The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1917-06-07
ITS UP TO ALL.
How Every Man May Serve His
Country.

"
An appeal to the people, by the
Lewiston Commercial Club that
should be adopted and pressed By
every similar organization IN the
country:
The existence of the United
States is at stake. Responsibility
for the conduct of the war rests
mainly ON the president. In war
the president is not only the chief
executive; he is, under the eOnsti-
tuition, the eOmmander-in-ehief of
the army and navy. To advise
him in war he has a general staff
composed of the ablest and most
experienced military and naval
experts, organized like the general
StaffS of the warning nations. The
president and the general staff
must not only organize and direct
the energies of the people in war,
but in this war they must eO-Or-
dinate our efforts with those of
our allies, in all the novel, COM
pick and intricate business of a
struggle that involves the whole
world. The marvellous military
efficiency of our chief adversary,
Germany, is due to the rigid direc-
ton of the affairs of the nation
in war by the emperor and the
general staff, and the whole-heart-
ed acceptance of that direction by
the German people.
Men who desire to serve our
country must adjust their minds
to a situation that is new and
strange to us all. The ways and
habits of democracy must be abb
andOned for time, in order that
democracy may not perish. Our
own history, the experience of
other nations, and our native good
sense and patriotism alike dictate
that the president and the staff
be given Immediately powers ade-
quate to their responsibilities. For
a time our accustomed rights and
privileges as citizens and freemen
must be subordinated to the du-
ties and obligation of citizenship.
War is a servitude that of our
free viii we accept temporarily to
escape a more lasting and terrible
slavery.
We hold it to be the first duty
of every citizen at this time to
support promptly and uncom-
plaiRingly such measures as the
president and the staff advise are
necessary to the safety Of the
country and the effective conduct |
of the war; to forego criticism |
and contention to notice blunders |
and mistakes only for the pur-
pose of repairing or correcting |
them; to stand ready to serve,
without reservation or condition,
where the government may direct,
and not where the citizen him
self would choose; to seek earn
estly to understand the supreme
of organization; to
adapt himself to the general plan;
and to find his place and fit him
self into the general organization,
waving his personal rights and
private opinions for the public
good.
During this initial period, while
the nation is striving for compre-
hension Of the task before it and
for organization and unity, each
man may test his loyalty and mea-
sure his patriotism by his willing
ness to support such measures as
the president recommends, whole
heartedly to obey the government,
to serve where he is directed, and
to refrain from every comment,
criticism or suggestion which is
not definitely and beyond ques-
ton helpful and constructive.
This is war of whole nations.
By our entrance into it we have
become a nation Of soldiers. The
prime virtues of the citizens now
ire the virtues Of soldiers, prompt
ness, obedience, fortitude and un.
altering loyalty. The first need
If the nation is organization, and
he first essential in preparation /,
S preparedness Of the spirit. By
these plain and simple
principles, and by helping his
leighbors to accept and under
itand them, every man may rem
Ter to his country the service that
$ Immediately necessary.
Lewiston Commercial Club,
Lewiston, Idaho, May %, 1917. 4