The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-12-28
THE WAR; WHAT
AGAINST. WHAT FOR


We are fighting for America and
against Germany. But even military
autocracy does not dare 10 defend mas
sacres ON the mere ground OF national
egotism. The German ruling class or
ganized Its vast propaganda solely to
convince the world Including the Ger
mans. that II l. fghting for principle.
And the considerable development of
that propaganda Is chiefly due TO It's
positive elements. The Germans tell
US they are lighting To spread "kkltur,'
scientific efficiency and organization,
state socialism.
We are lighting against the effort Of
autocracy to spread at the expense OF
democracy. We are fighting To prevent
miitarism from committing successful
aggression. We are lighting against
war. aginst the return Of barbarian.
What are we fighting forY
Why rest with the statement that we
are fighting against war and prepara.
tions for war? Is IL not infinitely more
inspiring that we are fighting for that
ceaseless Improvement OF the relations
between the nations which can not fail
to lead toward the federation Of the
world?
Why say we are fighting merely to
defend democracy? Are we not fight
ing to spread il? We can not spread
II by means of the machine gun. We
do not issue an ultimatum to the Ger
man people: You must accept democ-
racy. We we do see-and say--that as
long as autocracy continues TO exist
we shall be Obliged to wage some kind
CT warfare against IT,
But the German people may adopt
some deceptive compromise that Is nei
ther autocracy nor democracy. This We
intend to prevent, but we can prevent
IL only by demonstrating to the Ger
mans and to all the world that democ-
racy is superior in war. in diplomacy,
i'm Industrial technique and organiza.
tion, i'm the handling of racial and other
minorities that we lead in educating
the formulation of just terms OF peace.
and in Willingness to sacrifice the
smaller for the larger good.
We are fighting to demonstrate the
superiority Of democracy. But what
democracy has given US chiefly so far
has been individual opportunity. In
the lack of national organization this
opportunity has been little utilized for
the national welfare.
We are fighting to develop a supe-
riority when Germany has thrown down
the challenge. We have to beat her in
her chosen field. the development of in
dustrial technique under the leadership
of government. We shall not soon ex-
Gel her as TO thoroughness. which means
long preparation and often coercion or
subordination of the individual. But
we shall excel i'm the far more i'm
portant matter of bringing forth in
dividual initiative. And our national
ssrs.t Ion in "a
up a national organiZation-will prove
superior because so many individuals
in all ranks--too much not being de-
manded of them-wll give more than
is demanded.
Again the Germans have produced an
efficient government. But they have
produced ii by physical. mental and
moral coihpulsion of the individual. The
state is everything, ii shapes the very
thoughts and aspirations of the people
As a result the state is worshiped,
not only for what it is but also for
what il is not The state can do no
wrong-at least abroad. AT home it
may not be omniscient, but il is om-
nipotent 1t is fate; resistance is in
conceivable, revolution an outworn
theory. How can the great bulk or
citizens develop either courage or in
teingence III tneH dltituue " S"Sii -
state?
The democratic governments of the
world also have been assuming vast in
dustrial functions since the war-and
IL is possible that some of these func-
tions will be permanent. But these ac-
tivities are not based on any state doc
trine taught the people by governments.
When the people have felt a need, the
state has been their servant TO supply
that need-whereas in Germany 1t is
the people that are the servants of the
state In America il is our state, ana
we are fighting to show not only that
il can do everything that the German
state has done, but can succeed where
autocracy has failed.
This is what we are fighting FOR.
However humiliating II may be, we
did not seriously aim at the maximum
of national efficiency in government
and industry in time of peace. Only
the frightful punishment and curse OF
war could bring the democratic peo-
ples TO exert themselves to the maxi
mum as nations. Not only are we
Obliged to do our best now to remove
every national weakness. The enemy
gains still more from the baseness that
has fingered among us-the betrayal
of our own democratic principles.
We are fighting, then, not for what
democracy was at its worst, but FOR
what democracy can be at its best.
No: this is not negative war. II is a
war to advance democracy. And the
only way we can advance democracy
even in war time-is to develop it
Only in this way can We administer to
the enemies of democracy lasting
IafA