The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-04-27
WHY THIS GREAT ARMY IS
CALLED IN TIE FIELD
(By D. A. Dickert.)


is to call our young men from their
daily tolls to exploit On the fields OF
Mars. For two years We have beea
expecting it. Some hoped for, some
dreaded, and others were Indifferent
But the time for talk Is over, wheth-
| er we like 1t or not, ''it is not for
us to ask the reason why, but 90 in
| and do or die" But in the beginning
Of this, our greatest struggle, where
will be our place in the vast battle
front? And what is Germany's dead
ly sin, that calls the world to arms
to defeat her? What has she done
! to US that calls to arms millions OF
our best young men? Everything
that Germany has done to her enc
, mics, nearly every sin she has com
mitted, England did or would have
DONE had she been like situated. Was
it because she blockaded England's
ports and sunk her ships? England
first instituted the blockade against
Germany and Belgium when mil
lions of women and children were
crying for bread and would hays
sunk her ships, but she had open
ports in which she could run captur-
ed ships. Then she needed the cargo.
England claims she was forced into
the war for the way Germany did
Belgium. Why England did poor
helpless Greece, worse by far. Ger
many is censured for her submarine
warfare. England has hundreds OF
them, and building others as fast as
she can. SO is the United States.
She has given orders for one thous-
and in one order. If they are not to
sink enemies ships what do nations
want with them?
But leaving all the right and wrong
out of the question, what do we want
with this overwhelming number OF
soldiers?
To fight Germany after two years
of the most bloody, wasting and con-
tinual combat? After Germany has
lost the flower Of her army and now
drawing upon all Of her reserves!
For two years she has been in battles
with the strongest nations on. earth
and her loss in life has been unpre-
cedented. After all these losses and
her enemies comparatively fresh why
should our. million Of men be needed!
why is it necessary for US to ex-
mend those billions Of dollars and
take from our producing population,
the men in our agricultural fields, our
workshops, mines and railroads to
rush them across the seas to engage
in a war they are not interested,
had no part in bringing it about and
in no way consulted in the right or
wrong Of the cause. The. leader
tells us our honor has been encroach-
ed upon, that some of our citizens
have been needlessly drowned and
some of our ships were sunk. Ger
many. when the United States lodged
her protest against this wanton dis
truction of ships and lives upon the
high seas, offered indemnity for all
damage done contrary. to lnterna-
tional law and was willing to give
I up this kind Of warfare if the presl-
dent would exact from her enemies
like observance of these rules.
England paid no attention to the pro-
test of the United States, but CON
tinued her depreciation upon the high
seas. Germany then flung the black
banner to the breeze and defed all
comers. She gave ell the world fair
notice. She did nothing underhand-
ed. When we come to summing
IN the damage and outrage she has
done to us, up to the time she COM
menced on her ruthless campaign
OF her submarines, what do We IND!
A few of our white citizens on Del
ligerent ships and from which tney
had been duly warned were drowned
hut in most cases those that were
drowned were negroes, hired to take
passage and attend to horses ana
mules. in transit for the allies.
Now is our honor of so shaky
commodity that it could be damaged
or lost by US not going to war; ralse
an armv of two million Of our best
men. at an expenditure Of two or
three billions of dollars? Are these
two or three hundred vagabond ne
eroes worth the outlay?, Other neu'
tral nations did not think so. Where
is the mother in this broad land VINO
would be willing to see her son cross
the sea and fight in these bloody Dat
ties for half the negroes in the coun-
try?
While I have never seen the nee
essity of us rushing into war on sucn
little proyocation, still If l was
Young man l would enlist on the hrSt
opportunity. And I advise every
Young man who has no one lett al
home dependent on him for living
to volunteer. We must go with our
country, right or wrong. Follow tue
flag. Wherever your flag waves that
is YOUR country. But do our leaders
really want this army to fight Ger
many? have no idea OF it. some
of our troops may cross the Atlantlc'
and all of them may be called into
camp, but none will ever fire gun
in battle In the first place, it would
take twelve months to raise, organize
and equip that many men: We would
-, /. b,;1d ohinc fn tr2NSOOrt them,