The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-01-13

We elected tho president because he
| had kept us out of war. Six months
later We were fighting the greatest mil.
itary power the world has ever seen
all our strength In men. money. and
food to win. though four fifths of the
world Is with us.
Was 1t necessary to get into this
war. and IL It wise to send our best
young men to fight on foreign soil
and spend Is, and perhaps 50. billions
of money for the sake Of having a hand
In the greatest war in history? Ia II
a just war. or Is it gigantic specula-
ton?
The real situation in which the
United States II placed can best be un-
dcrstood by >seeking answers to three
questions:
/. Why are we at war with Ger
many?
2. Why send our men to fight across
the water?
3. Why ID it 80 important to us that
Germany should be conquered?
three vsry definite reasons:
% She sunk our ships and killed our
people-men, women and children-in
defiance of the simplest principles Of
international law.
This disregard Of treaty and inter.
national war Is thoroughly in line. how
ever. with German policy. For exam
pie. Won Treitschke, the German his
torian, and for more than 20 years the
leader Of military thought says in his
Politics" Up. 2S), mo state can pledge
its future to another Every SOW
ereign state has the undoubted right to
declare war at its pleasure. and II con-
sequently entitled to repudiate Its
treaties"
ca 1t is now well known that the
German government stirred up dissen.
sions in every country on earth, plot
ted trouble for us in Mexico. and sys-
tematically obtained confidential infor-
nation in state papers by corrupting
our government clerks while we were
still at peace. So extensive was this
corruption at Washington that It be-
came impossible to transact public
business until the German embassy was
eliminated.
(3 Since the opening Of the war the
visible issue has shifted. Whatever
might have been said Of It in the be-
ginning. It Is now In no sense Euro
pean quarrel. The question now IL
whether democratic forms Of govern
ment will be allowed to live. and
whether the principle Of free govern
ment and the right Of a people. whether
large or small. to live shall stand.
Upon this question the Germans are
outspoken. For example. Brave peo-
pies alone have an existence, an evolu-
ton, or a future; the weak and cow
ardly perish, and perish justly" Trcit-
sche. Politics. p. t2i.)
2. Why ssnd our mon to fight across
the watsr7
II Germany must be conquered. the
only time to do II Is when she is fully
occupied and while we have help: and
the best place in which to do the work
is In territory other than ours. So
shall our cities and territory be undc-
spoiled and our women and children
unmolested.
3 Why must Germany b cen.
quersd7
Among the many reasons for con-
duering Germany. the following are a
few that specifically affect the United
States: t..s
1h Because Germany aspires not
only to the control OF Europe. but to
tho mn . torn, NJ IN, cnrth ~ hov ,o,.,
been many years since the kaiser pub
licly announced that nothing must be
done anywhere in the world Of which
Germany did not approve.
Germany's conception Of a state Is
power. THE state Is power" (Treit-
schke. Politics" p. 49, Also. TT
does not matter. says the state. what
you think SO long as you obey" (Treit-
schke. Politics" p. 2%) II
The definite and wcll-known plan Of
Germany is first TO conquer France
then England. and then TO overrun the
world
All German thinkers arc outspokcn
for IA policy OF colonization. For ex-
ample: up to tho present Germany
has always had too small a share OF
the spells in the partition Of non
European territories among the powers
of Europe, and yet our existence as q
state of the first rank is vitality af.
fected by the question whether we car
become a power beyond the seas.
(Treitschke. Politics" p. 33.)
I'VE must never become rigid. as q
purely continental policy must make
us. but see to 1t that the outcome Of
our next successful war must be tht
acquisition Of colonies by any possible
means" tTreitschkc, Politics" p. 49,
1.-THE right of conquest il UNIVERSAL,
| acknowledged" tBernhardi, Germany
and the Next War;" p. FL, ty,s.--
1.-THE right of colonization is also
recognized" (Bcrnhardi. germany ant
the Next War" p. ea.l go,
''Wc have fought in the last gree,
war for our national union and oul
position among the powers OF Europe;
we now must decide whether VIC wish
| to develop into and maintain a worlC
| empire. Have we the energy to aspire
to that great goals" (BerIhardi. Ger,
many and the Next War;" p. 104.,
1T Is possible to obtain districts "
| equatorial Africa by pacific ncgotia
| tions. A financial or political crash II