The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-11-22

beside him. 1t Is his business TO see
that political crooks In war work are
watched as carefully as suspected
renegades would be watched in camp.
Meanwhile it Is work In aid of the
enemy to let suspicion Of such men
weaken support Of the government in
its prosecution Of the war.
Not Rich Mans War.
1t is German agents, of course, who
are most eager to arouse the feeling
that this is "a rich mans war" They
spread that lie in spite of the fact that
the rich cannot buy exemptions from
CONSUMPTION in this war as they could
In our Civil war; in spite of the fact
that, no one can hire a substitute to
take his place in the trenches, as one
could in the Civil war; in spite of the
fact that the only exemptions are
allowed to poor men with dependents
or to workingmen In vital industries !;
In spite of the fact that the war taxes
fall most heavily on the rich, and the
measures Of price control are designed
to prevent them from exploiting the
poor, and excess-profits taxes absorb
the fruits of any such exploitation.
And it is the German agents who are
encouraging the western feeling that
this is "a business mans war;" because
when the government called for yolun-
teers to help organize the business OF
the country on a war basis the bust
ness men were most free to respond
and most fitted by experience to fill
administrative positions. There are in
Vulnerable rumors that some of these
men are taking advantage of their Off
cial knowledge in order to make for
tunes for themselves. 1t would be the
miracle of the world if no such be-
trayers of public faith were ever found
among them. And doubtless in this
country, as in other countries, congress
sional Investigations will discover the
occasional CRATER and dishonest ad-
ministrator. But it is none the less
true here, as abroad, that the great
body of business men who are serving
the government are as Loyalty self
sacrificing as anyone who is behind the
fighting lines.
Not in War for Markets.
Recently, in the White House. Presi-
dent Wilson was asked by one of our
most famous financiers to appoint a
commission that should safeguard our
foreign trade during the war and see
to it that new foreign markets were
made ready for our peaceful penetra-
ton after the war. And the president
replied that the government would not
appoint such commission; that this
country was not fighting to obtain for
eign markets; that the struggle for
foreign markets had been one of the
predominating causes of the conflict
among the European nations, and 1t
had been most difficult to make those
nations believe that America was not
secretly inspired by a similar greed for
spheres of influence and "a place in
the sum-" that America was not wag-
| ing a commercial war or seeking any
selfish advantage; and the government
would never appoint commission that
might, by its mere existence, misrep-
resent the motives of our people in
their support of the nations fighting to
| defend the freedom of the world.
That pronouncement has been made
| again and again, in the presidents
acted upon it in his war policy. And
the statement that the war is "a rich
mans war" or "a business mans war
| is as deliberate a lie as any that the
enemy has invented in order to con
fuse our people and divide them in
their allegiance.
| LibeIs on the Red Cross.
| A campaign of mischievous rrmors
against the Red Cross is still under
way in spite of the circumstantial dis
proof that has been given the false
hoods through the society'S agents
everywhere. New rumors, new Sian
1 ders upon Red Cross work and Red
Cross officials, are put out simultane
ously in widely separated parts of the
country in way that proves precOn
relations are designed to discourage
loyal citizens from giving moaeE oil
service to the work of the society
That Is the purpose of the lies aoOut
Red Cross sweaters sold by depart
ment stores; about enormous salaries
paid to Red Cross officials, who are
really working without salary; about
Red Cross sweaters being used at the
front to ''pack guns in" about the
contributed knitted goods being un
raveled abroad by peasants who
wanted the yarn, not the manufactured
! article, etc., endlessly. A list of sucf
false reports, with their refutations
would require pamphlet by them
selves. The same is true of the libels
upon the food administration that
aim to arouse hostility to the govern
menrs measures of food conservation
Both campaigns have been unsuccess
| full. The loyal support of the work
of the Red Cross and of the food ad
ministration has been one of the most
remarkable achievements of America
at war in the eyes of our allies. Ger
man propaganda here has wholly
failed as it has failed against the
Liberty loans.
Flanders Age of Wealth.