The Cordova daily times., 1918-03-20


 consequence to her enemies than any which she has won in the field. Wit ness the complete collapse of Russia and the partial collapse, in the fall of last year, of the hitherto indomitable Italian armies.
 Germany's hope of victory lies in the war behind the front-a war which Tn It's secrecy and cunning is as deadly and difficult to deal with as the sub-sea piracy of the German U-boats It was after Germany realized that she could never win on the sea and in the open that she struck below the sea ana in the dark So, realizing that she can never conquer with the sword, she seeks to win out against the hon-combatant popu1ation py means of the subtle suggestion of failure, the secret whisperings of dis. affection, the little spark of rumor
 
 which runs through mems minds like fire through dry stubble, to say noth- ing of the deliberate lie, craftily con- ceiyed' cunningly camouflaged, and whispered by thousand trusted spies into ten thousand listening ears.
 in carrying on this war there is no weapon, however small that is so in- significant as to be overlooked by the German propagandist; there is no in fluence which can have the slightest effect upon the morale of the people that is considered too small for the patient, tireless effort of these soldiers of secrecy in our midst, whose eff ciency increases in the ratio of their modesty and apparent insigniffcance. Many are the current phrases which have originated in the secret text books of the German secret service: Peace without annexation or indem- mites" Ca peace which involves no acknowledgement of moral guilt by the vanquished) "The war is a stale mate (which suggests that Germany is so strong that she can never be beaten). Look at the map" (sug- gesting that Germany has won, and ignoring the fact that her man power has decreased in the proportion in which her boundaries have extended). Peace without victory" (the most fn- aidious phrase of all; for peace with out confession of military defeat would be acclaimed by Germany as a peace won by German force of arms. It is fact that the majority of peo- pie in this world never grow up, and 1 that only small minority develop tha9 mental growth, that sense ot proDortion, which enables them to take a broad view of such far-reaching questions as are involved in this world war, Most people are intelligently concerned only with the things which are close at hand and readily obvious They look, as it were, through a knot hole instead of using the sixtydegree angle of vision which every intelligent man ought to have; and consequently such people, and it Is the great ma ! jority, are peculiarly sensitive to the suggestions of propaganda Whicl is as subtle and difficult to detect as 1t is allperyading and pernicious. The 1 large majority of the rumors of dis aster to our troops; of discomfOrts sicknesses, and deaths in the canton ments; of delays, Reorganization, ant even of graft in the great war indus tries are of enemy origin. And th' pity of it all is that, unconsciously there are thousands of well-meanin citizens who, because they have al iIl-regulated appetite for the scanda lous and the shocking, assist this en emy propaganda by repeating the CT emy rumors, too often with embellish ments of their own.
 Without shutting his eyes to defect or foregoing his inalienable right t ., criticism, it is the duty of every citizel to cultivate in these times a stres! of spirit of healthy optimism Thoughts are things" A lie persist ently repeated and idly passed on even though we believe it to be a lie begins, by virtue of it's constant reiter ation, to take on in our minds a colol of truth.
 l Therefore, it is the duty of every patriot among us, whenever he stun bles upon one of these calamity howl CTS, to ask him at once his authority and bring it sharply to his mind, that