Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-11-23
Friday, November %. 1917.
Demand Facts and Think Straight.


Europe excites enthusiasm and re-
ioicing in the heart Of every loyal
American citizen. From the Italian
cattle front reports are satisfactory,
even encouraging. The Italians.
streng thened in line and in morale by
officers and men from the British and
French reserves in France. are hold
ing the enemy at a point miles outside
he line fixed several days ago by the
war experts as the point where the
Austro- German advance could be
hdlted. While Germany is rushing her
forces and guns from the Russian front
TO brace up the famous Hindenburg
line, Field Marshal Haig and General
PetaIn are driving the kaiser's west
front forces back in sensational
manner that partakes largely Of de-
moralizatlon and rout.
Meantime, with all these tremendous
events al season Of the year when a
slowing up of military energies has
been expected, the United States is
Just beginning TO be felt on the fringe
OF the war field. Barely a score Of
casualties have thus far been suffered
by American forces on the French
front and the central empires are
Just beginning to realize that Uncle
Sam is actually in tHe war. Yet
within the week. Lord Northcliffe has
declared that ii looks TO him as if the
tinted states would not only have TO
contribute largely to the maintenance
Of the war in men, war materials and
food, but would soon have to take the
hit and actually control the manage
ment OF the war. How much more
Lord Northcliffe knows, or how much
farther he is able to see into the flu
ture Of events, than does, or can
american officials or students of war
conditions. we are not prepared to say,
but 1t is as evident in any newspaper
ohiCe III the country, as it is to Lord
NorthcliHe, that the rank and file Of
the people OF this country have as vet
hardly begun to comprehend what his
suggestion means, or what a continu-
ance OF the war for another IS months
Will mean to all Of us. in sacrifices and
adjustments of conditions.
The weekly bulletin of the Institute
OF Public Service at New York, this
weeks says: One track dangers are
many in peace times. What would
happen II the Pennsylvania railroad
tried single tracks for it's lines and
terminals: In war time one track
patriotism Is a greater menace to true
patriotism than Is wen disloyalty.
III all Of lis knew what some of us
know about blunders and wastes and
taveritism and other stalking dangers.
:hese dangers would stop stalking.
Tho time 10 tell the truth to everybody
IS before, not after tens or hundreds
Of thousands Of American lives have
beer lost.
NO more patriotic thing is possible
10 us behind the men who are behind
the guns, than to start and to stick 70
straight thinking about every phase of
our war responsibility, 10 talk straight
and out loud. and to demand the facts
with which to think and talk straight.
Unless we check the spending by
our soldiers French soldiers will hate
their American soldier allies worse
thar they hate their German soldier
enemies
Little circulation is being given to
warning sent to us by impartial OBJ
servers that the spending money of
American soldiers and officers and Law
workers threatens to be curse 10
France.
III you were a French soldier re-
Ceiving i've cents a day (i. e. for to-
hacco), how would you feel If. after
three years in the trenches and UNI
speskable carnage and hardships. men
no had come to help YOU forthwith
demoralized storekeepers and forced
up prices so that you could no longer
buy what YOU considered necessities?
What but harm to our manhood our
patriotism and our very fighting 81
hciency can come from giving our sol
diers SO much money to spend in
France that they take from French and
English colleagues the little these had
before?
What but harm is conceivable from
the lavish spending of these American
Ulcers, soldiers and workers who have
money to burn and burn it in ways
tina. menace Frances present and fu
ture"
Thinking about this and attending
TO it in time, abroad and at home, is
an absolute not relative duty OF
patriotism
- h.