The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-07-18
The Time Clock And The War
By an American workinsman in the Mississippi

war aTLectsd me In any way so long as oIo WIlI
the government asked me to. had given them
my oldest boy and had put my whole savings
into Liberty bonds. And considered that there
my duty ended. It then became my right to pro-
tect myself to get all the raises in wages could,
to shorten the hours Of labor all l could-Whlcn
would of course give me more overtime at hisher
pay. didn't think that was wrong in wanting
this. AS matter Of fact, as look back, can see
that didn't think at all. I was merely doing
what I had always been in the habit of doing. So
when a new strike was proposed agreed to en-
ter into 1t most heartily.
1t was about this time there came to visit us a
cousin Of my wife's He was young fellow. OF
adventurous spirit, who had always been good
deal Of a wanderer, a very fine boy, but one VINO
had always a craving for excitement. At the
start of the war he had gone to Canada and en-
listed. He was now back from the front II a1n...
We were very fond of him. And 1t gave US d
good deal Of a shock when he came up the front
path, on clutches, with one leg gone
But he seemed remarkably cheerful about II.
When we began to sympathize with him he said
that he had no kick coming; that he was mighty
glad that it wasn't his head And that or ms
company there were only seven left, OF which he
was one. The rest were all dead, in Flanders.
To hear him talk was the most interesting
would not let him stop. And on account of what
he told me, I asked him to come down that
night and talk to the men at meeting that was
We got there a little late. The men had prac-
ticaIly decided to vote to let the strike go
through.
I asked them If, before they took the final vote,
they would listen to the young soldier 1 had
brought. They said they would.
Leg" he began, addressing them from the ros-
trum. That's what everybody asks me first.
I'll tell you
II lost my Leg" he went on, because bunch
Of men like you sat around at home, just as you
sitting now, and decided, just as you have
decided now, to call strike.
II don't know who those are, where
they are, but they cut off my leg just as surely as
though they'd laid me out on butchers block
and whacked 1t off with a cleaver".
HE could them looking at each other. They
thought he just running wild
I'VE were standing off the German army up at
Plug street. They put down a barrage on us and
shut off. And then they massacred us.
And do you know why? Because our artillery
hadn't enough shells. There were $50 men in my
company that got 1t that night. Men like you,
and your sons no better and no worse.
And the reason we hadn't enough shells was
that the men back home weren't making them
for u.s. If we'd had shells, could have
dumped EN- the Germans fast they
dumped em u.s. and stood em off. But
shells gave out and theirs didn't. And that's why
there were little pieces of the best fellows that
mud and muck. A hundred and fifty dead in
our company. and God knows how many in the
sector.
And the trouble is that even yet you people at
home don't know what this how
it's being fought nor how it's got to be fought.
THE Huns don't have any strikes do they?
SOL SE@SS - A@AS@@
won't let 'em.
I'm this war, the soldiers are only the NOV
able part Of the machine. They're like the wheels
automobile. But you don't get very far,
If all you've got to automobile is the wheels.
You've got to have engine, to make it
And labor is the engine And the government is
the chauffeur.
IF you've got good driver, and a good engine,
then the wheels will take you anywhere But If
you've got bad driver, and a bum engine, the
best wheels in the world won't help you.
mo, sir, it's teamwork that's going to- win
why has Germany been able to stand off all
the rest Of the world for four years. and win
against it at that? It's teamwork.
ITO win this war, you've got to help me, and
I've got to help you. Everybody in this country
has got to help everybody else.
Suppose I'm a soldier at the front. can't
stay at the front unless i've got cartridges to
shoot and food to eat and clothes to wear
All right Now where do get them?
They come to me in ships
All right. Then somebody's got to build the
ships and somebody's got to run the ships
I've got to have food to eat.
"All right Then somebody else has got to
plant and wheat and rye and raise cattle
and sheep and hogs and run packing houses and
grain elevators and railroad trains and grist-
mills and food factories.
And I've got to have clothes to wear
so somebody else has got to raise cotton and
wool and run cotton mills and looms and cloth
factories and button factories and clothing fac
tories and shoe factories and knitting mills and
uniforms and blankets. If don't get those
catch pneumonia, freeze and die Of exposures
ana I've got to nave things to shoot with.
"All right, So somebody else has got to make
guns and rifles and shrapneI and high explosives
and bullets and cartridges and hand grenades
and mines and poison gas
It's a soldiers job to fight. But it's everybody
else's Job in the country to give him the things
to fight with Otherwise they're Just sending
him to be murdered
"And when labor and capital and everybody
else IN this country realize these things then, and
only Them have got a chance to win this
war
mo man and no group of men have any rights
IN this country now All the rights belong to
the country. The country's got to protect you
And you've got to trust the country to protect
you.
"All this talk about your rights and my rights.
about capitals rights and labors rights, has got
to stop!
"All you've got to do now is to give your coun-
try square deal It'll do it too If you give 1t a
fair show. Don't worry about that!
lot of you are demanding higher wages?
AN English soldier gets far less than YOU, and
SO does a French soldier. Suppose they should
strike for higher wages? Where would the
laboring man and the capitalist at home be
then?
Suppose an English soldier or g, French SOL
der or an Italian soldier should strike for an
eight-hour day and the Germans should decide
to attack after hours? Then what would happen
to your 1abor1ng man and your capitalist at
home?
IF a soldier has to be ready to fight "a hours
day and seven days a week and probably get
killed besides, where do you get off refusing to
work but eight hours? And remember that no
soldier at the front is fighting for himself He's
fighting for you, to you and your wife and
children, your home your job, your country And
you depend on him to win the war so he ia de-
pending on you to help him win the war And Won
are just as necessary to him as he Is to YOU
You and ne are partners in the same business
And here he is, willing and eager to fight
And you aren't even willing to work What kind
OF team do you call that2 What kind Of a