The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1918-12-18
A TEST OF DEMOCRACY

The ease with which nation may
return to peace, rather than the ala
! crity with which it may rush into
war, is a good test of it's quality as
a democracy. Although repeatedly
provoked, the United States hesitated
long before entering the conflict now
at an end. The opinion had come to
be commonly held that, with regard
to it's own dignity, it was IN danger
of hesitating too long. The reason
for it's hesitation, or, rather, the
cause of it's hesitation, has been fully
discussed, and in the present opinion
of those who give weight to circum-
stances apparently beyond human con-
troll, no discredit attaches to the "a
ton, it's sentiment, or it's disposition.
What concerns us here is that,
when finally it felt the impulse to
move it went forward toward it's goal
with a speed perhaps unparalleled N
history, changing from condit On
of unpreparedness and peace to war
footing over night, and becoming,
within nineteen months, a great mill
tary and naval power, with resources
in men, money, munitions, and sup
plies sufficient to carry itself and to
help to carry it's associates through to
a successful issue, even though the
final victory should be long delay
ed.
All of this is fine to think and
talk about, and it proves what peace
loving industrious democracy can Go,
when once aroused to the absolute
necessity of doing something on a
great scale and doing it quickly. But
more satisfying still is the proof at
hand that, having accomplished all
it went after in the way of military
success, it is ready, within less than
a month from the day of the signing
of the armistice, to turn back to the
ways of peace, to industrialism, AID
to the notion that the advancement
of knowledge, justice, and happiness
and of the moral and spiritual ideals
to which freedom leads, is worthiel
ambition than the pursuit of military
glory and world domination.
In less than month after the sign
ing of the armistice, the extra-gov-
ernmental bureaux organized to aid
in the conduct of the war are beng
quietly absorbed by the regular de-
partments of the Republic; witli.a
less than a month, the functions de-
legated to well-nigh autocratic chiefs
of these bureaux are rapidly and sill
emily passing over to ordinary admin
istration officials; within less than
a month, prominent men, "big" men,
the ablest obtainable in the name
of country to have charge of public
1 offices of vast and even vital impo, t.
wee to the nation and the world,
:. one by one, resigning their cen
F-.ously honorable positions and
og up their private affairs. In
.than a month after the sig1tr g
the armistice great armies in the
&d,- and even greater armies in 1e-
we are disintegrating, disbandl1g
.nishing from sight. Within less
nan a month, tens of thousand Of
men from the American Expeditio7ary
7arce are arriving at their hone
yorts. In less than a month after
the signing of the armistice nation
which then was at the very height
of the tension of war, buckiing itself
faster and tighter than ever for the
struggle against autocracy, sees It's
Chief Magistrate sail away on a three
thousand mile voyage, confident of
its ability to take care of itself, be-
cause it's trust is in righteousness.
All this is, indeed, test of democrat
cy.Christian Science Monitor.