The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1918-06-18
Why We Fight
No



PAST. II Is true. men have fought for
fr~~dom frcn crrressor~ Sometimes
they have WIN ard sometimes they
have lost. hut always therc has h-en
q place Ia this hig world where those
WIN had lost In the strng'e 81 hosne
might 20 and hnd = count-y where
they might enloy the liberty they
loved.
Now Ell Il different. n tNr forces
which arc fighting for frredom Ia this
war are defeated. there win re no
place In the whole world 20 which they
may ge 10 fnd q refuge from rrss.
sian domination. Every land under
the sun win he directly or Indirectly
Under control os the victor. and N
tho victor Is autccrncy. freedom per
ishes.
The land where freedom Is most i'm
rrinentiy menaced by the feTfons ef
rrussian au,ccracy. AZ this mcrieut
is the land where unwonted freedom
temporarily has run ria and has Lost
the power 20 fight for ltSclf--RusSih
We mre nghting for the freedom of
Russia. and must continue 20 fght fer
n until Russia learns what freedosn
means. and Is again able 60 hghi. III
We do not. freedom will die In Russia.
PrusSlan autocracy will rule and ex.
ploit the country for is own benefi,;
and the very forces which overthrow
the crar win he turned against the
freedom not oniy of themselves. hut OF
other lands
In years gone by. when the forces
of revolution were showing themselves
here and there IA Islssia. they had the
sympathy 81 America In spite ~ the
methods ~ terrorism of which we
did not approve When tho cfar and
the kniser. leaders of auiocrncy, were
locked IN death rraprle Russia s'iii
had our sympathy, because she was
fighting on the side ~ those who were
seeking to safeguard the world from
pruSsinn militafism.
When the czar WAS derosed over
night American feeliags were mixed.
There WIS Joy az che downfall ~ an
old. and sometimes cruel auiocracy.
hat there was fear that Russia would
become too dlSorganired % fight fur
iher, coupled with the thought that per
laps the revolution had come too soon
Il be effective.
Then followed the brief regime or
Kerensky. when II began 80 look as
though freedom In Russia might be an
Organized frcedom. prepared 10 fght
~ lis rights. and all America haiied
tho Russian revolution as n blessing.
n had become absolutely correct 70
sny that the war was war 81 demoG
rncy against autocRcy No pro-Gcr-
man could longer point 20 the car.
whenever an argument arose.
Finally came the holshevlkl revolu-
ton. IN which kerensky was over
thrown. Russian industry and Rus
sian society were disorganlzed. and
Russian armies ceased 20 fight. The
kaisers armies pressed on unopposed.
took what they dcxerd In spite ~ n
signed peace. and Russia appeared 10
be about 10 pass completely under con.
srol ~ Germany. America stood
aghast NJ the prank freedom had
rlaycd. and American opinion turned
largely against Russia. but thinking
men refused to give M hope. hns-
sia was and s,ill is incapable Of Offer
ing resistance. bu, Russia r. not re-
,i med 70 nu,orfacy. N devolves upon
others 70 hg'Tt for The freedom Rus
sia must have.
The experience ~ other nations has
been that men who loved freedom
were willing 20 nghi for II. ard 10 die
for n N necessary. The Russian at-
! fi,nde az nonrcsistance was something
new in the world. and i hard 10 un-
dersiand. The boisheviki represent
"a the extreme Idea OF liberty. To
them freedom meant not the night or
the majority 20 choose their form OF
government. ,ui the right of the inda-
vidual 10 be free from ail forms of
governmental ressraint. They would
tear down the ola order completely.
s, one stroke. and set NJ the NH
lenium. They would divide the land.
Tho factories and the tools among the
workers. and have no masters hence
forth
Even m Russia, however. there we're
d,s~enfers. Some took up arms; and
The bsl~heviki. who fought the Ger
mans not n afi. fought their brothers
most ferociousiy. The result vas an
srchy. iswiessness. massacre. the dis
organization ~ the railways and the
sni,nre - fhe food supply. The MIL
/ lerlurn refused 20 come ~ the mere
decree ~ she boisbeviki. II was shown
sfas there must te organization and
government of some sort
Rus~sa ~f's oot longer hght side by
side With her former allies. 10 In
slsuous has been the German propa'
gandn that. in many instances. Russian
hatred ~ fhe allies seems 20 be deep
r than hatred Of Germany.
Therefore the Uyted States csnno'
rnder direct ard TO fbe struggling peo
ME Of Russia. She cannot send then
armies and supplies. for they have ~
fused 20 % battle for themselves. Tt
fgtf for Russia she must feht On shs
western front. She must DO her shsrs
toward hurnblsng the kaiser. and fore
t,~ blu "a rfIlu0uls1 his gYarp On th<