The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-04-06
TDH FIRST YEAR or WAR


America today energies from It's 1rot year of
It has been year marked pally by prep
aration.
During the tWclvc-month Just past, whose ad-
vent found America az wholly unprepared as It.
was when the great war broke on the world two
years and eight months before, more than anyone
regarded humanity possible, has been accomplished
to prepare America to properly play it's part in the
titanic struggle.
While American arms in France have won mol
great Wet cries in every brush with the enemy, our
Sammos have given Il good account OF themselves.
We have half million splendidly trained fighting
men there and Il million more men in training
here soon to go. Never in the history OF any ma
ton has an army of such magnitude and OF so 1lne
calDrc been recruited, equipped ana trained IN the
small space OF one year.
Doubling Americans have been given proof
that the select service principle of building an
army is correct and that such selection procures
for the military forces Of the nation men best
suited to serve in that capacity, leaving in the in
dustres and on the farm the men whose labor will
be more valuable to their country there The
"draft," regarded with such horror by certain OF
our statesmen prior to the adoption of the select
service act, has encountered no opposition worthy
of the name. The young men selected for distin-
gushed service in the noblest cause for which any
people has ever fought have been proud OF the
back on Through from our training camps and
environments thorough soldiers, Spendldy eff
rient, thoroughly American, 3..
Had America during this year done nothing
more than build its army of 100000 men, it
would have accomplished more than one ordinarily
could expect from the chaotic condition in which
the declaration of war on Germany found us. But
it has done much more. 1t has undertaken the
greatest Shipbul[ding program ever attempted by
any country and is making it q success: it is en-
parked upon The construction Of acrOplanes on
scale never before dreamed OF; it is building NUM-
tions and manufacturing ammunition on tremen-
dous scale it is producing food for its own soldiers
and the soldiers of allies it is keeping in the
field the American Red Cross, and the y. NJ. G. A.
and the knights of Columbus and the Salvation
Army, ministerng not only to our boys, but to the
soldiers Of our allies it is loaning it's billions to
allies and investing its hundreds Of millions in its
own W0r work.
And al this has been accomplished with so
little confusion that here in peaceful North Da-
kota there are no outward indications to show
thai we 30 at war, Despite Hooverizing, we con-
tinue L; CnioN eur three meals each day; despite
our iaFe meats III the trst two Liberty Loans, we
alrc"dy n .cT.ty OF US have set aside and ready
the orveC MuUNt which We intend Lo Invest in
the To,rd Liberty loan. We have put oar pennies
and opr ulu,e> ahd oltr 0olHrS INTO war savings
stamps i,3 vs. nave 0NitU cat SOME charity to the
Red Cross ana the Y. NJ C, A and the Knights of
Columbus wax camps fund and the Salvation
Army, but II we are honest with ourselves and
search our eonscienceS closely will confess that
we have denied ourselves no material comfort and
few INJURIES
One year ago there was uncertainty, fear,
doubt. To-day there are none of these. We know
where 1--WE are at" We have gone through the
dangerous initial stage Of the war and have come
out stronger in every way than we went in. We
are, most of u.s. better Americans: we are better
err hnft nd
nelghb0rS. because we have this universal bond to
unite us, We have greater faith in our country
more love and reverence for our president. Is
Wilson democrat? Yes, he was when elected
but the republicans helped elect him. and the re-
publicans and the progressives, and the democrats
and most OF the socialists and every other party
which is really American have forgotten PARTISAN
ship and selfish desire for self-advancement in
support of Wilson. Never has president of these
United States, not excepting Washington, had such
undivided support and love and admiration from
his countrymen. And this support has made Will
son strong to so ahead and do the big things which
he has done; it has made him fit ruler for
great people,
And our neighbors! They no longer are Scan
dnavians, nor Irish, nor Scotch, nor English, nor
German-Americans, nor Russians. If they count
for anything at all they are AMERICANS, and
we've come to look upon them as such, because
like as not. Fritz and Nike and Ole and Angus and
Angelo and Ivan all are fighting shoulder to
shoulder over there with our own plain John
Smith and they are fighting over there a., AMER
lCANS, and ii their time comes, they will die over
there as AMERICANS.
Look back, fellow citizens over the year Of
achievement which ends today. Look forward intoI
the. year which hagins today You hGvedone yos,AI
best with the rest 81 w, and you're proud of i.
And wersyy ~! III - :. 4 =