Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-09-17


Provost Marshal General Crowder's
office has the machinery in operation
for the new levies and all that is now
needed is the active cooperation of all
the people of the country in order to
create an additional army which will
crush the Huns on the European bat
tlefields.
There are many senator's and
representatives who no doubt would
like to revise the records which
they made when the United States
first entered the war. 1t is we'll
known fact that considerable proper
ton of the membership of congress
was opposed to the war and would not
have voted for it had it not been for
the urgency of the president. Even
when they voted for war a great many
of them expressed the fervent hope
that American troops would never be
sent to Europe and that they would
not suffer death and wounds on the
battlefields. The idea which seemed
was that we were entering the war on
the moral side and did not intend to
do any real fighting. But this is not
that kind of war. Nothing but the
hardest kind of fighting can win.
Now that American troops have been
engaged for some time on the western
front and have given good account
of themselves, it is probable that diff
ferent idea pervades congress and that
those men who were pacifists. anti
draft men, and antiwar men wish that
they had taken different course. The
defeat of quite number of them has
been a serious lesson, and there are
others who fear that they may be treat
ed to the same kind of medicine if
campaigns are made against them on
their war record in congress.
No one can look at the casualty lists
of American soldiers fighting in France
without seeing that this is truly war
of all the people. Practically every
nationality is indicated by the names
liz
italian, Jewish, Russian, Polish, Span
ish, Scandinavian, and every other
race and people on earth are repre-
scented either by their native-born sons
who emigrated to the United States or
by American-born children of such emf
grants. Many of the names of men
who gave up their lives to help crush
Prussianism stand as silent proof of
their own German ancestry.
Everybody who writes letters to sol
diers abroad is urged to be little con-
siderate and not to unload tales Of
grief and trouble at home upon the
boys who are having about all they can
do to bear up. Some people are natu-
raj born complainers, and have to pour
out their ideas on paper and send them
where they do the most harm.
What becomes of the spies?> That is
a question that is sometimes asked and
is never answered. We are quite we'll
aware that a great many spies have
been arrested, but further than the an
nouncement of such arrest little or
nothing is heard of them. 1t is al
together likely that such spies are
well taken care of. In fact. it is
doubtful whether it is necessary to
take the same spy twice If his guilt is
proved If there is one class more
than another that deserves the sever
est punishment, it is that element in
America which furnishes aid to the en-
envy of the United States in time like
this, and such punishment is particu-
larly due to those spies who are aid
ing the German sea monsters along our
coast to sink American vessels and
drown American citizens who are not
in the fighting forces of America.
In spite of the fact that Senator
Vardaman had opposed many things
in the way of legislation which re-
ceived the support Of the majority, he
had many friends In the senate who
are genuinely disappointed over his
defeat. But he will be succeeded by
very popular man. Pat Harrison, dur
ing his service in the house of repre-
sentatives, has won the esteem and
friendship of nearly every man he has
known. 1t is no doubt this personal
popularity of Harrison gave him the
big vote in Mississippi.
The "slicker" problem which stirred
up so much comment in congress a few
months ago seems to be on it's way
to settlement by the military heads.
"SIicker" was the term applied to the
thousands of reserve officers and men
who were on duty in Washington and
who, congress thought, should be near
er the actual fighting. Several war
department bureaus have issued or
ders that all physically fit officers and
enlisted men now in Washington shall
be assigned to active service and be
replaced by women or men physically
disqualified for service In the field.
Little or no criticism was made of the
many laval reserves who were station
ed at headquarters, but the naval au.
thorities are making ready II apply the
same system as that established by the
war department.
For the benefit of housewives who
cannot leave their homes the Illinois
food conservation department is using
visiting housekeepers to go to them to
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