davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-08
Other Mems Views
An Editorial That May or May Not
Square With The Forums
Opinions,

The New York World: The first
question that the average man will
ask in connection with President
Wilson's action in fixing a basic
price of 1920 a bushel for wheat is:
How will it affect the price of bread?
1t is reported from Washington
that the food authorities believe
that with wheat at $500 the price of
a fourteen ounce loaf can be reduce
ed to cents, but already the bakers
have begun to protest that 1t will
be impossible. Perhaps they will be
less sure that 1t is impossible When
the full power of the government is
asserted. A basic price of 50 for coal
is also impossible" but after the
operators have done with their
grumbling they will come to 1t or
find that the government is in pos
session of their mines.
With the complaints of the farm
ers we need not seriously trouble
ourselves. The farm price of wheat
at the beginning Of the war was 81
and under. Even when the specu-
lative price was manipulated to
$3.50 a few months ago, investiga-
tion showed that farmers had not
been getting more than $3.50, and
most wheat was sold far under that
price. The farmer who cannot profit
ably raise wheat on the basis of 1920
a bushel in Chicago is a poor farmer
and had better turn his activities
in some other direction.
The man to be considered at this
time is not the farmer. or the miller
or the jobber or the baker, but the
man who works for days wages or a
weekly salary. It is his back that the
"a T.. Ia
addition to all the governmental tax
alton that is passed along to him, he
is compelled to submit to a system
OF private taxation that has never
been surpassed in the annals Of ex-
tortion. Everybody who has to do
with the IlecessaTies of life Is trying
TO get rich at his expense, and the
burden cannot be borne indefinitely.
The head Of one Of the largest bah-
ing concerns in the country Is quot
ed in the newspapers as saying that
bread Is today the cheapest food In
the market" That may be true
without proving that the price Of
bread Is not excessive. The bakers
may be astonished at their own
moderation in view Of what some Of
the other practitioners In price-kit-
ing are doing. but the fact remains
that the price of bread must come
down. along with the price Of other
necesaaries. No means exist for
pyramiding wages as rapidly as the
cost OF living pyramids.
The government is only at the be-
ginning Of the use of its war powers
to regulate prices. There is no more
proper and legitimate exercise Of
such power In time Of national peril
than the stern restriction Of private
greed.
The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-08

and that we don't know what we
are fighting for-one is that
intellectual blindness-that ability TO
think what you want to think, to see
no more than you want to see
engendered by fanatical devotion to
a particular formula or scheme -
often very good in itself:-the other
Is plain intellectual dishonesty.
II ever the reason for war was
clear, If ever a people came to a war
by solid Ii slow argument, 1t Is now.
IL ever the aim of a conflict was
stated fully and unanswerably ii was
SO stated by the President OF the
United States in his message Of
April 2, declaring war. That message
Is and must remain our justification
and our aim. We are i'm war because
the wheel OF civilization is blocked
by stick OF such prodigious and
hideous toughness that it never again
will revolve in the path OF free demo-
cratic progress unless that part Of
the world which has chosen that
path frees. the wheel.
Prussianism, as we have come to
call the doctrine on which Germany
bases its attack on the world, be-
peves in itself and its superiority to
the rest of US. 1t believes itself
called to spread itself over the rest
of US in spite Of our liking 1t or not.
1t believes in the war as the divinely
appointed instrument for our CONVEX
sion. Believing this, 1t made good
and ready for its great crusade. It
developed q great, healthy, busy,
trained, obedient people-people who,
for the sake of the security they en-
The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-08
"JusTIFIABLE, EXcUsABLE AND
PROPER"

