The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-16
!. Free Speech
We Limit II That We May
Preserve 1t.

One OF the INSIDE lines upon which
Germany moves in this war is her
liability to run below the higher moral
standards and the greater liberties
LOT her opponents. She can bomb
schools and hospitals, undefended
Icities, and crowded tenements and sink
passenger. relief and hospital ships
without warning in comparative secur-
lily that like barbarities will not be
tpracticed against her.
In the second, or economic. line of
defense Germany also profits by her
Willingness to use more primitive and
barbarous weapons. She cuts down
French orchards, loots Belgian coop
eratives and factories, and levies trib-
ute on cities, enslaves even women and
young girls and introduces anthrax
Igcrms into Rumanian herds, secure In
ithe fact that she is moving In a neo-
tlthic strata Of civilization into which
the minds and morals Of her opponents
do not penetrate
AS might be expected. this backward
character of Germany's methods Of
war making liz most evident in what
she has herself called the third line
Of offense' and. which consists in
lpropa ganda to weaken the civilian mo-
rale Of the enemy. Here Germany has
committed some Of her most fragrant
atrocities, won her greatest victories.
and feels most sure OF immunity. BY
this form Of offensive she oyercame
Russia and Rumania and swept deep
: into Italy. BY it she long held the
United States at bay and still depends
upon II as her main weapon against
this country.
The story of how every publicity
jniche in this country was infested with
, these pests has been told until even
those who secretly wish their success
mo longer deny their existence.
The agents Of Germany were the
: first to suppress free speech in this
country. Nothing was ever 50 deadly
to such liberty as the spreading of the
J $40, 1000, OOp corruption fund Of Won
r Bernstorff. Freedom OF speech was
: lstifled much more when Won Rintelen
financed the Madison Square Garden
= lcouncil. How many of those who be-
J. wall the steps necessary GA restora-
il ltion OF untrammeled expression of
r speech had hand in influencing
!, lcongress" on former occasions as
described by Won Bernstorff?
g There could be no freedom of speech
in this country until the roar OF Ger
man dollars was stopped Unfortu-
lnately. so many American organiza-
n tons We're making sounds impossible
i to be distinguished from that roar that
4 it was inevitable. and perhaps not
wholly unjust, that some should be
punished because of their bad associ-
II ations and worse appearances.
d 1t is hard to find u defender OF free
u speech and press so fanatical as tC
claim that the German government
% should be permitted to keep its Won
y 1gels, Rintelens, and similar tools at
work during the war. but it will take
fine discriminating craftsmanship tc
= hit these agents of the kaiser ant
Y, miss the pacifists and socialists VIII,
T. insist upon saying the same things il
!, he Same manner at the same map
lpropriative time.
~ We limit speech today that 1t ma,
l. live FREQ forever. This Is no trick,
- paradox. Whenever n free and self
=, governing people fights for more free
; dom, II must momentarily restrict 1T
own liberties. But liberties SO self
depressed are never lost. They ar
J. only laid aside where they can easil,
!, be reached.
This necessity Of self control an,
le of being l nadvance of the race 1t i
- also one Of the conditions OF such prog
:, rcss. A nation that lacks the abilit,
:" to do these things will not gain an,
hold liberty. So long as we have lib
critics that d not exist elsewhere W,
!. must constantly turn and fight tn,
civilization that would have blocke,
u our liberty, and In SO turning back w
3. can not avoid using the weapons 0
- the age against which we are fighting
However, repulsive these weapons ma,
be to refuse I ouse them would b,
10 insure our own defeat and the tr
umph of reaction.
y, We fight to end fighting We wag,
, war to make all end to war. In tn,
same way We submit for the momen
y to self-created autocracy.
Only those who secretly distrus
democracy and freedom find inconsis
:, tonc% in such action. These friena
of autocracy would have tyranny re,
n tain all the weapons and leave de
= mocracy defcnsclcss against, assault
So it is that those who are directly o,
indirectly defending governments ii
which there is no free speech are nov
5 the most enthusiastic apostles of IRE.
= speech In this country.
~ Freedom Is not fetter preventing
struggles for new freedom. Casting
off tyranny does not render a free peo-
pie helpless against the assault OF
II tyranny. America has the right to ap-
, peal in it's own defense to any weapon
used against her We may rghtfully
close the mouths OF those who favor
an END of all free speech.--A. NJ. Sim
Ions .,,x.I
o AJAs
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