The Mankato free press., 1918-10-04
LET'S CAN ALL
THE bELLYACHE
Written By Harvey Whipple, Editor
Of Concrete"

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II Written By Harvey Whipple, Editor
Of Concrete
This country-your country, our
country--is at war Let's cut out the
bellyache. We are at war with a
powerful, relentless foe-a foe lust
ing for dominion We are at war tn
save our own hide-our own individ-
ual hides.
By making the world safe for
democracy" we are making it "a de-
| cent place to live in for you and
yours and me and mine We are at
war to prepetuate those things that
stand for our own daily happiness
Let's not forget that. We're in this
thing in self defense. So let's "can"
the bellyache.
There are few people who think
this war isn't worth while, and most
of them are keeping their mouths dis
creetly shut. But there are host of
f1yspeckers, calamity how1ers, and
Woe be- tiders that are bsrnacles on
the ship of state. At heart most of
them are loyal, good American citi-
zens, but their tongues are loose. If
you think this war is worth while,
then join movement to stop the
mouths of those sebbers. Let's "can"
the bellyache.
! Our sympathy goes out to the man
whose business has been hit a hard
wallop by this war. We are sorry
for the man who can't get cars; can't
cI,
can't make 'em. We are sincerely
sorry to see a man suffer, even when
his suffering may be necessary to
further the chief business in which
we are all engaged-the business of
winning the war. Let's "can"> the
bellycche
If our public servants are some
times wrong; if they misjudge condi-
tions, men, measures, then those who
suffer unjustly-while the nation
trains off it's fat and girds itself for
war-let those with a common griev-
ance get together; do some construc-
tive thinking and planning and show
our public servants, not with sobs and
whines, but constructively, how things
should be done. Let's cut out the
fault finding. "Can" the bellyache
There are four things worth having
in mind all the time:
One. The seriousness of the war
the necessity that it be prosecuted as
the chief activity of the nation, at
the cost of individual needs and pref
erences.
Two. The fallibility of all men and,
therefore, all public servants; the un-
escapable fact that no man or body
of men could run even a little war
and please everybody-and this war
is the biggest war the world has ever
seen.
Three. The fact that our govern
ment recognizes the necessity that
business proceed so that the differ
ence between income and outgo shall
be as great as possible on the credit
side-so that there may be profits
and savings out of which to pay for
the war.
Four. The fact that in times like
these the individual is of small con-
sequence; the private need or prefer
ence is swallowed up in the public
necessity-to the end that private
needs and preferences and individual
freedom may eventually survive.
We give up individualism to the,
end that we shall ultimately retain it.
We shall not dare to clutch at our
private wants or they must be torn
from us. We give them up so that
We may crafty them tomorrow.
We grasp the hand of the man whose
business goes to balIyhack-we are
sorry. But this is war. 1t is inevi-
table that the activities of peace
shall be disarranged. Let us all help
by silent and reproach to "can" the
bellyache.
Let's organize, as we must, to
criticize constructively; do the best
we' can, but mostly let's drive the
damn machine of war until our en-
emies have had enough. Let's "can"
the bellyache; stop the footless chat
ter of the street, and cheap mouthings
of the malcontents. We are not overrun
by the Hun. Our country is not dev-
astated. Its people are not outraged
nor it's homes made desolate The
only sobs our country has an ear for
are the sobs of those whose hearts
are torn, those who have seen the
war come to their homes, to demand
the supreme sacrifice.