The Parker post., 1917-08-11
THE FOURTH YEAR OF WAR.


year of the war.
The war is beyond the power OF
human mind. It staggers the power
Of imagination.
It's existence is In violation of all
precedents and contrary to every
theory Of students of government
students of finance and students OF
human endeavor.
When will 1t end? No one knows
In the beginning on the surface
our interests were sentimental and
academic. AS fact they were vital
At the first the war disturbed the
channels Of trade. Then there was
for a few days a collapse of prices
For a few weeks the market products
Of the country ceased to command
credit and in the south there was
what every one now knows to have
been foolish and timerous panic.
In 1914, Russia was far away
from the United States. 1t was an
almost unknown land, and the ocean
between France, England and Amer
lea was wide.
We knew England from our school
histories, from Macauley's essays,
and from pages Of Scott. Thackeray
and Dickens.
We knew the France of Napoleon
and the Paris of the Revolution at
the close of the Franco-Prussian
War.
We also knew Paris because of its
fashions, It's arts, and what we
thought to be the faults Of It's women
and the lightheadedness of its men.
We knew there was city in
France called Rheims, where queens
and kings were crowned; where once
Joan of Arc stood at the shoulder of
king
We knew Belgium because Of
Waterloo and the Brussels carpets.
We did not know whether Cham
pagne was north of Paris or at the
foothills of the Alps.
At least, within three years we
have learned geography.
We know the villages Of France
rs we know the crossroads stores
In our own country.
We know the rivers Of Eastern Eu-
rope as we know the bayous Of Ar
kansas and Mississippi. We know
OF all the races of men because OF
their friendships or hatreds In the
war.
We have seen the dash and music
the elan--taken out Of the war.
There is no beautiful poetry in it any
more. Only death seems to arouse
the poet.
A man charging a cannon's mouth
Is no more.
Galloping cavalry is forever un-
horsed
Artillery is fred after a calcula-
t1on involving loEar1tnmS.
A professor Of mathematics 10 more
effective than the charging Bayard.
Electricity, chemistry, ballistics and
aeronautics are the factors in this
war.
1t commands the applied intellt-
gepce of those most highly trained
in science
And yet, and yet and yet; the is
sue will finally be settled by a pre-
ponderance of the same force that
has adjusted all wars since Cain slew
Abel.
Almost three years from the dec
laration Of war, America is getting
her first troops into the fring-line
A second contingent of Americans
have arrived in France. Others will
follow, and still others will follow
This war will gradually absorb the
minds and the bodies of America.
We are just beginning to realize that
1t is our war.
The war spirit, either deadening
or exhilarating, Is ever sweeping In
and out Of the rooms of American
palaces and American cottages.
Within six months half million
American soldiers will be on the west
front, and another million will be
ready to follow them.
Then the American air fleet will
make its presence felt, and this air
feet will be reinforced by greater
feet. Within year the American
air feet, along with the English and
French air ships, will tremendously
dominate the German ships of the
air
But the cost to America is going
to be staggering. We will spend
more the first year than any other
single power has spent In any .one
year.
We are an expensive people. We