Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1918-07-05
THE CALL TO AMERICA
BY z. q. PIPP

How stands Il. then, with our boys
over seas and those to foilow2 Which
means. how stands It with our people
as nation? Which means how stands
It with the stars and stripes and all
they have meant to free people7
Which means how stands II with Eng
land, proud mistress OF the sea (which
means how stands Il with France and
other nations In the conflict Which
means how stands Il with world civil
ization? Shall its future be built In
the arts OF peace. swayed by love in
the heart. resting its hopes In fertile
valleys, humming industry. peaceful
firesides. or shall II wear helmet and
spur riding the steed OF hatred. ush-
ing It's way with the thrust Of the bay
onetT
How Il stands with these depends
largely on how Il stands with Ameri-
cans at home.
Our people must understand the
enemy they have to fight: they must
understand. too, the strength OF our
allies. and that which We must supply
to make the winning sure.
The great conflict centers in the
western front: there RACES the strug-
gle OF peoples who love the arts OF
peace against q people who would
rule by the sword.
In 1903, when Napoleon BonAparte
was having things very much his own
way In Europe. no whipped Prussia.
took a large portion OF Prussian ter
ritory and about half OF Prusaian sub
iects away from the Pruasian soyer.
eign. and. finding their rulers still
very much inclined toward militarism
prescribed limits TO their army. to
which Prussia agreed because she had
to.
The agreement was that Prussia
should not have an army OF over
$4,000 men. Prussia lived up to that
agreement TO the letter. but
Even In that early day she showed
her ability 70 wrlggle out OF an agree
ment that was distasteful 20 her. and
she did not live up to the spirit Of ID
She did not maintain an army oI
more than 1900 men at any one
time-that II an active army-bul
she kept men in until they were vel
trained; then they went out and 9th
ers went in for training. and so II wal
until a very large portion Of the mAI'
population was drilled and ready fol
action should necessity arise.
The military policy instituted thel
has been maintained to this day. al
has the policy OF the rulers Of bend
ing their morals to their persona
desires. and. taking the other half o
the step. violating agreements in let
ter a. well ~ In spirit.
That Prussian military spirit dil
not subside or even lie dormant
When others thought they had II par
/ aiyzed. II still thrfved. In iS4s, /
had become 30 strong that many Ger
mans themselves rebelled against II
and left the country rather than sui
! NIT 20 its advocates. Hundreds O
> Thousands Of others left later.
Z In 1871 Il was even stronger, an
, 1t was then that Germany rsaped III
greatest harvest OF It's policy. wresi
j ing Alsace and Lorraine from Franc,
3 And It is this same military spiri
i that the world faces today.
: Stronger. more arrogant. grow
{ selfish. cold and brutal. mllitarlsm
trying 10 fasten Itself on the remaIr
, der Of the world. TO ths profit Of on
nation shat became an armed camp.
Z L Is the fruit OF this miIitarisI
that one sees everywhere along a
= lighting front IN Europe. the militia
i ism that menaees America today as
tcontiasd On Last Pass1