Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-05-01
"WHo sE1rHE 1lME2r

|
Yesterday The Courier published an
| open letter from G. C. Melchert OF
Bloomfield to his fellow townsman.
Congressman Ramseyer, in which he
refers to what he calls the unjust crit
icism of the congressman in "the COM
mercialized papers of Iowa." and ex-
presses approval of Mr.. RamseyeTs
stand against President Wilson's con-
scription program.
Mr. Melchert enclosed with The
Courier's copy of the letter note in
which he said in effect: you pub.
Hshed the petitions which went to Mr..
Ramseyer; now be fair and publish
this
Having published it, The Courier
ventures to indulge the hope that it
will not be considered unfair to add
the assertion that it's information
from Washington had been that Rep
resentative Ramseyer had not made
his decision as to his vote on the BILL
This information was passed on to
the readers of The Courier and Mr..
Meichert is the first to tell them the
congressman had determined to op.
pose the draft measure.
Passing by Mr.. Melchert's refer.
ence to the "commercialized press"
with that charity for excited diction
which always should be granted In
such a time of stress. The Courier de-
sires to call attention to the following
sentences from his letter:
"They say we will not get them 1.-THE
volunteers in time. Who has set the
time in which to get them?'
Humanity, free institutions, democ-
racy-these have set the time In
which America must act in the pres
ent war If she is to be real factor In
deciding It's Issue.
And the time Is brief. While timid
congressman labored to summon cour-
age for the test Of voting, valuable
days have been lost by the nation from
the slender allowance Of time 1t had
to raise an effective army from the
dav the state of war was recognized.
The hone of world peace and the
promise that militarism may dtsap-
pear, the prospect for triumph Of
the principles of democracy on which
the nation is founded-these are the
spurs to patriotic action and the rea-
sons why America must become a
factor in the war or lose her prestige
as a nation nnd her pride as the cham
pion Of civilizations highest stan
dards
The most strenuous efforts have
been made ~'nce April to recruit the
regular arr,v to proper strength by
means Of The volunteer system. In
TWENTY-FIVE days the whole United
States produced 32.1O8 new soldiers.
Should this rate Of increase be con-
tinued for two and half years. Amer
lea would have an army big enough
to swing the balance in the battle OF
Arras-if they We're trained.
In Nivelles first onslaught in the
struggle which is in progress on the
French front now. 10000 Germans
were taken prisoner and 10000 more
were killed or wounded. In his futile
efforts to retake the heights where
Haig's men are established, linden
burg has thrown tens Of thousands OF
gray-clad soldiers into the inferno Gre
ated by the mighty English guns.
OF what moment are 32,10S men in
a conflict where troops counted by
hundreds Of thousands face each other
along a single battle line twenty-five
miles long? !
The time when America should have
had an army ready for active service
was when America entered the war. i
A noble effort is being made all over
the country to organize an emergency
fighting force which will uphold the
nations honor and crush Prussian
greed and absolutism forever.
Humanity, with its appeal for de-
Tense against ruthless assault, sets
the time. Congressional timidity has
delayed the nation in responding to
The call.