McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1917-08-03
Letter From New York

please them.
| If any one is in doubt that we are
in war with a frst-class power at
war to the knife, knife to the hilt
and hilt to the death, the doubt will
soon be dispelled. We have not yet
begun to fight, but we are getting
warmed up in hurry. The draft is
the biggest thing in sight, and it is
by no means certain that we will have
enough men with the June registra-
tion. There is talk now of making
another call for young men who have
in the meantime, or will by fall, at
tain the age of twenty-one. Germa-
ny apparently has no thought of
throwing up the sponge, especially
since so many Russians have lain
down" in front of the Germans.
am ashamed of those fellows. | know
some mighty fine Russians, who would
no more think Of doing a cowardly,
dastardlY thing like that than Of cut
ting their own throats. This falling
back is due to a combination Of cow
ardice, anarchy, socialism, the teach
ing of non-resistance to evil, as enun-
ciated by Tolstoi. but most of all per-
haps by German gold and German
promises of unlimited land and credit
for the Russians who will side with
them.
| | am afraid this Russian retreat
means that many more of our own
brave boys may have to suffer for it,
and that the war will be prolonged
just that much.
I'VE have sounded forth the trum-
pet that shall never call retreat" )"
we have entered the lists for world
democracy; we are fighting for the
dream Of the ages, the universal
brotherhood of man. We had to do
it because our own national existence
was threatened, and is now at stake,
more than ever since our nation be-
gan.
Did you ever realize how a world
war was made possible; why this war,
instead Of being confined to one OF
two nations in Europe, has spread all
over the earth? The answer is sim.
Pile: international relations had be.
come SO close, through fast ocean
steamers, cables, wireless telegraphy
and the thousand adjuncts of modern
civilization, that all humanity was
drawn together like one great tribe
1t was like piling the dry brush closer
together, so that it could all take fire
Here in America. there were once
many separate tribes of Indians, al
ways at war with each other some.
where, but it was not possible for all
! of them to be at war at the same
| time because they were SO scattered
It is now one peaceful, solid nation,
where once hundreds of different
tribes were scattered. May we not
hope that in like manner, the tor
ments of war may be followed by q
peace that shall lie like mantle Of
heavens blessing upon every land at
the same time and forever; that the
mind of man may be occupied. in
building up his brothers home in
! stead Of in tearing it down, as now;
when the arts and sciences shall form
, link never to be broken, between
| the nations, and not as fire. bran OF
! ichain Of powder, as now; when all
national defense shall he but one vast
bulwark against war? Nearly all Of
the nations showed their desire fol-
something like this, in the first Hague
Conference, called by the Gar Of
Russia, but Germany didn't want it
: No, she wanted the world herself
and she will wind up. let us hope
with less than she started with
Whenever man is proved TO have
started a fuss, | want to see that mar
get the worst of it, every time. The
German race started this war three
t years ago this week.
Now they are talking at Washing.
ton of expenditures aggregating Q
! dozen billions. Nobody can conceive
of such an amount as that. A billion
is thousand millions. but it is i'm
4 possible for the human mind to real
; ize just what that is. To count ;
million would take three months; tt
count the proposed war appropriation
for this year alone, would require
2 5000 years at the same rate.
Just see what Congress appropri
I ated for aeroplanes alone-over 81,
- .li:o.. of lollo..t nL.A :.