The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-03-29

Mr.. Thomas w. Lamont, representa-.
tive OF Wall street war bankers, is out
west trying to work up sentiment in
favor of giving billions Of Americas
money to the European nations at
war.
With a commission on this money.
both coming and going, and with the
credit OF the United States back of
the paper of bankrupt European ma
lions which these war bankers have
bought at bargain prices, Mr.. Lamont
and his fellow patriots down Wall
street way ought to be able to face
the higher cost of living this year with
entire fortitude.
But aside from any consideration of
the Wall street war bankers and their
kind of patriotism, these proposals to
spend billions Of our peoples money
and the lives of thousands Of our
young men in the trenches of Europe
deserve the severest reprobation and
the most strenuous opposition.
All wars begin with silly sentiment
alists urging a nation into wrong
courses, just as all wars are eventually
finished by calling in the counsel and
leadership of hard-headed and cool
blooded men of sense, who have usu.
ally been denounced and hooted at
during the inevitable period OF hys.
terra and Stiffness.
In Midst Of Silly Season.
We are now in the beginning of the
silly season, and an evidence OF 1t is
this clamor to put our money and our
men-our two absolutely indispensa-
BILE defenses-in the hands OF foreign
governments, three thousand miles
away.
We are quite sure that the most OF
the men and newspapers advocating
this dangerous folly have no concep'
ton of what is taking place in Europe
or of what war promises to demand
of us.
In the first place, their judgment OF
future possibilities is based entirely
upon the assumption that the allies
are bound to defeat the Teutonic en-
pires, and that the best thing we can
do is to hasten the inevitable victory
by feeding our money and men to the
allies.
1t seems never to occur to them
that the Teutonic powers may defeat
the allies this very year, and that, in
that case. we and we alone would
have to bear the brunt Of terrific
war with the most powerful naval and
military fighting machine the world
has ever seen.
Neither does 1t seem ever to occur
to these men and newspapers that
German diplomatic intrigues with
Mexico and Japan may be no joke, but
a concrete and terribly dangerous
reality.
Teutonic Empires May Win.
Now. we do not affirm that the
Teutonic empires will beat the allies
But we do say that they may. And
we do know that some Of the most ca
pable officers Of our own navy and
army confidently believe that the al
lies are doomed to defeat.
We do not say that Japan and Mex.
leo will join the Teutonic empires In
war of revenge and spoliation
against US, in case of good opportu
nifty. But we do say that they may do
so; and we personally believe the dan
ger is great. Now, it should go with
out argument that the wise and pru
dent thing to do is not to prepare for
only such eventualities as optimism
hopes for, but for every eventuality
that may occur.
A nation is safe only when it Is
prepared for the worst possible at.
tacks.
Suppose Men Shipped Away.
Suppose that we do listen to the
counsel of these sentimental and
short-sighted enthusiasts. and that we
do strip our treasury of it's reserves
to send them abroad, and that we ship
away our young men to be shot to
pieces in Europe. and send out Of the
county the food, ammunition, guns.
horses. equipment and supplies of all
kinds in which we are already danger
ously lacking, and then suppose the
unexpected happens, and Germany
wins great and decisive victory on