When a coroner's jury classes the
killing of a human being as "justi-
fable, excusable and proper" there
must be a very good reason for it.
The tragedy enacted on a North
ern Pacific freight train provided
such reason.
The officers who are paid to pro-
tect the lives of train crews and the
property of their employers, are TAX
ing their lives in their hands. They
are dealing with a class of men who
will stop at no crime. This has been
proved repeatedly in the past.
The man who goes about armed
places himself outside the law, I'M
less he is a soldier or a duly con-
stituted officer of the law. 1t is
prima facie evidence of his intent to
commit crime. In Thursday nights
tragedy, the victim gave further
concrete evidence of his intention to
commit robbery and murder If nee
essary. The officers had the legal
right to kill him and the further
moral right, in that it was neces-
sary to protect their own lives.
The fact that the man was an I.
w. w. had no bearing on the merits
Of this particular case. It neither
increased nor decreased the justi-
hcation for the shooting. But it did
provide further evidence. If it was
needed, of what may be expected of
members Of this organization.
The victim was q mere boy in
years, having just reached his ma
jority. He was not the real Grimm
al. The real criminals are the agita-
tors who poured the doctrine Of "di-
rect action" and class prejudice into
his receptive mind. He is entitled to
sympathy rather than condemnation.
but it is better to feel the sympathy
for him than for the families of the
officers Of the law who were engaged
In performing their duty.
The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-08

loved in the perfectly adjusted ma
chine. were willing to accept war
which was to make them rlcher,
more powerful, rulers of the eartn.
This war is but the first campaign
in the series which was to Prusslan-
ize the earth. Study Germanys own
teachings, follow the patient, intelll-
gent worming into every nook ano
Granny of the earth and you cannot
escape her intention, fantastic as II
seems, hard as it has been to believe
IL.
Germany struck a group of nations
sropinp towards an entirely different
ideaI-nations only alf-heartedly
military and that half so only by
their sense of necessity. These ma
tons wanted only their own. They
were coming more and more to feel
that every little land should have its
chance. They wanted above all
Peace that the visions of the possi-
biIities for peoples who lived and
worked honestly visions still dim
but yet unmistakable-might be
realized.
With every month of this three
years of war ii has become clearer
that either Prussianism or DeEnoc-
racy must go down. What was true
of slavery in this country sixty years
ago-"We must become all one thing
or the other" is true today. We must
become all Prussian or all Democrat.
There is no peace in the world with
both. The stick must come out OF
the wheel or we must take the road
to a world Imperialism.
The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-08
GREAT ARMY MoRILIzED.

When the real call for Red Cross
service comes, North Dakota will be
ready to the last detail.
Few outside of those closely con-
nected with the work, know the
amazingly complete Red Cross or
ganization that has been built up in
this state.
Under the direction Of Judge n. 9.
Young, every county has been or
ganized, and each county chapter is
the central body for local chapters.
The locals are in constant touch with
the county organization and the
county organizations are in close
touch with the state headquarters,
which in turn reports directly to the
district headquarters at Minneapolis.
The work has been thorough, and
this great organization is already at
work. It is big enough and elastic
enough to meet any demands that
are made upon it.
Up to the present, money has been
the easiest thing to get. The first
need was organization, and then
members. The organization is now
about complete. Members will al
ways be needed and welcome. With
the organization and the members.
there will be no worry about funds.
So thorough has been the ground
work, that the Red Cross of the state
would be prepared tomorrow to meet
almost any demand that could be
made upon it. 1t is great army of
many thousand workers, modified,
equipped, and ready for service when
the call comes.
The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-08
"The Whistling
Mother"
What II Means To a Soldier To
Have a Mother Who Will
Hold Her Head Up,

From The Kansas City Star:
The Whistling Mother" is the
name of a little 50-cent book by
Grace s. Richmond that every moth
err who has a son going to war, and
the sons. and other folks too, might
be inspired by If they would read
it. This son is in college when he
enlists. He writes and tells his moth
err. and, although she loved him well,
and suffered because he was going,
she wouldn't show it but wrote him:
Its all right, son, and were
proud as Punch of you, that you
want to be not only in Americas
First Hundred Thousand, but in
her First Ten Thousand. We
know it will stiffen your spine
considerably to hear that your
family are behind you.s Well,
we are-iust ranks and rows Of
us, with our heads up and the
colors waving. So go ahead, but
come home first, if you can"
He goes home, and mother meets
him at the train. looking her best,
smiling, kisses hinA but not tear
nor a word or scene, and, as they
drive home in the motor car he tells
her of his enlistment and all about
IL, ana she says - 01 PSAASSA5
great and / don't wonder you want
to go. Why, IL you didn't want to go,
Jack. / should feel that had been
the wrong sort of mother"
And there was no scene when he
got home, everybody all smiles, and
when bedtime came:
Mother kissed me good night,
when we broke up, in just exact
ly the old wayne extras. Oh,
maybe l did put a little more
muscle into the hug gave her
mothers great to hug, just ex-
actly like a girI-but that was
all. We parted with a laugh.
Afterward, when was in bed,
she came in, in some kind Of a
loose, rosy sort of silk thing,
and stopped down and kissed me,
and patted my shoulder, and
went out again without saying a
word. /" Maybe ! didn't turn
over then for a minute, and bury
my head in my pillow and have
it out a bit. But that didn't
count, because nobody saw.
Then the time came to leave home
for the train and Jack went up to
his room to pack, and he was afraid
he would break down, but mother
The next minute her arms
were around my neck in the old
way, and she was holding me so
tight / could hardly breathe. l
have an idea she was saying In
side. 81 WON'T won't-just the
same way was. She didn't keep
me long. Just that one great hug,
then she looked into my face
and showed me hers, all smil-
ing, and not a tear in her eyes,
and said: "JacAy. you're a brick"
And then ] broke out into p
great laugh Of relief, and
shouted, Mother, you're q whole
brick-yard." Perhaps you think
she ought to have prayed over
me, and given me Bible, and a
lot of motherly advice. Don't you
think It'll The prayers had been
spread over twenty-five years OF
my life, and my Bible was all
marked up with her markings.
The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-08

ment took almost Quixotic pains to
make his meaning and policy clear,
was forced always to keep an eye
open for this particular cuttle-fish
trick. It was played on him constant
ly in. the Civil war by the Northern
pacifists. They wanted his terms!-
He had stated them repeatedly from
the start-the Union-that was his
object and that alone. Whatever he
did or said. he did and said because
he believed 1t would help save the
Union. What he did not say or do
he did not say or do because he did
not believe the doing and saying
would help save the Union.
But the North was sprinkled with
people who were not satisfied with
that one clear aim. They wanted
him to set down in writing what he
meant TO do with the Confederates
should they be defeated, what kind
of government he proposed to es-
tablish in the revolving states;
whether or no he would give the
negro a vote; that is, they were busy
from morning until night obscuring
the end-the saving of the Union.
War Breeds Cutie fish.
Every great contest breeds a school
Of this pestiferous cuttle-fis We
have them mountaineering our
troubled waters with their we
don't know why -we-are- fighting" ink
They want terms" and threaten to
hinder the war in every way possible
until they get them.
There are two ways OF explaining
the people who today declare that
we have been hurried" into this war
The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-08
Lesson No. Is.
ARMY INSIGNIA.


