The Butler weekly times., 1917-11-08
WAR TALKS
By UNCLE DAN
ay
Jimmie and . German Boy clAsh
Must % Three Things % eavo
Country. 4,
Nss'ssbsr 's

Country.
It WAS q warm evening. 20 Uncle
Dan went out to q lawn seat under the
spreading branches Of the great tree
that suggested the farms name Of Oak
Hill. Billie and Jimmie had been lay.
ing for him. so Uncle Dan was cap
tured. by the boys on short order.
"Say, Uncle Dan," Billie began. I'VE
had red.hot argument at school yes-
terday with Carl Newman. Carl said
that German schools were miles ahead
of our schools and that no one could
come up to the educated German. Well,
Jimmie got hot under the collar and
handed 1t back to him good and plenty.
Jimmie said If their education taught
them to torpedo Lusitanias, sink hos
pital ships, murder hundreds of wom-
en- and children, make slaves Of
the Belgians, poison wells, destroy fruit
trees and commit all sorts of crimes,
then we did not want that kind Of
education here. What do You think
about 1t, Uncle Dan? told Jimmie
you spent q lot Of time in Europe and
knew oil about schools, so give Us your
opinion"
"Well," replied Uncle Dan, deliber-
ately, "the German schools are very
thorough; they furnish exceedingly val
liable and practical instruction. The
Industrial training given there Is prob.
ably the best to be found. The schools
az a whole. however, in my opinion,
appeal to the head only. and never to
the heart. The aim and trend IL to
make the individual blindly submis-
sive to the Prussian plan Of world do
minion; they teach that It is the des-
tiny Of Germany to rule the world. and
that to the glory and advance OF Ger.
many, in this plan, all things must give
way; that the kaiser as head. Of the |
state, can do no wrong IL he carries
forward the plan of world control.
Some of the greatest teachers and
preachers even defend and justify her
heartless crushing Of Belglans and the
many other atrOciOus crimes she has
committed In this war. Thank God,
our American education reaches both
the head and the heart. It is an edu-
cation with a soul, and we must main.
tain the high ideals we have fixed. In
q word, IN Germany, the people are
taught that they exist for the govern
ment, while here the government ex.
lists to serve the people"
"Just wait q minute interrupted
Billie. Say that over again slowly. 50
I can write II. down." ~
Uncle Dan, smilingly, compiled.
Billie exclaimed: "Now, we will hand
that nut out for Carl to crack.
Carl you know" continued Billie.
has a very smart father who keeps
him posted on the German arguments. ,
Carl said our government was only
m experiment anyway; that It would
not last twenty years, and that It
might burst up any old time. Jimmie
asked him II Germany was 20 mighty
good. why they did not 60 back there
% live" -.
'our government will 80 on forever, y
Won't 1t, Uncle Danr"
aNow," said Uncle Dan, you are 4
'aising a big question. and one that
las troubled me for years. Our gov
u still in the experimental
tage; in fact, It 10 the greatest ex-
'eriment ever undertaken, and Il pop
liar government Is to be successful, q
ew things must be done. otherwise, to Ii
'araphrase the great Lincoln, the gov y
rnment Of the people, BY the people =
nd for the people, will perish. It II
~ firm conviction" said Uncle Dan. g
D q very impressive manner. that If +
ur country 10 to 60 on, As We hope
nd pray. we must very quickly do =,
t least three things, and will name d.
hem In the order Of Importance - It r
ppears to me-: ~
''F1rst, adopt compulsory. universal !
,ilitary training Of all young men s'
hysically At before they reach the ;.
'.Next, require that every Sereisner ..
'ho comes here to live must. within q
time, say q year. declare at
ID intention OF becoming an American da
tisen and take the necessary steps to
D 20, thereby, from that moment, a. %
inning all the obligations Of citizen OK
lip of our country, and that means he !
ust defend our nag upon equal terms =!
ith our native born, and II he II not :"
filing to do this. he should b. seat ]
lck from whence he came" :. ni'
'.That's the stufk.: exclaimed Billie. 4,
"And, finally, enact such legislation sa
} win make votins compulsory. Pop. =
ar government 10 based upea the 4
Of all and The y1le Df e.