Norwich bulletin., 1917-07-10
LETTERS ID HE EDlI02
The Present Crisis and Our Obiiga-
 liens Thereto

Mir Editor: None of us like war;
 the fact is, we are very much opposed
 to war. When we declare we are op
 posed to war let it be understood we
 do not stand for peace at any price.
 We would not escape exemption by
 cession of national honor or allow any
 unfair indignities to our citizenship.
 We did not want war. we may even
 go so far as to say we are afraid of
 war st3E we are not afraid to go to
 war. The man who boasts that he is not fearful of the results ot war does not know his own mind The brave are not free from fear. and when they will accept any sacrifice in the
 face of it, it stamps them the
 braVest of men. And ft could not be otherwise, when we reckon the price 70 try to appraise the sorrow. suffering and self sacrifice that follows in the
 wake Of all wars.
 While we are the opponent of mi.i- tarism. in justice let 1t be said that this opposition to militarism will not interfere with the fighting spirit that lies dormant in the breast of the American people. We have entered The arena of the greatest war of the worlds history. The gravity of the situation and I may say (with truth) the peril to the nation. will break with force upon the minds of the people in the very near future. We have taken the plunge. and let us hope it is for
 
 have entered a war that vii test our courage as it has never been tested before. \ great many of us have woke up to the fact that it is no pink tea or comic opera affair. but deadly duel to a finish. Making eloquent speeches that echo and reverberate throughout the land, sinking a squad ron of German submarines, on type ourselves with feathers. long tailed coats and g1eaming swords, waving of flags, and on every public occa sion parade to the step Of brass band. and have our picture in the paper for ad- miring friends to gaze upon, will not win this war for America against the grea test military power Of all time. | And our system is wei cleared of that l bunk to the effect that we could lick 1 the world with pitchforks, or tfa ta 1 bug the end Of a corncob could 1 chase the armies of Europe into the 1 Atlantic ocean; that we need only to ! blow our wind and a million men over | night would rise and hurl the invader | from our shores. i
 War is a science. and scientific dew 1 iltrv is in a fair way to win this war | if now or at any other time we allow l or our country to be ruled l by sentiment. We have got to qu:t 1 whistling in the dark and use what ] we have to the best purpose we may. l To force a citizen to bear arms is ] to be wrong in principle and un- American. for one have come | to the conclusion that il is not. It is l the only system that places the mili- 1 tary power of the nation in the hands l of it's citizens-and not into the hands l of special class. There are those who oppose the plan, and their sincerity and honesty we do not question. Every l one has right to his or her opinion. We need only to point to Germany in | her super-preparednesS as a lesson of great importance along these lines. l. Every war has found us unprepared. l and the victories have been purchased | at too high price in terms of life | and money. |
 To secure the unqualified support of the working people of the country to 3 system of universal training is to | guarantee that the burden of training | shall fall upon all alike. without dis .inctions based upon accidents of birth, l pledge of making no distinction be- Ween the son of a millionaire and the son of a workin gman. Service to ones |, takes no account of wealth or social standing. Unless all signs fail II gloom hung like a pail will cast it's i, broad, cold and disastrous shado over ,ur iand, that will be cursed with it's -isitation. We may feel the pinch Of short rations have the care of wound ed men. of families bereft of loved ,nes. witness national distress and n lisa ppointment, reVerses and losses must be expected in this undertaking. , The people are all right; they are pa h rotic as ever, when they get to 1t, and he real fighting spirit of TS will show tsef. The American people have al- ! ways given a good account Of them ,,