Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-04-25
WHY WE MUST BUY
LIBERTY BONDS
by Samuel Insult.
Chairman, Illinois State Council
of Hefense).

!
Civilization, as we OF America
know it, is lighting for existence
If the army of the allies in France
has its back against the wall, we
are that wall Should the wall
crumble the allied army will be
overwhelmed.
That wall is our civilization
into it we have builded all we
know OF human liberty and right
all we hope for in development ana
progress.
Progress, as we conceive it, has
already been halted by the war
halted for three years. II cannot
be resumed until the war is ended ;
it cannot be resumed at all unless
the war is ended; it cannot be re-
sumed at all unless the war is end
cd with the allied nations vtcto-
rious.
With Prussia triumphant an ele-
ment new to us will be dominan.
the element of force. 1t will be
dominant in our land as in all
lands, and the first act Of Prussia
triumphant through force will be
a war indemnity.
This prophecX is not hysterical ;
ii is not an outgrowth of fear. II
is the simple assumption that what
triumphant Prussia has done uni
versally in her past she VIII not
forego doing to us. Prussia in her
+ whole history never entered upon
a war except for the loot there was
I in it, and Prussia forced this war
upon the world solely for the loot
it would yield
/ What is the proof in this war
proof that a war indemnity Will be
levied upon us if Germany wins
The looting of Belgium. OF Rus
STA, OF Rumania and Serbia; in
IDENTITIES and assessments against
every little or big victim of her
I force.
Belgium, scraped to the bone, ev-
/ erything taken that could be car
ried off, still has to pay an annual
t levy of 500 900, 900.
/ Bucharest, when captured, was
assessed $3.50 per capita.
! Chicago is a far, far richer city
/ than Bucharest, and the Prussian
takes air the traffic will bear. But
F assess Chicago on the Bucharest
basis, and it would have to give
give, not lend-to Prussian con-
1 querors S950,000, 900; assess Hi
I nois on that basis and the state
would have to pay $2,2S0,000; as
Sss the United States on that basis
and the Prussian loot would be
| $40. 900 900, 900
/ Staggering as they seem, such as
i sessments would be but begin
ming. There would be annual lev
/ les as long as Prussia was domi-
nant Prussia is out to loot the
world, and the measure of her ra-
pacity is the strength of her sword
What America can, must do, is
/ to strengthen the wall at the back
Of the allied strengthen ii
with Independent spirit of our peo-
pie and our will to- win, and fortify
| it with every dollar which can hon
estly be used to marshal our re-
] sources, increase and supply our
army in the field
/ To do that we should buy Liherty
! bonds. They are our bulwark
against the weight of the German
! forces; they are the fortiffcations
! as ire wall upon which the allied
armies rely.
/ 20 buy bonds as defense
against Prussian domination and a
Prussian war indemnity does not
mean the mere investment of 3ar-
| plus capital in sound securities
! 1t does mean buying to the very
I limit of our ability, at the sacrI-
flee of personal indulgence and
/ through economies to which VIC
:. are unaccustOmed: it means that
I'VE must finance the government 10
meet all its needs as the war goes
on, without looking forward to our
own needs and desires beyond he
! period of the war.
/ For Us there is no period beyond
! the war. We can make ho plans
! that are not based upon the out
acome of the war So, until the war
Us won, the only business any stay
/ at-home American should or can
( have, Is to do the things required
! Of him TO help win it. These are
to work and buy bonds anu to work
to buy bonds.
! patriotism. courage. fidelity to our
beliefs and ideals and our desire
TO survive as free people. and
reducing the issue to the material
basis of dollars and cents. Their.
still rests upon us the obligation
/ to buy bonds-all the bontis need
ed to finance the war-Dacause il
Will be cheaper for us, in money
/ to win the war than to lose. it
. Our government will pay back
what it borrOws, and we nall have
orr investment for our use after
the war. If Germany wins and we
are assessed for a war indemnity
Germany will keep.
/ Think of looted Belgium with 4
levy of 800. 600 600 a gear saddIed
upon a territory one-fifth that .,
/ Illinois, after it had been scraped
+: TO the bone. Think of the assess
ment of $3.50 per capita upon Bu
charest. Think, and buy bonds
Work. and buy bonds, and work to
/ buy bonds
] Buy a Liberty Bond
a