The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-05-02
why War Talk Is Necessary

Why War Talk Is Necessary
The other day q friend remarked:
'sWhy don't you let up on war talk?
We've had enough of it. We know
the country is at war and we are
doing our part in producing bigger
crops. We have had war talked to
us from the platform and through
the press till we are tired of it,"
This good friend is just as loyal as
ANYBODY could be, says the Western
Farm Life, he is doing more than
his share in crop production and in
lending his money to the government.
But for all that his advice is bad.
We can not forget for one moment
that this. nation is in death strug-
gle with government founded on
ideas and beliefs long since outgrown
by civilization; that the enemy gov
ernment has plotted to disintegrate
the United States; that its spies and
silent we'll wishers are among US,
seeking to strike where and how they
may, without fear of discovery. We
have, in practically every community,
a few people who are not loyal at
heart. Some are followers of falla-
cious and mistaken religious sects;
some are aliens from the enemy coun-
try to whom this country has given
home, and means, and hospitality;
some are followers of oblique polit-
ical parties that, in the uproar OF
war talk think they have found
propitious time for foisting upon the
people ultra radical ideas whereby all
our problems are to be solved by the
easy methods of establishing COM
mercial business with everybody's tax
contributions. Then we have GRIM
inal element as represented by the
I. w. W., openly teaching sabotage,
treachery, sedition-anything and ev-
erything that might serve to hinder
the progress of law and order as
represented by sound principles of
democratic government.
i A.farmef out in Cheyenne Gohnty
laughs and says he sees or hears
nothing of those terrible forces Of
treason; he knows immediate neigh:
bors and friends and the townspeople
,, at the trading points; they are most
ly Americans and the finest class Of
citizens. Some he knows Of German
birth or parentage who are giving all
that is in them to help win the war;
whose sons are at the front and who
are sacrificing with the rest Of US 30
that the German people too. may be
liberated from the yoke Of autocracy.
This farmer is right, SO far as his
own environment is concerned, but
this cannot be said Of all rural dis.
trcts. There are rural communities
in this state where men chuckled in
glee the other day when Hindenburg
pushed his line forward many miles.
Then the cities-Denver for in
stance--have floating class of law
less men to whom the war offers an
excuse to silently side with the en-
emy because they are against organ
lied society. They are looking for
a chance to strike the nation in the
back. This undercurrent is watched
by the federal authorities. Occasion
ally there is n fare-up. as in Idaho
recently, where the l. w. w. caused
riots
Because of the freedom with which
America has welcomed foreigners of
all classes to her shores in many
years past, we have more enemies of
the government at home than any
other nation engaged in the war and
we have more people who, though
not open enemies, are, nevertheless,
disloyal through ignorance of the
causes of the war and unwillingness
to get mental grasp of the issues.
That is why even the farm press
must, at the risk of criticism, insist
and insist. again and again, on un-
faltering support of the government
and warn the farmers against move
ments that come to them as evolves
in sleeps clothing" seeking to raise
class issues and prejudices where
there must be solidarity if we are
to win the war.
-O--
Tuesday morning the high spirited
team belonging to John Rozic became