The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1917-06-08

While President Wilson is admon
ishing the people to prepare for the
war which is upon us, he likewise
should lay a restraining hand on the
regiment Of theorists and sentimentaf
lists now attempting TO graft their pap
ticular whims and fancies upon the
American system. The excitement
and emergencies of war have brought
these pests into the limelight in great
numbers.
First and foremost, just now, they
should be given to understand thar
they must keep their impudent fingers
out of the army and navy. II the mill
tary branches Of the government tn
this crisis are to be operated effective
Iy, their management must be trusted
TO the officers of the army and navy.
whose training and knowledge have
given to them an understanding OF the
requirements OF war and whose In
ventive genius qualities them above
all others for devising regulations 20
preserve the morals and assure the
confidence, comfort and mental poise
of their commands. The army and the
navy must be free from the impartz-
nenoe of ohautauqua lecturers seeking
cheap advertising and politicians Ia
quest OF publicity to satisfy the inn
portunittes Of emotionalists.
self-ooverning Americans.
These persons in congress and out
who are harrassing the government
with their whims and foibles appear
to think the young men the nation ia
asking to put on the uniform, for the
glory of the flag, the assurance OF its
prestige and the worldwide extension
of freer government, should be herded
and treated like detectives wanting Ia
the power OF resistance and devoid OF
the quality of assertive young man.
hood. These young men should be
held up for what they are, self-confl.
dent, selfgoyerning young Americans
proud of their heritage Of freedom OF
initiative, jealous Of their liberties and
serenely conscious of their superiorits
and their ability to take care Of them.
selves
Ii viii not induce the young men to
enlist to picture to them the prospect
OF a convict camp existence following
their response TO the call to coloFs,
That they will conduct themselves In
a manner consistent with the best OF
American traditions is certain. Il ia
equally true that they will require no
restrictions other than those imposed
by the directing influences of the armg
and the navy, and it is an Insult GO
them to assume that anything else %
necessary.
Discipline Protects Soldiers.
The notion that young men in the
army are subject to more instdious and
dangerous temptations than men out
of the army is stuff and nonsense. In
fact they are better protected. They
are taught discipline and selfrestraint.
Their characters are strengthened and
developed instead Of injured We aFe
not too far away from the American
civil war to find in the study OF the
men who fought out that war a con-
crete refutation of the ridiculous ass
sertion that war debases the soldier
or units him for the pursuits Of peaca,
Many Of the soldiers of the Union
army were under the age OF eighteen,
More than fifty per cent Of the army
consisted Of youths OF eighteen yeaaa
These boys passed through the blSSsE
campaigns, with their hardships and
temptations, and returned to private
citizenship just as little sullisd In
morals as those who stayed at homas
Those who were weak fall 34asf aa
those who are weak fall In times OF
peace. II depends entirely upon ths
hhre OF the youth
Calls 1t Civil prusslanIsm.
So, while we are helping to eraGa,
sate military Prussianism in order THAI
civil freedom may not perish from ths
earth, let us be careful that civil Prus-
sianism does not obtain a foothold
here. There is no danger in the repub.
lie from miitarism, but it is not safe
/ from civil PTussianism There are
many men in this country who are
+ preaching the doctrines that would
4 sacrifice individual liberty to a false
efficiency. They are not Germans,
either who are propagating this dog
ma, although Germany is held up as an
/ example of what may be accomplished
/ through the operation of a system
wherein the government is the sole
4 directing force in industry, where indi-
vidual initiative is destroyed and the
1 people are bur puppets, shifted and
4 countershifted in inexorable precision
by an odlous paternalism+- - WashlAgs