The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-03-22
"GREAT FEAR"
UPON US? not
ON YOUR LIFE!

It yields The Times no satisfaction to pick flaws in
other newspapers in their policies, but once in
while we read something in one of them that wo
simply cannot let pass unanswered
Such is the case with an editorial by DR.. Frank
Crane that appears in Tacoma afternoon paper, in
Guiding these sentences
''The great fear is upon Europe, and hell is
with it. The great fear advances in America; we
are shrieking for more armed Ships more forts,
professional killers, to us. And they
never saved nation yet.
1--WE dare not trust humanity. We dare not
throw down our arms and say to all the world,
Peace, brothers' All the mad mulahs of the
world would rail at us.
1--WE are afraid The great fear is upon us,
the fear of love, the fear of reason, the fear Of
light"
If there ever cheaper, trashier reasoning than
is expressed in those lines and in other editorial ut
terances of the paper in question the international
situation during the last few weeks, you would have
to search for it a considerable ways.
1t is just such maudn half-wit stuff that has ham,
strung the president during great crisis. 1t the
same brand of inanity which mpeled the kaiser's
dozen in their recent fbusteing 1t is that sort of
spool which afflicts the l. w. WIS and other peaceat
any-pricers.
Here are in state of war with the greatest mil
itary power in the world We have occupied such a
status for days. if not weeks; every sane, wel-n-
formed American knows it and has known it.
Yet with the president declaring an armed neutral
ty with call issued for special session of congress
to consider further steps of Defense with beated
preparedness being fastened as much as conditions
made possible; with citizens being killed and Amer-
can ships being sunk contrary to international law
in the insane kaiser's ''barred zone'-this yellow
streaed Tacoma paper has the vileness to say that
"The great fear is upon u.s.
Because the sensible men of America are bringing
about at this late day condition of defense prepared
ness this publication asserts that we fear love- rea
and light
Armed ships, more forts and soldiers "never saved
nation YETI according to this journalistic weak
brain. What, in the of common sense have.
then, saved Switzerland and Holland? What saved
Paris? What saved England, if not dreadnalgbts
man when maniac runs amuck?
And is this newspaper cynic so little informed as
not to know what happened on Dec. 16 1916? Every
said to the world, Peace, brothers!'' and sought to
learn the terms which cessation of the war might
be brought about That falling we later as a nation.
declared ourselves for league of nations to enforce
peace
No, the great fear is not on America BUT A
GREAT UNDERSTANDING Is DESCENDING
UPON US, in spite of the sophstry of half Ameri-
cans.
We begin to see that wonderful task of world
characterization looms ahead and THAT THE
UNITED STATES MUST DO ITS SHARE AS a
nation we are now stepping to take up that dutv
with eyes level with fear of autocracy no fear If
crazy kaisers fear of yepng potroons no fear of
anything whatever in our hearts.
OREGON WILL, HAVE toFFEREn coNrp A. m