The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1918-04-26
PAclFlsTs.

1
The father will evade exertlng his auths
ority except possibly when his own per-
sonal comfort of convenience is invaded
by the kids. The result Of such train
ing is common object lesson. The
cause is the weakness and selfishness
which amounts to moral cowardice, tenn
porizing Tor present peace which simply
piles up trouble for the future. An
ounce of prevention is worth pound of
cure in bringing up children. This sort
of parents are ''family pacifists."
-Four years ago great war began in
the world family, The United States
because of its Isolated position, because
of its great national power, because of
impartial interests, because of its form
of government, because it was the lsad.
ing democratic nation, because its peo-
pie were gathered from all European
peoples because of these and many simi
lar reasons had the right, and ought to
have exercised that right, to interfere
with the quarrels of the European ma.
tions and If necessary to have compelled
a then possible early peace.
But at that time the 'paclfsts" were
IN the majority. "Let us have peace"
was the war cry of America. Not ship,
not gun, not even the semblance of
military training, because our mutual
friend the KAISER might possibly con.
strue it as preparation for war. Even
after all men in authority, and most of
the common people knew that Germany
was an enemy, "with malice afore-
thought" we had presidential election
in which the issue was "He kept US out
of war" and the kaiser was thus inform
ed that the United States would not
fight if they could possibly help it.
When the kaiser read the returns of
the election, when he read the remarks
of the American Secretary OF State,
when he read the debates in Congress,
when he perused the columns of some
daily papers, he went ahead and sunk
the "Lusltana." Even then our goody-
paciists said that "Americans had no
right to travel on British Ships" Then
later when the U-boats began to sink
American ships, they again crawled back
in their holes and said, "well, let Ameri-
can ships stay at home.'
And all this time the German Ambas-
sador at Washington, enjoying the hos
pitalitles and protection of this govern
ment as an official and honored guest,
was engaged in the most damnable plots
of destruction of property and dissent
mating propaganda to stir up local strife
among our many different hypenated
peoples.
No wonder that the kaiser thought
that such vacillating weakness, such ex-
pressed cowardice, such pusallm meant
that he need have no fear of the United
States entering the war. No wonder
that he thought II we ever did declare
war that hostilltjes would be confined to
this side and that it would become an
other civil war among the different peo-
pies of European descent who live in. the
United States, or between classes.
And still some paclists cry ''peace,
peace, peace" But there is no peace.
There never will be real peace until Am
erica makes an American peace by the
force Of arms. 1t was up to US 10 have
made peace in the beginning, delay has
only made the task that much greater.
Responsibilities may be lodged, may be
temporized, but they must be finally
faced.
Oh pacifists, how much will you have
to answer for in this catyclysim OF hor-
rors?
We have been at war now for year
and this in spite of the fact that in
obedience to the voices and views of the
pacifsts we have bowed our heads to
the earth as the kaiser passed by. After
the years hurried work of preparation
we have MILLION or more men under
arms, half-traiped, and lack ships to
take these across the water. +,
If these men had been fully trained
they would have been far more effective,
if we had the ships to have carried them
across the sea quickly and safely, and
we had had them ready two, three, four
years ago, what would have been the re-
suit in the mind of the kaiser? What
would have been the result if he had
persisted in his "ruthlessness" thenP
We believe the war would have been
ended at least two years ago if America
had been ready. Present action across
the water proves how much the kaiser
feared the coming of American troops.
| Now, thousands and thousands of
dead American boys will be buried in
the battle-felds of Europe because SO
many good people in this country feared
to prepare for war. That is the tragedy
Of 1T. Even now, it will take blood be-
fore many d these people can be- made
1 ~ Al 4 Il