The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-07-05
IF YOU CAN'T FIGHT. THINK,

We are at war, we Americans. We
are all conscious of it now. We are
fighting fiercely and without thought
of compromise. We see red. We
will fight through to victory. No
thing can stop us. Uncle Sam has
started in to clean things up ard he
is in deadly earnest.
But what is it all about? VII i
it for? To carve up the KAISER r.
crush the Germans? And N
what? Set up conditions in ker -
with the American spirit, "to
the world safe for democracy"
Yes, it is democracy that we -
fighting for. We all know that
do we stop to realize what this s.
democracy means for the immediat,
future? It means that after the
country has won its cause, after our
government and our armies have
achieved victory it will be necessary
for the people,-the plain, common,
voting people-to determine what to
do with it. There is no use in win
ing a war if we do not make it
count, We are not fighting for the
fun of it. Millions of men, and bill
lions of money-for what?
Do we know what? This will be
the test of world democracy. Can
group of states, depending upon the
wisdom of the masses, construct a
world program? Germany could
The German ruling classes know ex-
atcly what they want. 1t is one
thing for us to destroy the definite
aggressive plans of the Central pow
ers by military force; it is another
thing to build up conservative pro-
gram based upon freedom and jus
tice to take its place.
Beyond the issue of battle is an
other task awaiting us, more subtle
and in some ways more exacting
than the military problem. We must
create a new world in politics.
Among other things we must remake
the map of Europe, grouping nation
alities, and providing the geographic
basis for development We must
provide for a real freedom of the
seas. We must make provisions for
limited rather than an absolute
sovereignty on the part of nations.
We must provide some sort of world
organization for the keeping
peace. This is a big task. bold
task, but there is no way out of it.
The alternative is to admit defeat
And since we are living in a de
mocracy it falls upon you and me,
upon the farmers, the butchers, the
doctors, the builders, to determine
the fundamental policy of America
in this work. To be sure we can de-
pend upon trained governmental of
ficials to carry out the details of ad-
ministration and diplomacy. In such
matter we may, and should, keep
Glands off" But if democracy
means anything, the big, basic prin-
ciples of national policy must spring
from the people The wisdom of a
democratic state can never rise very
far above the vision of the people
If America is to take her place in
this crisis, to lead, as she probably
must, the masses of the American
voters must have fairly accurate
knowledge of world conditions, and
be essentially sane in their judg-
ments.
We must, therefore, be up and do
ing right now. AS people we
have been woefully out of thir~s.
We have prided ourselves in our ie"-
lation, and it has served us well up
to this point. But we have a lot o.
things to learn. We must know mere
of the old Europe, its traditions
jealousies, its diplomatic ways. y,
must know more of the Balkans
Russia, of the Orient, of impel
ism, of trade, of the forces of socis
unrest. We must, in fact, in many
fields, learn in a day what Europe
has lived for centuries.
We should not, of course, let our
thinking interfere with our fighting.
We would not withdraw single man
from the battlefront to aid in this
work. But you and I, while we are
planting war-gardens. and buying
Liberty Bonds, must seriously apply
ourselves to laying a basis for clear,
sane thought, if all our sacrifice of
wealth and treasure is not to be
meaningless waste. We should CO.
operate, get together and thresh
matters out. Every community
should plan, as a war activity, a
course of study and discussion, pos
sibly under the direction of the high
school history teacher The state
educational institutions will lend
their aid with suggestions and
speakers. If we cannot fight, we can
at least think.
Do not cry out against the terors
Of Skr,fk Io-,w