The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-08-23

THURSDAY, AUGUST %, 1917.
Crisis of Crises.


Mitchell one Of tie leading finalclere
of the United States and president Of
the United Trust and Savings Bank of
Chicago, has contributed one of the
most interesting articles written in
connection with the world war. His
plea is for the universal training of
young men chat they may be in condl-
tior to meet the demands of the nation
in the future. President Mitchell hides
behind no false hopes of peace. he
recognizes fully the gravity Of the stu
alton and makes his appeal to the people
from this full recognition. He says:
GAS a cold-blooded business and war
proposition, democracy can not COM
pete on equal terms with autocracy. If
efficiency is the aim of government,
then autocracy should prevail. In
blood and iron it can get more out Of
a dollar, but if government exists for
the people, to secure their happiness,
liberties and opportunities, with only
such restrictions and limitations as
the people assent to as necessary for
the general welfare, then popular gov
eminent alone meets these fundamen-
tai needs. Better liberty in hut,
than servitude in palace.
Tn the last analysis, the issue in the
awful war now raging is, Shall de-
mocracy or autocracy rule the world?'
AS the matter stands today, with Rus
STA crumbling, with France bled to the
white, and with England approximate
ing her maximum resistance, it is plain
ly up to the American people to get
into this conflict with every man and
every dollar available and put it where
it will do the most good and to do it
quickly. An immediate need is a
spiritual renaissance, comprehension
of the situation that besets us, a re-
alization that our national life, our
cherished ideals, the priceless heritage
of freedom and opportunity in the
garden of the world, aye, that civiliza-
ton itself, is at stake in this mighty
struggle upon which we have entered.
AS a people we must have no interest
or purpose in life that stands before
the winning of this war and doing it
as decisively and as quickly as is pos
sible. We must not stop to count the
cost in men or money, nor in sacri-
flee or service.
Germany is the most cruel, the most
resoureeful and the most efficient gov
eminent that ever existed. She is
holding today hundreds of thousands
of square miles of the territory of her
enemies, large part of which is the
very garden of Europe, and she has
millions of deported Belgians and
other prisoners Of war cultivating for
her this vast area in addition to her
own soil. Germany is not yet beaten.
She would like to have us think So
1t is, no doubt, part of her plan, and
to defeat Germany may take months
or years. but do it we must or
God help US. If the Kaiser can
crush France before we get in, what
hope will we have9
If Germany should win, the English
feet, which has been our protection for
many years, would pass to Germany as
a trophy Of the war; Then the Kaiser
would rule the seas. Let us realize
fully the dangers before us and let us
stand with our government and get
ready and be ready for whatever serv-
ice becomes necessary in this conflict.
The president has been given (and
with popular approvaD more power
than was ever lodged with any man at
any time by free people. 1t seemed
necessary to do this il prompt and
efficient aid is to be given our allies.
The people will hold the president ac-
countable for the use or abuse of this
power, but without centraizing au-
thority we can not hope to win this ware
AT this writing it is entirely clear
that our greatest need will be trained
men, for the unframed men in modern
warfare are practically useless. With
out training, an army is merely an
organized mob. Every boy should be
given in school thorough physical
training on military lines. The ideal
plan is that worked out by Capt.
Steever and known as the Wyoming
plan. Many high schools have adopted
it and all should do so. The Boy
Scouts is splendid organization and
doing wonderful work in developing
strong, manly self respecting boys, but
beyond all these and by every token,
the most important is intensive and
compulsory universal military training
in a federal training camp under the
direction of United Estates army of
ficers. This plan alone will provide the
discipline that every young man needs.
1t will create feeling of self respect,
recognition Of authority, it will de-
velop mental alertness, give fine
physique, promote self-control and be
the common meeting ground of young
men from all parts of the country and
from all walks of life, the rich and the
poor alike, and transmute them into a
etrOnrr ,nanlx, ana .-;r;la citi7nncb;p