policy Of self-defense and
of the foe illegitimate or
cowardly in war, however brutal
however frightful to non-combatants.
Armies travel on their stomachs.'
The commissary is the heart, the cir
culatory system of armies And arm
les are but the people as a whole, un-
der arms. The end justities the
means. in putting down the PROPOSE
ton that the world shall 60 hungry
in order to satiate the ambition or
fulfill the designs of any one nation
Whichever policy our nation adopts
let it be the main policy. War is g
serious business, not matter to ap
proach without deliberation and def
mite plans.
If it is the crucial, the vital policy
of our Teutonic foe to starve Eng
land. it would be good policy on our
part to keep Englands belly full. If
it is our best policy to unleash the
glory-hungry dogs G
war. let us loose all the war-dogs
we've got to rend and crush and /
in the ordinary way.
1t will be remarkable if we do not
have two war parties in this country !
one composed Of navy boards, army
boards, all the uniformed ambitious
for adventure and promotion and al!
the gun and powder makers; the 9th
err composed of people who would
wage war at the least cost of Ameri-
can lives. We can put armies in Eu-
rope, or we can put bread in Europe.
Quo vadis?
Suggestion for the pacifst parade
o,o1 Il tor to1: