Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-02-27

Chicago; 225 Fifth Ave-. NOV Az
City; Gumbel Bldg. Ksnsas Guy, w.
WAR REFERENDUM REQUIRES
PREPAREDNESS.
n a referendum vote on the questlon
of war Is taken now and II tn ne ueoi.
aim is for war, this country Will race
almost certain disaster.
That, seemingly. is fact overlooKeu
by those people who are loudiy anu u
sistently demanding that the govern
mont submit its foreign policy to the
vote Of the people. -. .,,o
II Is reasonable to believe that the
people who are demanding reier-
endum sincerely believe that the yer
dict would be against war. Inat IS
their excuse for combating the de'
mand for military preparedness. Ihey
are so certain that the people would
vote against war that they see no rea-
son for making any provision for war
The Courier believes that war Woulo
he most unwelcome to ma1onty OF
the people of the nation and The Cour-
Ter ia counseling against going to war
m the grounds that now exist. Also,
.The Courier hopes, as the pacifists be-
1ieye. that a majority Of the citizens
would vote against wari but bellevlng
: thing does not make it certainty
A fact that must not be overlooked
IN this connection is that the taking
a. war referendum would not occur
when men were calm and capable OF
giving their best judgment. There
would he no occasion to ask for a ref
erendum until events had infiamed
nuhl,c oninion and created popular
demand for war.
II is not beyond the realm of posi-
bility that the majority today would
declare for war. Stranger Things nave
happened. Surprising, six months ago.
man would have stated pubilcly that
New York, New Jersey, Indiana ana
Illinois would all cast their vote for
! Hughes and yet Wilson would be eject
ed. That man would have been cart
ed of to the bughouse without the TOT
mality of trial. The idea wouid
have been preposterous. Yet tnat
Srery thing did happen. And 1t might
he that even now the temper OF the
5American people is being misconstrued
wher IL -ts declared to be entirely un-
favorable to war.
II vote on the question of war
showed a majority favorable thereto,
the foreign nation most interested
would be perfectly justified in cons1d-
ering the vote declaration OF war
and in acting accordingly. What is
the situation that would then confront
us?
a The government would find itself
S,shed into war, not entirely OF Its
svn making and one for which 1t was
iSt in any sense prepared. The ma
tion would literally have climbed out
ON a branch and sawed 1t off at the
trunk. To take referendum under
present circumstances would be the
same as putting ones head in the
Elion's mouth.
Il Il is a trait of American character
THAT we rush through things in a
&hurry and sometimes unwisely. We
Xare inclined to emulate the fool who
Brushes in where angels fear to tread.
III is a matter of history that prior to
Fl the Spanish-American war, immedi.
#ately after the sinking of the Maine,
4 petitions poured in on President Nc
BKinley from all parts of the nation
+ even from the central west where
there were no munitions interests" or
"WaIl street war crowd"-demandin
that war be declared against Spain.
President Mckinley, himself, later de-
clared that at the time the people
Ewere loudest in demanding war, the
navy was totally unfit for it, not even
having enough ammunition to fire
each gun on every ship twice.
A referendum vote at that time
would as likely as not have precipitat-
- Aont ma6a
ready to prote !, our coast cities from
possible attacks by the Spanish flying
squadrons.
For this nation to adopt policy of
4 taking referendum on the question
Ss,pf war will necessitate that the nation
be ready at all times to take the con.
sequences of vote for war. II the
government is directed to so to war!
Ut must have at hand the men and mu
siitions, the organization and the plans
\ for carrying on successful war.
We must have ready at minutes
notice an army superior to Germany's
4 military machine and a navy that
al,ould take from Great Britain the
tie of mistress Of the seas" Pre-
aredness for war. If war depended
spon vote Of the people, would have
d be on a scale not even dreamed OF
now.
The advocates of the war referen-
. dunn must concede the possibility OF the
vote being in favor Of war and cease
their efforts to block the preparedness
move. II the people direct that we go
4 to war, we owe it to the people to put
las much as possible OF the burden of
1.-THE struggle on munitions and equip
ment and national wealth and as little
as possible on the lives and the hearts
Of our men and women and children.
d8 WORTHLESS DEFENSES.
iX Rex Beach, the noted author, has
found at least seven reasons why the
Panama canal is worthless as de-
fense to the United States. The first