Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-11-20
MISTAKEN LOYALTY.


MISTAKEN LOYALTY.
The test Of the war administrator
Of the United States Is at hand. On us
outcome will depend, in large degree,
the extent to which our country Will
figure as factor in the world war.
The session OF congress which will
open in a few weeks will be far differ
ent from the extraordinary session
which was brought so dramatically 10
an adjournment amid Senator La1ol-
lette's frantic efforts to add to his rec
ord Of obstruction.
Since then these events have trans
pired in Europe:
The semblance Of government when
Kerensky had set up In Russia on Tue
rerilous foundation OF socialism totte II
ed to It's inevitable fall on the heels OF
the premier's rather superliuous an
nouncement that Russia, war weary
could not be expected to bear longer
her burden as member OF the
entente.
The Italian offensive in Austria was
transformed into an ignominious rout
by. a sudden onslaught in which the
Austrians were reinforced BY German
divisions released from the Russian
front and strengthened by the soclal-
Bistic peace propaganda which nao peen
yEpread among the Italians by Germany
without General Cadorna's knowledge.
England and France. coming tard1ly
IN a realization Of Italy's terrible lack
Of munitions and supplies, rushed 10
her aid barely in time to help her army
retard the foe at the Piave after hav-
ING lost big portion of Italy. The out
come of the battle remains in DOUBT,
and on that result depends in large
|, measure the safety of France ana even
England.
4 Civil war in Russia has permitted
Germany to press home the advantage
her insistent propaganda in that coun-
nv already had won, and she finds not
nnly big territory but a vast and wei
cnme store OF supplies awaiting leis-
4 arely seizure.
a serious political crisis has arisen
n france as q result Of the Painleve
ministry's failure to prosecute Bolo
J Pasha with sufficient speed to meet
IN ne French idea of Justice, ana TO-DAY
me republic finds itself host to the
Ws;rst inter.allied war conference with
lIhnt premier to speak for the French
s34 England is in turmoil because OF
kumors that Field Marshal Haig and
other heads of the army are to be dis
aplaced, and Lloyd George is being al
4 fernately praised and condemned Dy
fhe British press and public for his
paris speech which declared unequ1v-
ncally for a single and central control
81 the movements of the allies armies
an the various fronts to the end that
4 cohesion and coordination may be at
Y tanned.
The last vestige of hope that the
German people might revolt against
the kaiser's militaristic autocracy mas
been swept away by the change In the
chancellorship and the granting OF
unimportant concessions 10 the
H German socialists which seem to have
.auieted the plants OF even the most
gsiadical among their leaders.
TO offset these debit entries there is
nothing but the fact that the British
and French on the western front have
forged forward a little more ana the
british forces in Palestine have driven
tne IUrkS OUT VI SoAo VI 'a o
holds.
] Several members of congress. in
!, GLIDING Senator Kenyon, are in Europe
Mo obtain first-hand knowledge OF con-
Petitions at and near the front. They
viii return with new realization of the
necessity for American participation
on scale which can be attained only
kK every American citizen awakens i'm
Imediately to the solemn fact that he or
she is responsible unit in the one
nation which eventually must try con-
illusions with Germany in final deter
mination of the war between right and
might. between democracy and autoc-
racy. between Christianity and bar
barity.
Conditions in America have reached
the stage which demands statements
OF fact in the plainest language. As
a whole the nation is loyal and cour-
areous and yet there are hundreds OF
thousands Of men and women who can
not point to a single action in the
seven months since war was declared
. which indicates their loyalty or their
courage.
Why?
There are several reasons. Some OF
them are these:
For months before America entered
the war her action was prefaced by
series Of diplomatic exchanges in
which threats were made that unless
Germany mended her ways and re-
spected this nations rights we would
visit the direst punishment on the
kaiser, his army. his navy and his gov
ernment Meanwhile proGerman pro-
poganda ran riot in America; social
ism and its disloyalty were condonei:
the public was warned repeatedly
against assuming the slightest appear
ance Of military preparation lest our
attitude be construed as un-neutral;
leather-lunged orators sang anaesthet-
king lullabies, expatiating on Amer
ica's great strength and her ability to