The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-04-28


thing worth fighting for.
THE BEST HELP.
While Roosevelt is declaring that the
United States should send small force of
soldiers to Europe for moral effect, it is in
terestlng to note that a military writer in
L. 11ntans1geant of Paris, thinks we could
be OF more material assistance by despatch
ing an army of workmen to Europe. Three
hundred thousand American workmen on
the French front would give us victory"
he states, whereas an equal number on the
firing line would not accomplish noticeable
results
As we all know, modern battles are won
more by the preparation than by the final
rush. No longer do military events pivot
around strategic railways, Notifications,
etc. All such are destroyed as an army
| retreats-they must be rebuilt by the adj
vancing force Combatants must organ
ize the ground themselves and necessarily
| their labor output is limited. Says our ex-
pert:
ssm hnd Of we're
p almost ana and the Whole Pon
ssy s15 oPesa
@ siSoyss aI aI"ns VIVA, po'a as
n5ssss e
had had aste french and eamp oonditioas
hsSns q p s'
nj5I qshtia Togd
already gained Msanwhile, second army of Ameri-
goches WOnd NOT eseape s us PAGES mat oa the
It's little dinning to the glory of war,
that is, to the old-fashoned conception of
glory-this exaltation of the railroad
grader, the engineer, the ditch digger, the
brick layer, the carpenter, the 1nachinist,
the concrete mixer, the b1acksnith-and it
| illustrates how democratic is war become.
It is not the glory we are fighting for
there is no more glory in killing men in
trench than in killing cattle in the stock
yards-but civilizations; and civilization
means sewers where natural stagnation
once was; houses in place of canopy of
leaves; pavements and roads in place of the
wilderness; boats instead of the pre-
historic log; fine clothes instead of skins;
of cupboards, tables, chairs, faucets, stoves
and refrigerators and toothpicks; drinking
troughs, swings, railroad cars, paintings,
books, bridges, automobiles, sculpture
watches, forks, music, perambulators, and
a thousand other things representing work
The noble red man is perhaps more spec
tacular than plumber, but the latter is a
more useful citizen. The might of Achilles
could at best chop only about half cord
of wood a day more than the average man
whereas, the modern champion, the scien-
fist who evolves a new gum invents a new
torpedo, or devises new defense IN time
of peace, directs his brain to the better
ment of the human race.
But he in turn depends on his CO
workers: no one man or class can stand
alone; for everybody there is work, impor-
tant work. whether in the trench or in the
ditch, in the charge or in the shop, at sea
or at home, driving an airplane or mixing
mortar. Even the lame, the halt, the sick
and the blind can find something to do.
Cincinnatus need not leave the plow; the
riveter, the caulker, the welder, the weaver,
the butcher, the baker, the candlestick
maker are all called to the colors, but in
their respective capacities-sone to be sent
abroad, some to stay at home. But all must
do something1only those who can do
nothing else should carry arms. Therein
lies the whole question of selective con-
scription. The government wants to keep
men from throwing themselves away on
the wrong work, to see that each does that
for which he is best fitted Slackers who
are always averse to shoudering a gun can
avoid service at the front by doing some
thing useful at home