The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1918-03-01
National Defense News.
BY LILY LIKES ROWE

AS feature of its Spring program
! for public education, the Council of
| Defense, women's section, of Prince
| Georges County is planning competi
tive essay contest for the school child
rem in May. The title Of the essays to
be submitted for prizes and publication
is to be "Why America is at War;
and will be open to the pupils of the
county schools, solely.
Such a competition is the logical out:
come of the series of lectures being
presented by the Council of Defense at
Hyattsville just now. The second of
these addresses was presented Satur-
day night last by Jackson Ralston of
Hyattsville in the Episcopal Parish
Hall where the entire course will be
| heard. Mr.. Ralston talked on "Why
the World is At War" and the third
one to be held after an interval or two
weeks will be ''Why America is in the
War" delivered by Professor bomberg
er of the Maryland State College.
Attendance at the second lecture was
somewhat improved over the introduc
tory event. 1t is however not yet even
suggestive of what it should be as the
need for public enlightenment on the
aims, reasons and needs for this war is
extremely acute. Upon the success of
the Hyattsville course will depend
largely whether or not the course is
given in other parts of the county. AS
the weather begins to brighten, the
difficulties incident to reach the lecture
point will be materially lessened.
Mr.. Ralston based much of his dis
course on the reprinted German writ
ings embodied IN the booklet issued by
Uncle Sam. This booklet, issued by
the Committee on Public Information,
contains startling revelations of Ger
manic viewpoints which are at present
unknown to the average American citi-
zen. Its ideas are so unAmerican as to
be sufficient cause in themselves to in
spire fear of the existence of the Unit
ed States should Germany have been
allowed to continue her ruthless cam
paign unrestricted. That this war is
the modern expression of the ever
present conflict between democracy and
autocracy, as represented by America
and Germany, was one of the primary
arguments made by Mr.. Ralston.
The extension of German rule and
German empire to afford wider trade
activities, broader fields and more
breathing space for the increasing
German population by war and destruc-
ton rather than peaceful transactions
was among the underlying causes of
this world war, declared Mr.. Ralston
1t is dynastic war such as former de-
cedes knew, barbarous in its waging
and primitive in its ambition to annex
by conquest. The speaker also pointed
out how America has always held to
it's determination to annex no territor
les by conquest. How this government
has never admitted even to itself that
it was right to take territory acquired
by success in arms, but has paid
for all lands won in wars or even taken
from the Indians. Germany's publish
cd wish to take Belgium because twas
attractive industrally IA petition from
| several trade bodies urged this step
and to hold it until some one else could
take away again is crudely opposed to
such an American ideal and represents
one of the numerous phases the conflict
between German thought and the
United States viewpoint involves.
The regular monthly meeting of the
| Council was held, with most interest
ing program, at College Park on Wash
ington's Birthday. The new ration
Food cards were distributed and reports
made from several committees, besides
an address from a speaker of the Food
Administration. The next meeting is
scheduled for Seat Pleasant in March.