The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-05-31
WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR?

WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR!
| II don't keep track of things very
well,7 remarked an able bodied young
man the other day, "and | guess I'm
little dull anyway, perhaps, but will
you explain one thing to me. What
has the United States gone to wal
for?"
This young man fairly represents a
large class of Americans, who, busy II
their own affairs and not wide readers
or deep thinkers, find themselves sud
denly confronted with the actually OF
war, the necessity Of service and sac
rife brought home to them and the
whole thing for the first time revealed
TO their startled vision. Fathers and
| mothers, from whom sons are about to
be taken under the selective draft, are
asking, "What are we fighting for =
The feeling prevails to some extent
that the conflict is of Americas seek
| ing and might have been avoided by
the exercise of more self-rstraint, the
silencing of clamor and the enduring
of some wrongs in preference to
choosing a much sterner path.
1t is not an easy thing to make clear
to some minds why we have gone to
war. rhe most lucid explanation that
can be offered sometimes meets with
the shrugged shoulder or the raised
eyebrow. If you say, 1--WE are fight
ing for democratic ideals" the hearer
looks bewildered. "What is that he
thinks, "that we should suffer and die
for it 2" If you say, "We are fighting
to free Europe from German rule he
is apt to reply, "What is that to US :?
We don't live in Europe" If you say,
Germany assailed our merchant ship
ping unlawfully with her submarines" )"
he sees concrete thing like that and
admits the wrong, but still feels that
it was not enough for which to plunge
the nation into bloody war.
Yet somehow it is necessary to
awaken the common American as he
has not yet been awakened, to a com
prehcnsion of the necessity that forced
us into this war and the urgency that
it be fought to a successful finish. Inc
sooner the idea can be dissipated that
the impending struggle is for US not a
far-away affair in which we are to
figure only casually, but life-and-
death grapple for the future OF this
nation and all that It has stood for and
all that it must stand for as long as 1t
andures, the sooner our people VIII
buckle down to the tremendous task
in hand and proceed to perform it.
The German idea, more properly
described as the Prussian system, and
the American idea are as far apart as
the two poles. There can be no com
promise between them, nor can they
work out their destinies alongside
each other. The Prussian idea, firmly
grounded centuries ago and steadily
developed down to the present, is that
the individual exists for the welfare OF
the state and obtains his recompense
by and through its agency. The sub
ject has no rights so sacred that they
cannot be taken from him if the gov
ernment considers the state would be
promoted by such taking. Germany is
ruled by monarch divinely appoint
ed, so Germany believes, seconded by
a military caste no less firmly estab-
lished. Prussia grew from a little
principality, among most turbulent
surroundings, to her present power
through adherence TO this system and
the aid of trained army always com
prising the bulk Of her able-bodied
manhood. Modern Germany stands
committed absolutely to this idea as
the sole means Of attaining its ambi-
tions as world power.
The democratic idea, exemplified by
Great Britain, France, America and
the new Russia, is very different
one. In these countries the welfare OF
the individual, bis peace, interest and
prosperity. the interest Of the home
and Of the community take precedence.
The government is regarded as an
agency by which the individual receiy-
es protection and an opportunity tol
work out his own destiny. The state
has its part, to be sure, but the citizen
looks upon it with a certain distrust'
resists encroachments by it and never
fails TO assert his own natural rights.
His participation in it as an equal
partner with all other citizens does not
make him less jealous of these natural
gifts.
With a German world we should see
a spread OF Prussian idea TO every
quarter Of the globe. A stern military
rule, unquestioning obedience 70 su-
periors Ia whose elevation we have no