American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-10-19
THROWING THE SPOTLIGHT
ON THE WAR.


the people here. my people, understood
90 al what the war means and under
stood az all what task lay Immediately
ahead OF them.
! have been here nov something
more than ten weeks. have made
careful Inquiry Ia fifteen states as 10
the state Of mind aud as 10 the under
standing Of the war. / am very sorry
% say that there IL throughout this
country not only a great deal Of mis-
Information about the true war status.
but also a very large degree OF ION
Information.
Ihefe are countless thousands. 1
may say millions. Of people who have
no conception Of the fact that this war
~ distinctly and absolutely and COM
pletely Americas war. For nearly
three years the grim and bony index
niger OF war has pointed straight this
way. For nearly three years and each
succeeding day with accommodating
force, urgent reasons have existed for
putting In order the defensive machln-
cry OF his country. In August Of
1914 when brave little Belgium stood
90 against tho kaiser's trained legions
ana hhed her rivers OF blood In defense
ot the rights Of small nations. the
warning rang out loudly that Prusslan
military autocracy had challenged the
world But for that glorious fight
which this little country put up against
me German bully, France must have
falien, the channel ports would have
passed into German hands and under
cover OF the huge gum which were
then a revelation 70 the world. the in
Vading forces would have swarmed
into England and the war would have
been quickly over. That's what Bel
gium spells Ia this situation.
Belgium fought not only for Bel
gum, but for the whole civilized world
My point is that the issue was az
clear~cut then as II il today and VET
after nearly three years OF war ON a
scale such as the world has never
hno"n. involving country after coun-
Try me sweeping steadily on like a
great tldal wave. with warning after
warning OF the most definite charac |
Ter such as the L~usitania. the Arabic
ana inc sussex. with lightning flashes
ana peals OF thunder from the darken-
ing skies 10 let everyone know that
'he storm was coming. today finds
great masses OF people throughout this
country dangerously apathetic and OBJ
'iFlous 70 the acute peril which threat
tnem. II also finds this country
a~stoundingly u%nprepared.
Events have so shaped In this o.
world struggle that America
looms large as the one determin-
iactor IA sight. That Is a fact that
: not generally understood here. The
ieunite thing that threatens the world
Quay Is q long war and a long war
that IN the main the brunt OF
the force OF Il, the cost of 1t land
cost OF Il means more thar money!
WI inevitably rest upon this coun-
ry Ihat Is worth thinking about. be
Il is true. ,
| am not "a Of those who believe .
the allies a be- beaten. They :
'ill not De beaten. hut so serious are
ome OF the features OF the war situ-
ton today that unless the people OF !
ne United states awaken quickly TO :
tull sense OF their individual obliga- :
ions and join heartily In this work OF :
rEanixing he country for war on an /,
nornious scale, there is certain TO !,
nsue a long and CHASTITY period OF !,
ghting and worldwide suffering. with +,
ain and starvation on every side. :
nd by a long period | mean from i've
, twenty years.
shipping Situation Serious. :,
lhats the war situation as Il looks 4
day. To-day the most serious single \
'aturc OF The IA situation has to do \
i'm shipping. Since 1915 IL may In y
rest YOU to know that over 1000. 900 /"
ms OF shipping have been sunk and :,
'stroyed. That Is one-nfth Of the !.
total shipping Now take into =
'n~aideration the vast amount Of ship a,
that Is now required for military -,
In addition 20 cOAstwisel lake. -
id inland, and other minor purposes. u,
al Il will be seen that the remainder "A,
occah-going mercantile shipping Is IN
q 10 a position 20 undergo much more n
attraction without serious conse-
20 tho whole allied cause.
This means thar new construction In
keep pace with submarine sink II
< and must ever gain on those from ~
ne 20 time u the margin of safety ~
60 food, fuel oil for the navies and :,
her vital supplies is to be reached n,
81 maintained That being 80. Il of
20 reason that more and still in
ore ships must be built and quickly hi
a into ocean-carrying service II the 4,
he'd canuse Is not TO be put in 4
lpardy
Fuel and Food shortage.
France and Italy are very short OF Il,
al Il Is Interesting perhaps. in pas ~
ig. 20 state that coal today In Paris -
somewhere between SOS aud SIS per \,
p. With bod and OH reserves con M
below normal ia the %prinei- ~
k-AarnFr 4nU with n.a.N~. III TN