The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-11-02
WAR TALKS
By UNCLE DAN
Number One
America Must Fight Hard or Germany
May Win-Neeessity for Mill
tary Training.
Number One

snow, Billie" said his mother, your
Uncle Dan is coming tomorrow to
| spend q week with us on the farm, and
If YOU want to know about the war,
here's your opportunity. Uncle Dan Is
| probably one of the best-informed men
In the country" Billie clapped his
hands and gave such whoop that he
Weakened the baby, but what could you
expect of fifteen-year-old boy who is
a living interrogation point and wants
to know about war?
| Uncle Dan arrived in due time and
Billie watched for an opportunity. 1t
came that evening after dinner when
Uncle Dan had lighted a cigar and
taken a seat on the porch.
I'm mighty glad you came, Uncle
Dan. want to talk to you about the
wan We have just put military train
ing in our township high school, but
we had hard time to do it. The
Joneses and the Greggs objected. They
said the war wouldn't come over here.
| Grandma Jones said: They amt no
use to wOrrit, it will soon blow over.
| Well, we put the training in just the
same. You orter heard Judge Brow
nell. the president of the school board,
do the slackers up. He said unless we
take off our coats and go to it, Ger
many may yet win, and If she does, she
will take over the great British fleet as
q war trophy and compel us to do what
ever she wants to; that she could make
us pay all the cost of the war; the
kaiser could tax us as he pleased and
that we couldn't help ourselves. He
could make every one pay over part
of what he earns; that he could make
the farmers pay rent for their own
farms, etc. Now, Uncle, what do you
think of that?"
SWELL my boy" said Uncle Dan,
"all that Judge Brownell says might
| easily come true and may unless we GO
| quickly to the aid of the allies with
| large numbers of men and help them
break the German line. Unless we can
beat the submarines. they may pre-
vent us from getting enough food to
the allies to keep them going. In that
case Germany would win. AS matter
stand today, our greatest need il
| trained men. If we had had several
millions of men with military training
| In our industries and on our farms
when the war came, who could
| have been called at once for service,
| do not believe the kaiser would have
| forced the war upon us. AS it was, he
had no respect for us, and now we are
In it and must 60 through with it. But
never again must we be caught sc
wholly unprepared.
| There is only one safe way" said
| Uncle Dan, "and that is to adopt per.
manently universal military training
| apply it to every young man who is
| physically fit, say in his nineteenth OF
| twentieth year. The training can be
carried forward in the United States
| training camps that are now being es.
tablished for training men called by
| the selective draft. AS soon as these
men vacate these stations, they should
be filled Dy younger men, and this
should be made the permanent policy
Of the country"
| Billie's mother, Mrs. Graham, had
overheard the conversation. She came
out and said: Really, Brother Dan
| are you serious as to the dangers OF
our country? If 1t is as bad as that, II
is high time for us to wake up and dc
something about it."
Exactly" replied Uncle Dan. "It
is better to wake up now than to be
rudely awakened later. We may as
well understand, sister, that this is oul
| war and we must win it or God heir
| America. Everything that we have
! or hope to have-sur liberties, Oul
blessings, our opportunities are all in
vOived In the great issue before us
Nothing must stand between us and
| winning this war. 1t is question
whether the peoples right or the kai
ser's might shall dominate the world
If there ever was holy war, this is
it. We are fighting for world liberty
We are fighting for the freedom Of
| humanity. We are fighting for the
right of men to govern themselves in
stead of being governed against theil
will by war-mad overload. Perilous
times are ahead OF US. we must be
prepared to make any sacrifice, to per
form any service that may be required
of u.s."
"Oh, Uncle Dan," exclaimed Billie
may 1 bring my chum, Jimmie Col
| Inns, when we have our next talk? He
is bug Oh this war business and JUS
crazy to see YOU"
Certainly" said Uncle Dan, with &
hearty laugh. IF we are to have more
talks, l shah be glad to have Jimmie
| join us"
Billie ciapped his hands and ran tt
fhe phone and told Jimmie to be Ovel