The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-06-17
by n. N. Rickey.)


employers and employees. business men
and artisans and farmers, the whole
1N0.o0O,o0o of us--do not wake up at
once to the immncncc II the danger
which faces this country III the world
war, then God help us, for no human
agency can.
That the danger cannot ho over esti-
mated. that it is growing with each
day and each hour that it may result
within a few months in q disaster So
great that the bravest may we'll trem-
bic in contemplation Of II. IS not mere
~ the opinion of the writer. Il It were.
this article would rot have been writ
ten.
Best Posted Men Alarmed.
Put this is the interpretation Of the
situation voiced hv the best posted
mon in Washington IN office and out
of office. II is the almost unanimous
opinion of those who are in position
to know the facts anchored hN Euro
pean censorship. and who have the in
telligcncc to estimate the facts and
the courage TO face.
The writer has been in Washing
ton for n number Of DAYS for the pur-
pose of attempting to break through
the crust or rather hard she'll OF off
cial secrecy and reticence in an effort
to get AT the real facts
1t seemed that II was vitality nrces-
sary that the truth be told. whether
or not it's telling conformed to tn. Of
fetal view as TO how much or how
little information it was safe 10 pass
along to the people.
Must Tell the Public.
This is not intended as n criticism,
OF the government officials. either civil
or military. nor as charge or even
suggestion that they are wiffulIy dis
torting facts. The newspapers are as
much or more TO blame than the off
Gals for the lack of appreciation and
understanding on the rart OF In"
great mass of the American people ~
the magnitude of the task which the
war with Germany is TO impose. upon
them and the very real danger ira.
they may. almost ccrtain'v will Sacc in
the near future unless they at once de-
vote to that task all that they have
OF strength, Intelligence ingenuity
courage. natural wealth ard last but
not least, patriotic unsc1fishnoes.
Washington newspaper writer's and
the editors back home have carried the
voluntary censorship idea to such
lengths in their efforts to keep military
secrets from tho enemy that they have
leaned over backward. The mere suE-
Scstion from any official that this OF
that information might he of value 10
hls lei 20
press news which il was vital for the
public to know. and tn" publication OF
which could by no possible stretching
of the Imagination interfere with the
military efficiency of the nation.
The cumulative effect of all of this
suppression OF news has been to Gre
ate in the public mind a picture of tho
relation of this country to the world
war which is exactly the opposite Of
the picture that ought to bn there. that
must be there. If we arc TO do our part
i'm the war with the srced and eff
cheney that We must do it if disaster
that imronds Is to be avoided.
Germany Victory Means Our Surrender
We entered the war TO make the
world safe for democracy; We must
now fight in the fields, in the fac
tories. in the trenches to defend our
nation, our homes and our families
against Germany, For a German vic.
tory over England and Franco is not
only a possibility but a probability un
less American help in food ANA Suira
and men can be sent To Europe in
much greater volume and in much
shorter time than the present organi-