The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-07-17
How We May Pay Our Debt
BY Gertrude Athorton of The vigirantoo.

While it is, Of course a historical fact that
we went to war with Germany to save our own
republic from extinction-for there are only two
sides to any war, offensive and defenstVe--yeC
we accepted the inevitable with an enthusiasm
partly spiritual, partly romantic, which uluInln-
ated what otherwise might have been the usual
sullen determination which characterizes a
peace-loving country forced into war. we were
able at last to go as a nation TO the ald OF
France Individually hundreds Of devoted
American men and women were serving ner.
Not few had already died in her cause. MI"
lions Of money had been raised by popular SUD
scription to relieve the sufferngs OK her
civilians and her wounded soldiers. She Waa
to US the heroine Of the war, Joan Of Arc cpl
tomtzed.
But 1t was beginning to look as IT, like her
tionaI martyr, she was doomed TO burn at the
stake. She is greater military country than
Germany, otherwise she would have been con
quered long since, and she had great wealth and
the nimblest wits OF all the nations. 1t would
be unfair to insist that her people are the nrav-
est and the most patriotic Of all the belgerents,
for the towards in warfare are negligible, and
all countries are patriotic when fully aroused
But there Is a passion and an exaltation ABOUT
the patriotism Of the French that lifts them to
plane Of their and is even more for
midable force for the brutal materialism Of Ger
La Patrie"' expresses a religious ferVor that
would be fanatical the French not the
Deutschland uber Allies" express the sentiment
tality and insincerity of a race that has not
CLEAN Of spirituality-nor Of honest sentiment
for that matter. =
Therefore although it never will be possible
to force entire republic at least, to submit
to the horrors and sufferings and privations OF
for altruistic reasons only, we nevertheless
were oVerjoyed when the day came that permit
ted us to fight for France as well for own
persistence as a republic. 1t is safe to say that
every intelligent young American who should
cred his rifle, whether enlisted or drafted, that
is to say, who knew the history Of his country
and had followed the present war from it's out
break in 1914, felt something Of the exatation Of
the crusader. He was to fight on French soil,
not only for the freedom Of the United States,
and the life Of democracy, but for the France
that fought on our revolutionary soil and was
the determining factor in struggle for indie
pendence. without Rochambeau and his 5000
troops when our fortunes were at their lowest
ebb we should doubt be a colony Of Great
Britain today; and Lafayette has been as great
a hero to the American schoolboy Washington
himself.
1t is to be hoped that Che exigencies Of war
Will permit our men to restore, alone and
aided, Alsace- Lorraine to France. I happen to
know that this ambition possesses the minds of
thousands OF our young officers and soldiers,
and when our army is once more unit, per-
haps General F'och will withdraw his own troops
from the southeast and enable us to pay our
able victory over Germany for which our mil
lions in men and our billions in money are
indispensable, would give the enlightened por-
tlon or this republic such profound and spiritual
satisfaction as the established fact that Amer-
can troops alone had driven the Hun from the
soil Of Alsace-Lorraine, made Alsace- Lorraine
the special gift Of the United States to France.
In course Of time, if the goes on long
think and talk Of little else than the war-this
passionate wish will possess the United States
from end to end; and If failed or were not
permitted to pay our great historic debt in this
concrete fashion to the nation whose brave and
ardent soldiers came to our rescue in our dark
est hour, should feel in our new hour Of vic
tory that the best lacking. War is a gross
business. Let US put soul into it if we can.