The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-02-06

the Y. M. G. A., the Y w. G. A. the X.
of c., the Red Cross-in fact every Or
ganization that had a right to make a
collection in the state of Wisconsin in
the interest of the war has received
all it asked for and more.
Our draft boards have performed
their work in a most satisfactory man
ner, and have received the highest
communication from the Provost Mar
shall General and like commentator
has come to me personally many times
for the days and nights that I have
spent in cooperating with the govern
ment to make the administration of
the draft law success.
The women of the state have given
splendid cooperation. Go where we
will the women are active in Red
| Cross work, making collections for
the Red Cross or some other benevo-
lent associatiOn-in fact, the entire
population of the state has shown the
greatest willingness to do all within
| its power to aid the army and to aid
the government
The indications are that the CLASH
| fication of our registered men will be
| completed on the day set by the gov
eminent, and the state stands ready
| now, as it has for long time, to fill
| it's quota of drafted men, as it filled
| its quota of volunteers. 1t may be in
teresting to know that Wisconsin fur
| nished 81 per cent of it's first allot-
| ment in volunteers, which is the high
est per cent of any state in the Union
| save one which had but small allot-
| ment.
ALI these achievements and all this
| cooperation could not be secured if
| there was anything wrong with the
people Of the state or if the state gov
eminent were not doing it's part.
| Of course there is nothing wrong
with either the people or the state
| government. l charge that all the
criticism that has been made of Wis
consin and its people, it's state gov
eminent, affecting the loyalty and good
| citizenship of the people of the state
has been inspired by politicians for
selfish political purposes.
| If any individual or newspaper wish
es to take issue with me upon that
proposition, / ask the individual and
the press to be specific and point out
what the people of the state, or it's
state government, or it's governor has
done or fails to do that justifies the
statements that have been made.
Teaches Thrift Lesson.
This is no time for men to quarrel
| Europe presents a situation as a re-
suit of the three years or more of war
that has been going on there, that
makes man shudder. The American
people will do we'll if they will profit
by the mistakes that were made there
Above all, every man, who has the in
terests of our country at heart, should
wish that true spirit of cooperation
may prevail on the part of all the peo-
pie during the time of this great
crisis.
The war will teach us many new
lessons. 1t is, indeed, a costly educat-
or However, irrespective of the re-
suits on the field of battle it will
teach us among other things, the les,
son of thrift. 1 think it's no unfair
criticism when l say that as a people
we had become extravaganza In the
fifty years of almost unbroken peace
we have thought little of saving
While we have been, generally, CHART
able to the poor, we have been very
liberal to ourselves. The country was
comparatively new. 1t offered great
opportunities for agricultural and in
dustrial development. In recent years
money came easy for many people
and the principle of come easy, &c
easy could be applied to many of US
; We are now confronted by a situa
ton that makes us think, and most OF
us will, as a matter of necessity, neeG
to revise our personal expenditures
Our charities must be continued as
moral duty. Our incomes will be di
minished, and the difference must BIZ
made up by being less generous with
ourselves.
i When the war is over Europe viii
be poverty stricken. What our situa
ton will be in that respect we can.
not now foretell. 1t will depend upor
the length of the war. The people Of
Europe will endeavor to work out
their commercial and industrial sal.
walton as best they can. Their purpose
will be for years to come to get back
on their feet and to regain their for
mer prosperity. They will exercise
thrift. They will introduce efficiency
in all things that they do as a matter
of necessity, and it our country is go.
ing to keep pace, if we are told tc
hold our own in the markets of the
world, we, too, must exercise the
same thrift
l predict that there will come a
time after the close of this war when
business will again be done on close
margins-when only those, who will
recognize the lessons thrift and eco
nomy the war is teaching, will sue
ceed.
While we have fafrn in the Justice
of our cause and feel confident that
ultimately we must win, however, we
should not persuade ourselves to be-
lieve that we shall not have any re-
verses. God forbid that we have them
but they will come. That has been the
history of every war We have nc
right to expect that our experience
will be different in this war