The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1918-07-03
THE aAFTER-THE.wAR" FALLAcY.

Il would be interesting and instructive to know just
no wmuch damage has been done to the American and
the allied by the deceptive phrase After the war;
an dthe mental attitude which it implies
How many Americans still trying to regard this
intrusion upon their private business and an
cident in the life Of the republic which will disap
pear leaving little any trace? How many citizens are
Indifferent to the situation in EurOpe2 How many are
actually planning business ventures on the assumption
that America will be America, and Germany Germany
after the war? Possibly majority of the people presume
that the will ned with the great nations virtually in
the position they occupied when the war began There
will be change of boundaries here dthere and recog
milton here and there of nation prhaps; but they
assume that Europe will be divided substanty it
fore the war; with Germany the strongest military power
and England the strongest naval power Doubtless many
Americans balance British naval power against German
military power and assume that one offsets the other
This free and asy thinking ignores facts which dis
tngush this war from all others and which make it i'm
possible for humanity to the relations which
listed in 1914 1t tbecause the world is fond of fight
ing that it will keep this going to the bitter end but
because there no other way out Peace without security
would be than war; for the any rate head
ed toward peace with security If there should be ces
saton Of the it would mean resumption Of fighting
after the enemy of mankind had gathered fresh strength
Therefore the on possible way for humanity to escape
from its troubles is fight on until it's assaant beaten
disarmed 1if necessary annihilated
What will that mean? That will be "after the war"
but not the term is understood by many Americans
There will be armed and numbering Germany after
this war, if indeed there will be any German empire In
divdual Germans will be hated throughout the world
They cannot expect to work back into the good of
other nations for commercial purposes for years
to The allied nations as trustees Of civilization
must exact guaranty from Germany of reparaton and
good behavior Something tangible must be given as
pledge for Germanys honor scrap of paper and her
solemn promises buried in the with her murdered vie
Tins Either the triumphant army of the allies will Occu-
Ply Germany until Identities have been paid and full rep
araton made, Germany will be split up and disarmed
and made harmless There will be great German fleet
German army "after the war; There will be no Ger
intrigue by TO organized propaganda mas
querading as Commercial rivalry"
This stupendous task of disarming Germany is the
only business that any American can honestly or decent
participate in. If any American tries to make money
out of the struggle of his country to throw off this ter
be menace he deserves to be shot, for he is betrayng
his own and his neighbours soldier boy AS for "aer the
war; there will be "after the war" unless Americans
dest fro mthe attempt to treat the war secondary to
their private profit They need not think they can thrust
the aside 1t will grind them to powder unless they
Join hands, patriots, and make the country unit in
deadly effectiveness as an enemy-killed- Washington
Post.