The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-11-09
WORLD LEADERSHIP
FOR AMERICA

A year ago the people of the
United States were held in contempt
by most of the nations of the world
because they were rich, mercenary,
commercial and not disposed to hight.
Today they are looked up to as
the worlds greatest leader in what
ever they attempt, and because OF
the way they are organizing all their
wealth and energies for war, they
are considered the hope of Democ-
racy and civilization.
It is conceded that without the
aid of the United States, the allies
cannot win. 1t Is also considered
that unless American ingenuity de-
vises some new means of combating
the present submarines and airships,
the winning may be long way off
or even doubtful.
There are rather vague reports
that marvellous inventions made re-
Gently in America are already oper-
ating to the advantage Of the allies,
and others are being rushed to COM
pletion and use that have not yet
exerted an influence and cannot for
months. Not much can be said
about them because 1t is necessary
to keep the information from the
enemy until the war is won.
America has to its credit several
Of the most important inventions
now used by all the beligerents,
among which are steam vessels, the
telegraph. the telephone, the airship
and the submarine, the two latter
having been adopted and developed
rapidly by Germany before the pres
emit war, so they excel us now.
For hundred years much has
been said sentimentally about the
United States being the cradle of
liberty; of liberty enlightening the
world, and of Americas destiny
gathering the best of all nations and
races, and redeeming the world by
showing them the way to live and
conduct their governments.
A new era in that line seems to
be dawning, and on scale a hun
dred times greater than was under
taken in the Spanish-American war,
During that struggle we carried lib
erty to Cuba, the Sandwich Islands
and the Philippines, and conquered
deadly diseases that had seemed I'M
comfortable.
There is now coming to light
something new that is at once hope
full and horrible in the aspect of the
war, that gives America tre-
mendous opportunity, and America
is rising to the occasion most hope
fully. To make it clearer what this
horror is we review some of the
practices of the war.
WhoY, tho Corroouc ooouniod pol-
GUM and parts of France and car
ried with them the program Of
frightfulness, most of the men were
driven out with the defeated armies
and the women were left at the
mercy of the male invaders with
neither moral force nor military
power to restrain them. Excessive
and indiscriminate association
spread the germs of contagious con-
stitutiOnal diseases among them SO
that hundreds of thousands of sold
iers were infected when no means
of treating them was at hand and
when a cure would have been i'm
possible under the harsh living con-
ditions that confronted them.
Turnout all time, soldiers have
been adored by women, and especi
ally young women, and England and
France have come to a stern 'awak-
ening to find that society is prolific
with war babies and the armies af-
fiicted with diseases arising in dis
honor. One of the astounding dis
coveries of the war is that army
records show more loss of man
power as recorded in days service
lost by this class of affliction than
from wounds received in battle and |
from all honorable diseases COM
bined. The Russian armies are
cleanest in this respect and the Ger
man armies on the west front are |
the worst.
Where such Affections prevail they
strike down endurance, courage, and |
energy, and once spread thru an |
army it reduces it's morale and eff
ficiency, and the government of the
United States has instituted such
rigid system for prevention of it's
introduction into its armies and navy
that strong, clean virile force goes
into training and is carefully pro-
tected during their period of service.
The war department is taking
stern measures to give the morals
or It's soldiers greater protection
than they had as civilians, and to &C
complish this the twin evils-alcohol
and prostitution are kept as far from
the soldiers as possible.
The unexpected success of almost
universal prohibition wipes out the
greatest cause of depravity Of
womanhood, and the labor condi-
tions brought about by the war
make employment for women thru
out the country at living wages.
Vice commissions everywhere have
found that liquor and hunger were {
the main causes of loss of honor
among women, and America now \
awakens to find these two causes !
vanishing. In the present labor
crisis it will be easy for society to
accept help by giving employment '
to fallen women, thing'it has gen. {
orally refused to do, and there the II
main flood of crime and immortality a
ana new cases of disease will cease. t
With the American people regen- e
Grated by the undertakings of the e