preceding lessons: /. Your Post of
Honor. 2. Making Good as a Sol
der. 3. Nine Soldierly Qualities. 4.
Getting Ready for Camp. 5. First
DAYS in Camp. 6. Cleanliness in
Camp. Z. Your Health. s. March
ing and Care of Feet. 9. Your
Equipment and Arms. 10. Recrea-
ton in Camp. IL. Playing the
Game. IL. Team Work in the Army.
10. Grouping Men into Teams. IA.
The Team Leaders. Is. Fighting
Arms of the Service. 16. Staff
Branches of the Service, 1. II. Staff
Branches of the Service, H.
The uniform Of the United States
army stands for democracy. 1t is
almost the same for all ranks from
private to commanding general-so
much so, in fact, that it is often diff
ficult to recognize a mans place in
the service at first glance. But a
closer view will tell the whole story
to any experienced observer.
Insignia" is the term used to in
clude all the badges, buttons, braids,
hat cords, and other devices which
indicate these three things:
1. The rank of each of1cer or
soldier.
2. His branch of the service or
his special duties.
8. His personal experience or
record.
An ordinary private's uniform
carries no insignia of rank. When
man becomes a fl sjt-class private,
however, in the Engineer corps, Hos
pital corps. Ordnance department,
Quartermaster corps, or Signal
corps, he is entitled to wear on the
sleeves of his coat and shirt the
design of the department to which
he belongs.
A lance corporal wears on his
sleeve an inverted V-shaped bar. A
corporal has two bars, and a SER
three V-shaped 1inverted) bars may
appear number of additional
marks, indicating his duties. For
a first sergeant has dia-
mark; the stable SER
geant has a device representing a
horses head the color sergeant has
a star; the battalion quartermaster
sergeant has three horizontal bars;
the chief trumpeter has one bar and
q device representing a bugle; and
SO on. All the cloth designs, such as
those described, which are sewn on
the sleeves, are known as "chev-
rons."
I'll Insignia Of Rank.
Above the noncommissioned off,
GERS, rank is shown by various in
sigma .on the shoulder loops of
coats, on the sleeves Of coats and
overcoats, on the collars Of shirts,
and by hat cords. The most i'm
portant are those made of metal and
sewn on shoulder loops and shirt col
lars. A major general has two sill
yer stars; a brigadier general, one
silver star; a colonel, silver eagle:
d lieutenant colonel, a silver oak
Ieaf; a major. a gold oak leaf;
captain, two silver bars; and a first
lieutenant, one silver bar. A second
lieutenant has no shoulder insignia.
You can readily tell the rank of any
The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-08

Two great movements overshadow
all others in the war news of the
week.
One of these is the German cap
ture OF Riga and the other the Italian
offensive on the Isonzo.
The capture of Riga has been
made light of, but II is a serious al
though perhaps not an alarming
event. Its effects must be considered
from two standpoints, military and
political.
From a military standpoint the
capture of the third seaport in the
Russian republic, a city of 100000,
cannot be passed off as a matter Of
no Importance. Riga was also the
base for the right flank of the Rus
sian army. Whether the flank can be
turned and the entire line forced to
retreat, depends on the extent Of
the DISCRIMINATION of the Russians,
and the manner in which they con-
duct their retreat. II they are able
to withdraw while presenting a
strong front, and save their supplies,
the actual military effect may not
be great. Petrograd Is 400 miles
away, and there is little likelihood
that the Germans will spare the men
for the drive to the capital, with
a Russian winter rapidly approach
ing.
There is another possibility of i'm
portance, and that is the prospect of
a great naval battle in the Baltic
in the near future. The Russian navy
is reported to be ready to fight, and
the two fleets may meet in the very
near future.
The political effect cannot yet be
judged, and there are so many vary
ing forecasts that almost any pre-
diction can be supported. One pre-
diction is that the peril to the Rus
sian capital will unite the Russian
people and strengthen the govern
ment Another is that 1t may cause
despair OF the possibility Of ever de-
feating Germany and bring about
separate peace. Still another is that
the Germans may succeed in restor-
ing the Gear or one of his relatives
who is friendly to Germany.
One thing is certain: every day
that the provisional government re-
mains in power gives 1t time to
strengthen itself. and if political or
military disaster can be STAYED off
until winter, Russia will have every
opportunity to reorganize her army.
Only the political disaster would
bring about the military debacle, for
Germany will not hazard a drive
farther into Russia at this time,
when she needs every man who can
be spared, in the west, unless a great
coup is in prospect.
The italian Victory.
The Italian troops are covering
themselves with glory on the Isonzo,
and the possibilities of General Ca
dorna's campaign are developing
into something more than the mere
capture Of Trieste. General Cadorna
The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-08
The War For the Week

