The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1917-08-09
MOST TERRIBLE THREE YEARS IN WORLD HISTORY

New Gork.--The three most awful
years In the worlds history have come
TO close.
Three years ago, August l, Germany
declared war on Russia, precipitatlng
a conflict which has killed five million
soldiers and certainly over a million
civlians-perhaps many more; cost di-
rectly between seventy-five and hun
dred billion dollars, and piled up
sum in human woe entirely incalcula-
BILE and incomprehensible.
Not Il corner of the earth has been
too remote to feel the effect of the
forty million or more men who have
gone forth to war Not an intelligent
being hut has been stirred to his
depths by the dreadful, wasteful fire
that has scourged the globe.
From a petty Balkan quarrel, re-
sulting In the seizure of Bosnia and
Herzegovina by Austria and in the
assassination OF the heir to the throne
of the dual monarchy and his consort
by resentful Jugo-Slavs, the conflagra-
ton has spread to every continent and
every land Most of the world is d.
rectly involved In war, and in the non
beligereDt countries questions stirred
ND BIZ The conflict are the subject of in
tense and constant domestic differ
ences.
Vast Human Changes.
What changes ION the map the war
will make still await the great peace
conference to be told; but already hu-
man society has been altered with
such swiftness as can scarcely be par
alleled even in the era of the French
revolution.
Russia has changed from the great
est example of an absolute and bur-
densOme autoCracy to the worlds
freest and most liberal democracy,
with its eyes set on Ideals as high as
the stars
The people rule in Russia after cen
turtles Of oppression, and in many 9TH
er nations the bonds forged by birth
ard privilege are giving way.
Germany has its first imperial
chancellor without won TO his
name-a small, uncertain step toward
democracy, yet ray Of hope. The
junkers and the milItarlsts are still
In TIE saddle, but their faithful, care
fully nourlshed slaves for the first time
have them worried.
In every country the importance of
government has increased. The cen
trail authority has had to take over
powers 1t never possessed or wished
before. The peoples are thinking more
about their government, selfish
thoughts perhaps, for their leaders
mean more to them than formerly.
Governments More Active.
The British government has taken
over thousands Of great industrial
plants 10 run on war work, while
similar changes of revolutionary char
acter have taken place In France,
Italy and Germany. Even the United
States has Communicated all the ship
yards for the purpose Of speeding them
up and will undoubtedly take over
more and more lines Of production as
the conflict wears on.
Through the vast pressure of war
business. womans place In the COM
munlty everywhere has increased in
importance The wives and sweet
hearts must labor while their men are
on the field Of battle. And this promi-
hence Of the fair sex has resulted in the
promise Of equal suffrage to women In
Great Britain and will undoubtedly
give greater political rights to women
IN many other lands.
The dignity Of work has received
recognition such as was never accord