River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1917-02-22
TWO EXTREMES OF
THE WAR ISSUE
Moore and Garden Present Opposite
Views---Army and Navy
Bills are Passes
sUFFRAelsTs STILL ON PATROL
Paper Situation May Be Relieved
Frear's Weekly Letter From
Washington

One day last week, Gardner, Of
Massachusetts, and Moore Of Penn
sylvania, jointly occupied an hour Of
the time Of the House discussing the
foreign situation. Moore repeated
q report that 25 large newspapers
are being paid to Promote the war
spirit and warned Congress that two
billion dollars Of securities issued by
the allies held in this country was
calculated to prejudice the public in
their favor.
On the other hand, Gardner raked
pacifsts, copperheads and those urg-
ing peaceful measures n d said
'coWardice is the consequence Of
the instinct Of self preservation, the
strongest of human instincts. The
extent to which a man can overcome
the instinct Of self-preservation is
the measure Of his manhood" Both
men represent extremes of the issue
raised by the European war and
their utterances do not indicate gen
eral sentiment either way. Moore
has been asked to name the 25
papers and Gardner is challenged as
to his views on coWardice Letters,
petitions, protests and requests for
a referendum are received d a ly.
Just how the exact issue could be
presented or discussed. or passed up
on through a referendum seems to
be considered a detail of minor i'm
portance. At this particular time
we are principally engaged in trying
to provide the whereWith for de-
Tense, if needed.
Army and Navy bills totalling over
S600,O00,000 are being passed by
Congress this week, practically as
prepared by the Committee At the
present time the number of enlisted
men in the Army reaches in round
numbers, one hundred thousand, but
these men are scattered over the
Pacific, down at Panama and also
throughout the country at the diff
ferent posts so that the actual mo-
bile force is not enough to make
more than a respectable guard mount
when compared with tn forces
placed in the field by the average
European country, now at war. Fifty
odd years ago battle line extended
a few miles but in these days of mo-
dern warfare battle lines extend all
along the border between hostile
countries, sometimes for several
hundred miles in length. In case of
emergency the war strength of this
country is variously estimated at
from twelve to fifteen million men.
These are not trained men in mill
tary drill but when we read hair
Drained romances of Japan or Ger
many, or some other country that is
coming across the seas to over run
the United States, it is we'll to re-
member that all these countries are
busily occupied with other concerns
at the present time. In fact it would
be no brief holiday task at any time.
Such eXtravagant prophesies have
never stampeded Us in past and new
er will but the general desire Tor
adequate military and naval pro-
lection is being supported without
regard to parties.
The outside world may occasion
ally forget that sufragists are still
standing at the White House gates.
Real suffrage militancy is promised
one of these fine mornings upon ar
rival of a delegation of Indian wom-
en- who are to relieve the vigils Of
their white sisters. This program is
set forth in the press and if the color
line is not to be drawn in Washing
ton, the possibilities of further aid
are unlimited. Meanwhile, the Chief
Executive is trying to untangle the
snarl caused by changing European
conditions and to solve problems
that have never been more real or
momentous than at thepresent time.
Last week the Department of the
Potomac elected as its Commander,
A. H. Frear, who still claims Hud-