The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-04-20
|lIuell,PLAYS
|ER PART IN WAR
|ls REAL FIGHTER
10000 Men In France Hold
Section Of North Front,

~ hmericnns Know thht fOrtuRhl
I on1iag aide BY side with the British
/ AoA one Of the most bitterly contested
A ooctoy of the western frontl How
mo of you know that she has Hung
AeS fortunes into the scales with the
oiIio on behalf OF democracy and in.
tDsnstional justicel"
Z The viseouu, de Altt, envoy sH.
eysofdinary and minister plenipotentiAry
lrcn Portugal TO this country. asked
p ,Ghese questions In the course OF an
4 Interview with him al the embassy head
luarters
Aiss Same 90 Americst.
Our aims are like those Of the
Omitted States" he continued, "We
kave nothing whstevef 10 gain In the
Var and arc fighting solely for = prin-
eipIeAlos the right Of = nation TO
(etesmibs he own affairs without
1iciatica from outside Under these
eircsmstsnces Il is q little disoouragine
- fiad that many even OF your officials
. - no. know we are IN the struggle
Our ships are sometimes bel up. just
. u we were neutrals. have been
asked recently BY men who should
knpv better whether II Is likely that
Portugal will be drawn into the war"
visccunt de Alte smiled little wiit-
fully. He II an erect slender man with
Close clipped gray hair and Q touch
of old-world distinction IN his manner.
: His English u perfect. II carries the
made W Britain" trademark
,t 5000 Men In Trenches.
Portugal has nearly 5000 men IN
Ne trenche, in France. Her troops
bold q section OF perhaps 10 miles ad-
yolniog the British southeast OF Ar
UcnfIkre. II must be remembered that
Cbough the British. the Portugese, and
~ Belgians defend only orc-third OF
Ne line along the western front there
ere opposed TO them onerhalf the Ger
nan divisions. The difficulty Of the
oerrain and the number Of the opposing
TROOPS make II necessary TO man these
trenches more thiekly than at other
narfs Of the line"
The little republic has also nearly
moo mea fighting In East Africa
onnpaign OF the most arduous kind,
Germany Is here making her last stand
~ colonial empire. She has armed
Che warlike blacks with machine guns
~ rifles. The German commander
has crossed into Portuguese territory,
where the joint armies OF Great Britain
end Portugal arc slowly wearing down
end destroying his forces. The climate
q deadly one to Europeans and the
oight OF returning troop ship, hlled
With fever stricken victims OF the
African swaiaps, s one to fill the heart
With pity. Yet the soldiers of the small
ropublic have no complaint TO make
They. too, are deyotina themselves to
ibe duty that calls them.
Work at Munitions.
a gYeat number OF Portueuese labor
brs are working In the munition fac
tBsies OF France and EnRland to re-
1ease men needed at the front Portu-
nj could readily furnish more SOL
1iers, but the difficulty Of transporta-
Z tlQp, Of securing supplies and the ex-
pense Of maintaining them make a
larger army not feasible.
Portugal is poor country, already
deeply in debt and the expense of this
war presses heavily upon her" explained
Viscount de Alte. IN this great rich
country of yours $4,000 10000 can be
,fsised without any strain But 1t is
\ uct so with us Our resources are
\. very limited. We can do so much and
- more"
German Ships SelIed.
The republic Of southwestern Europe
Z enme into the war to meet her treaty
\ cblisations. Her parliament announced
q readiness to stand Loyalty by these
I whenever England should call upon
ber. The need came when the allies,
n q counter stroke to the submarine
warfare. asked Portugal to seize the in
termed German Shipping living in her
4 Dorts, This was done. Eighty percent
\ q these German ships were turned
4 over to England TO aid her carrying
trade. Berlin retorted by declaring
war upon Portugal.
Already Portugal had shown where
hef sympathy lay by shipping artl-
kry--a modification Of the French
seventy -five-to England, whence il was
transferred TO Flanders for the use Of
the Belgians.
President Not PrO-German.
II has been charged that the new
president Of Portugal Sidono Paes,
a pro-German Viscount de Alte
hands this as Teutonic propaganda.
& The president has stated publicly more
a nan once that the fundamental for
\ eign policy Of Portugal lies in the line
Il = an alliance with Britain. Paes is
n yefy popular, and at the coming cleo
Il 1IQn will probably be returned to power
The population Of Portugal is be-
l4een 100000 and 100000 Seventy
4 ~ thousand young men come up each
por for military service. But Portu-
= 10 not a military country. War is
,7(b her deplorable necessity. Like
- United States, she has been trained
i tie peaceful arts.
v Only Germany has been taught thai
b r \ thing good in itself" said tn,
olster. The rest of us have had
~ visions, other hopes. But for
N ~ present We have put them behinC
We shall meet and beat German,
q M own game. Until that day comes
z &Drt ca Be no peace in the world.
ss.ts ---------ss.ss.--
N Co9mon Cause.
4housapdp q splendid men hay,
- Gsek 6veg, and women have giver