Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-28
Shall We Send a Force to Europe?

Shall We Send a Force to Europe?
Tuesday mornings dispatches say
that the President and Cabinet are
considering the proposition of send
ing an expeditionary force to Europe.
The guarded way in which this is pre-
ron has not decided upon his recon-
mendation to Congress. impresses us
a "feeler"--the President wishes to
know how the people of this country
would regard such a course. We be-
iieve ii is the country's duty. through
the public press. and by letters and
kilograms to the President, members
of Congress and the secretaries of war
and navy. to approve or disapprove
the plan. So far as this paper is con-
cerned. we would promptly voice our
disapproval and give the reasons
"A course unwise. But we are of open
mrd ard ready to be convinced to the
contrary. If military experts and gov
eminent heads can prove the advisa
!. bility Of the plan.
We believe we are voicing a level
headed, patriotic citizenship of Maine
when we say that we are opposed to
sending troops across the water at this
time. First, because we are unpre-
pared to make showing that would
be credit to the American people,
Second. because the only returns for
such a course would be the shouts of
approval from England and France
and the knowledge of the heartening
influence such an expedition would
have upon the forces of the entente
allies. Third. because we are con-
tinced that every trained military man
of the precious few we have is needed
in the training and development of a
sane American DEFENSE,
The American people are becoming
aroused to the need of DEFENSIVE
measures against the war party of
another nation. The war lords of a
friendly nation are making war upon
us in the daily prosecution of a des-
perate conflict with other nations who
are friendly to US. We have patiently
borne these acts of war for many
months, until patience is no longer a
virtue. AS self-respecting people we
=. can no longer submit to the murder of
our citizens on the high seas.
5 If this country must defend itself
against piracy. is such defense pro-
inoted by sending land forces to Eu-
rope to make common cause with those
nations who are at war with Germany
for far different cause? We think
not.
Would any force that we could send
to France or Belgium at this time,
, providing our troop ships were not
torpedoed en- route. be more than a
drop in the bucket of the titanic strug-
Gle now waging there? We are con-
WINGED that it would not be; that such
"a force would cause the war lords not
single moments uneasiness: that the
q KEEPING of our trained men here to as
sist in the perfection of worthy army
In this country would trouble them far
more; that the Prussian war lords
know our military weakness far better
. than do the American people
And last, but not least. the senti-
ing war upon the people of Germany,
but for defending ourselves from the
acts of the war machine that Prussian-
ism has constructed with the purpose
OF dominating the world.
To that sentiment the American
people will respond. but they have no
quarrel with the men of the trenches
and the Uboats, who dare not dis
obey orders from me und Gott."
Let us not forget our ideals and our
reason in the moment of war en-
thusiasm. Let us install high
power engine in our machine before
we enter the race. Let us send war
experts to Europe to study the needs
of such force as we might send,
should the war be prolonged to anoth-
IL year. 10 discover in what manner
our forces could best cooperate with
the forces of the allies, Tor no one can
he foolish enough to think that We can
send a force to Europe at this time to
operate independently Under whose
direction shall we place our quota? Or
shall we demand of the British and
French commanders that they hitch
over bit, so that we may butt in and
show 'em how to fight?
Suppose we go about this man fash
ion, recognize that a state of war ex-