The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1917-05-15
This Is Not the Time
To Chew the Rag.

To the Editor of The Dawson News: The
war is on. l have not made this announce
ment with the idea that it is news. But for
the purpose of making some general COM
ments about war and to contrast the atti-
tude of people in time of peace, and in time
of war. | want to first note the harsh tone
that permeates the utterances of the warm
advocates of war. | am not surprised that
a great many people at the outset express
themselves as being strongly against war
l am surprised, however, of any one nat
urally favoring war, and at the same time
sneeringly criticising those who, certainly
saying the least about it, can as conscien-
tiously oppose war as any can possibly sim
cerely favor it. l think it a splendid idea
for us all to agree to disagree. In the be-
ginning of this lamentable storm l opposed
war myself. | thought that the matter
could have been adjusted at least without
the actual sending of American soldiers to
the European firing line and trenches.
Now did not oppose this war because
of cowardice, because | was a "peace at any
price" pacitist. l don't believe there are any
peace at any price" American citizens. Il
do believe that there are some war at any
cost" people, and they are now in the zenith
of their glory They are the ones that are
chilly spoutlng out lnslnuations of traitor,
Stacker, and all other repulsve and often
slve terms And as far as my personal OBJ
servatiOn goes none of these blood-thirsty
and hot-headed extremists are enlisting or
even offering to enlist. And the drag net
of selective CONSUMPTION will not be close
enough woven to catch these pugnacious adj
vocates when the SEEMING process is started
for the gathering in of the young and mid
die aged of the country's manhood for aug
mentation of our military forces. We are
in the midst of lamentable times The in
dlvidual who is so wicked not to be dis
tressed and appalled, at the blood red glow
of the futures horizon can hardly be class
ed as humane or reasonable. The point
do not want US to lose sight of while this
typhoon is raging is the spirit of mutual
fOrbearance. The war is on, as | have lust
a few minutes ago said.
The practical ACCESSIBILITY of us getting
into it is an issue that we must side step
until the raging storm subsidies and the fu-
rious winds abate. When tranquility and
normality is resumed then we can discuss
the pros and cons of the logical or illogi-
calness of the step that we are now taking.
1t certainly is not opportune or timely at
this stage of the lamentable drama to be
chewing the rag about the slight diffe
tiations there is between us. This country
is invading new fields; for the first time it
is just started on its voyage of exploration
of unknown seas. And the whereabouts of
the roadstead or the goal to which we are
directing our efforts is unknown No one
should be eXprObated for having the cour-
age to express his conviction about the peril
business of the times with which we find our
selves surrounded.
AS write l can see waving in front of
the union railway station three different
f1ags-the American. British and French
These same flags wave from the United
States treasury building, and from other
points IN Washington. This generation
never saw any flag waving in>this country
before except proud impregnable "Old
Glory"
Now and then you can see groups of men
surveying the trio of flags just what they
are thinking about / do not know, but they
seem to be seriously meditating. / am in
clined to believe that they are wondering
why these other two flags can find room in
the American air, because it should be
completely filled up with the spirit of sold
Glory" think they doubt the expediency
So, say, these are new times, and en-
tirely different to any we American folks
ever experienced before. I think the change
has numbed and dimmed, at least tempo
rarily, our intellectual faculties. And we
should exercise our senses of compatibility
until there is a general recovering from
this sudden shock.
Times are pretty severe when they trans
form optimist to pessimist. Results will be
more satisfactory if we will be cool and dis |
passionate enough to give the people time
to locate their bearings. The American peo- |
pie are naturally omnipatient and l haven't |
the remOtest doubt but what they will be an
irresistible phalanx by the time things are
gotten under Roadway This war that we
are about entering is no sciomachy It is the
proper thing for men who are launching |
the undertaking to think twice, to think Sc
riously. Perfectly natural that the undertak-
ing will not only cause US to hesitate, but
to stagger 1t is no time to fadaise and hurl
the charge of traitor and Stacker at men
that we are more than apt to imperatively
need before the end of this crisis We are
quite likely to need every fiscal unit, every
dollar in cash and coppers worth of our
countrys resources before the war clouds |
disappear. Good men, brave men, men of
dazzling, admirable intrepidity have gone
into this war, are going into it and
will continue to go into it whose heart |
felt convictions are against the principle of
war. Hot bloods and hot heads, who have
no idea of ever smelling powder or of hear
ing the roar of cannon, should be prevented
as much as possible from offering affronts
to this large and patriotic class of our citi- |
zens.
am surprised at the metropolitan press
for giving space to the peracute uncalled
fCy ooA i |