Is now credited with aiming at Wen
ma instead of Trieste. He will not
have to advance much farther before
he divides the Austrian army, and
isolates the troops to the south. The
last Of the Austrian strongholds is
expected to fall daily. and the plains
of Austria will be before him.
A drive to Vienna would be a
crushing blow to the Central powers.
1t would cut off Turkey and Bull
garia. and leave them at the mercy
Of the Rumanians and the allied
forces in Macedonia. It would open
the back door to Germany and ne
cessitate the defending Of hundreds
of miles of new front. That the
italian armies have been supported
by British artillery, shows the i'm
portance attached to General Ca
dorna's move by the Allies. For
more than two years the Italians
have been hacking their way through
the mountains against obstacles that
Austrians have held positions that
could be defended by a machine gun
company against a regiment. One by
one these have been captured. II
they once get through to the plains
it will be different story. The pres
sure on the weakening Austrians will
then be multiplied many times. The
capture of Trieste seems almost
certain. The drive to Vienna is quite
within the range of the possible.
Aerial Possibilities.
The airplane has been brought to
the fore again during the week. by
the reports of the bombardment OF
the Adriatic bases by an immense
new plane used by the Italians. This
aerial monster is of new type. 1t
carries twenty five men. travels $50
miles an hour, and can fly 1000 miles
without stopping. Such a machine
may revolutionize war methods. Be-
fore spring, it is quite probable that
trench fighting will, in large part,
give way to sporadic attacks by
large bodies Of troops transported
by airplane. The Allies, for example,
might transport several thousand
men armed with machine guns. by
airplane to a German naval base or
munition plant, destroy it and re-
turn in a few hours. Such develop
ment would place either side at the
mercy of the countries that control
the air. Germany would be forced to
keep at any strategic point sufficient
troops to defend it against any force
the Allies might transport by air.,
The idea seems almost fantastic,
but nothing is fantastic in this war.
Already there have been aerial at
tacks in which more than 100 air.
planes took part. If each machine
could transport twenty-five men,
why should even 100 machines re-
main in the air after they reach
their objective? A force Of $500 men
armed with machine guns could wipe
out an undefended city before aid
could reach it.
The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-08

tone that the President has TAX
en-. President Wilson has
'conclusively emancipated the
liberal peoples for whom he has
spoken from any hysterical
military program. The
President, in fact, is asking an
assurance in return for specific
American guarantees. He
has offered to German democ-
racy the prospect of an immedi-
ate and stable peace in return
for a successful agitation.
Economic war after the war has
received it's final quietus."
Those who honestly believed that
America should make a new declara-
ton of peace terms. and who did
not see such a declaration in previ-
Gus documents, have the opportunity
to fall into line gracefully. One by
one the props are being knocked
from under those who are not whole
heartedly in the struggle. The OBJ
structionists are being weeded out
until only the most radical Social
lists and the Germans remain.
The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-08
FALLING INTO LINE.

Even The New Republic. which
has furnished the brains for the
party that has been advocating a
restatement Of war aims and peace
terms. is satisfied with President
Wilson's answer to Pope Benedict's
peace proposals.
II devotes considerable attention
to the reply. and among other things
says:
Those who could see no end
to the war but a Knockout will
either be disappointed In the
Presidents answer or will pro-
TESS to find in his denunciation
OF intolerant wrongs a refusal to
think OF any international adj
tustment. There ID not one trace
Of weak turbulence in the firm
The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-08
CONSUMPTION OF LEISURE
TIME.

War has conscripted the nations
leisure time.
1t threatens to take from the coun-
try the old time Saturday nights and
Sundays, when there was leisure to
take mental review Of the week; to
enjoy a breathing spell between one
round Of the daily task and another;
to do little leisurely reading; to go
to church; to get acquainted with
the family.
These days the literary diet Of the
country is war news. The magazine
table has replaced the bookcase as
the medium through which the
mental storehouse Of the average
citizen is replenished.
And there are men and women in
Fargo who haven't been to church in
months. or perhaps years They have
forgotten the mental and spiritual
The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-08

freshening that comes from an hours
quiet devotional service. Sunday,
with them, is reserved for doing odd
jobs that have been laid aside dur
ing the week and allowed to accumu-
late. \Qr it is spent in a nervous,
restless search for pleasure.
The war has increased the nervous
tension Of the nation. 1t is impatient
of anything like elaboration.
Here is one draft that can be re-
sisted safely. Resist the conscrip-
ton of one day of leisure.
An old fashioned Sunday-church,
walk, a. few hours with a good
book, a quiet evening with the family
or a few friends-makes the week
less hectic.