The Yale expositor., 1918-11-21

into the ranks or a volunteer army or
war workers so hastily assembled.
Such men would be eager for the
chance to rehabilitate themselves.
They might even be genuinely loyal TO
the country at large, though they have
never been loyal to the best interests
Of their home communities. 1t Is as
absurd for anyone to turn against the
war because of the participation of
these men as 1t would be absurd for
him to withdraw from the trenches II
he found old political enemies serving
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 1t Is a work in aid Of the
enemy to let suspicion of such men
weaken support Of the government in
its prosecution of the war.
Not a 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
cOnscription in this war as they could
in our Civil war; in spite of the fact
that no one can hire q 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 volun-
teers to help organize the business of
| the country on a war basis the busi-
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 1t 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 financlers 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-
tion after the war. And the president
replied that the government would not
appoint such a 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 ii
had been most difficult to make those
nations believe that America was not
secretly inspired by 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
public utterances. He has consistently
acted upon 1t 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 i'm order to con-
fuse our people and divide them in
their allegiance.
Libels on the Red Cross.
A campaign of mischievous rumors
|
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.
ders upon Red Cross work and Red
Cross officials are put out simultane
ously in widely separated parts of the
country in n way that proves precon'
certment and direction. All these fab
relations are designed to discourage
loyal citizens from giving money OF
service TO the work of the society
That is the purpose of the lies about
Rcd 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 such
false rpnorts with their refutatiOnS