Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-09-25

That the German people as whole
are to blame for the war, and not
merely the kaiser and his military as
sOciates, is the view expressed by Sem
ator Lodge of Massachusetts in his
able speech outlining the aims of the
United States. 1--WE are not engaged in
this war to try to arrange a govern
ment for Germany" said Lodge. 1.-THE
German people must do that them
selves, and they will get precisely the
government that they desire and de-
serve-just as they now have the gov
eminent they prefer, whose purposes
and ambitions and barbarism they
share and sustain. Our part and our
business is 10 put Germany in posi-
ton where she can do no more harm
in the future to the rest of the world"
One of the strongest of the many
speeches in favor of extending the
age limits for the draft was made by
Senator Knute Nelson of Minnesota.
He called attention to the fact that
soldiers of the Union army and the
soldiers of the Confederacy returned
to various walks of life and became
the very best citizens. $50 will 1t be
with the boys of eighteen and nineteen
years who go to Europe" he said.
'"They will come back better citizens,
more loyal and with higher spirit of
patriotism than they ever had before.
They will never be menace or dam
ger to the community, and they will
not come back as ruined men,"
At that point Senator Nelson was
interrupted by Senator Fall of New
Mexico. who asked: "Who ran this
country in every state and the nation
al government for thrty-four years
after the Civil war? Who filed the
halls of this and the other house"
I'm the North that service was per
formed in large part by the old sol
diers, and in the South the same rights
were accorded their veterans" was the
Minnesota senator's reply. And what
was true of the soldiers both North
and South of the Civil war will un-
doubtedly be true of the men who re-
turn from the present war. They will
be the successful politicians of the
future"
Senator Nelson went on and showed
how it was the young men, the boys.
so to speak, who turned the tide or
battle when the Germans made their
farthest advance. Senator Smith OF
Michigan asked him how old he was
49, Tyn;0 md
Nelson replied that he was a little
over eighteen years, entered as pri-
vate, "and attained the high rank OF
corporal" He went on to say that
most of the men in the company In
which he served were under twenty
years of age. There was one man
thirty-five years old. and they called
him "Old Dad" This man was not
an effective soldier as he was on the
sick list much of the time. Senator
Nelson said that perhaps his years
of experience both in the army and
outside had made him rather callous,
and he could not indulge in this maud
lin sentiment and go into Mysteries in
behalf of the boys of eighteen. nine
teen and twenty Furthermore" he
added. II believe the best education
these boys can get is that which will
be derived from life and training in
the army"
While pointing out the benefits which
men who served in the Civil war re-
ceived, Senator Nelson made COM
parison of the manner in which men
in the army are treated now and So
wears ago. They have benefits and
comforts which were not accorded
soldiers on either side in the Civil
war. such as the Y. NJ. C. A. and other
organizations. and the Red Cross. 'The
soldiers of the Union army never had
ham and bacon" said Nelson; 1--WE re-
ceived nothing but salt pork and salt
beef in the brine. and bareback. In
those days we were not even able to
get Hoover bread
In the debate on the extension of
n ages for the draft the following
interesting figures were brought out
. in regard TO soldiers who served
in the Union army during the Civil
war: Under twenty-one years of age.
2..59. 79S: of these 1,551 ,43S we're I'M
der eighteen years of age: S04,991 were
under seventeen years. while 221,O51
were under sixteen And what is still
more surprising. there We're lo4.9S7
under fifteen years.
4 During the debate on the extension
1 of the draft nearly every time when
a senator. or member of the house
$ made a telling remark abeat babies
4 of eighteen years" being thrown into
c the battle front. the women in the
: galleries would applaud. THAT is the
: best argument against woman suffrage
b that has been made" remarked maj