The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-08-30
100000 OF the 100000 soldiers in

with him will strenuously oppose a
provision which will be offered 10 the
new draft law providing that the boys
sent abroad until after they have had
a years training. Instead of taking
a year TO make n soldier, Ii has been
demonstrated that the alert young men
of America make good soldiers in six
months. Army officers with experience
believe that far better results will be
obtained with the men below twenty
one than with those over thirty-one.
Nothing Is quite so persistent as the
German propaganda. If the Germans
had given as much attention to legiti-
mate industrial and agricultural pur-
suits as they have to war and propa-
progress in the conquest of the world
than they have by war and the auxil-
larry methods they have used to pro-
mote that war. In this country all
manner and kinds of propaganda are
constantly cropping out. There is no
business, industry or vocation in which
the Huns have not made some attempt
to cripple the government by their in.
sidious propaganda. For instance,
there has recently been circulated a
story that there Is a scarcity of glass
jars for canning foods, which when
traced to its origin proved to be Ger
man propaganda for the purpose of
hindering the preservation Of foods.
1t must be that the Germans, their
sympathizers. the pacifists, and every
other faction of that ilk, have raised
and maintained an enormous fund to
carry on all sorts Of propaganda which
could in any way tend to hinder the
United States in the prosecution of the
war.
Americans, both civil officials and
military men, cannot conceal the
eXultation they feel over the sue
cesses of the allies and particularly
have been doing on the western front.
But all Of them feel it necessary to
press the soft pedal on their conversa-
ton so as not unduly to elate or excite
the imagination Of the people Of this
country in regard to future battles.
While there are not many officials OF
the present day who have any personal
recollection of what took place during
the Civil war, they are historians
enough to know that on several occa-
sionS 1t seemed that the Union was GO
ing to triumph at once, although IL
turned out afterwards that the Con-
federates fought on for long time.
when Germany cracks. she will go
to pieces very suddenly" is the ex-
preston l heard from careful OBJ
server Of the progress of the war. But
Ii is very doubtful whether Germany
will go all to pieces and whether there
will not be many hard-fought battles
before the allied armies are across the
Rhine. Officials in Washington do not
want Americans to become over-cOn-
fident on account of what has been
achieved since the troops Of this coun-
try have been participating in the great
war.
Will congress be considered an es-
sential industry? That question will
be very interesting to ID senators and
ITO representatives who are not yet
forty-five years of age. When the first
draft bill was under consideration a
number Of members Of congress, led by
Speaker Champ Clark, tried to have
the age limit extended to sixty years.
and all the way down to the figure fin
ally agreed upon. At that time quite
number of men vOciferously an
nounced that they were willing to take
their chances in the draft. 1t will be
interesting 10 notice whether the
boards will decide that senator's and
representatives are engaged in an es-
sential industry. But then 1t is more
than likely that most Of them will es-
cape by being put in what is known as
the deferred classification list.
What Is luxury? The ways and
means committee of the house Is hav-
ing q time of ii deciding what articles
shall be included in the new revenue
bill and taxed as luxuries. Some hard
problems have TO be figured out and
queer distinctions drawn. For example,
silk socks have been classified as
luxury, but cotton or wool or Isle
socks seem to be considered necessi-
ties. So with pipes; meerschaum and
amber. the aristocrats Of pipedom, are
placed in the luxury class, while the
briar. clay and corncob are branded as
necessities by the great taxing commit
tee Of congress.
The Latest in Ghosts.
Ghosts there have always been since
men began to die. They have played
their part in disquieting the world
since the world awoke to trouble.
vengeful. prophetic, fantastic. and in
variably de trop. they have come down
to us through the centuries, discred-
tied, but feared. Now our old appre-
tensions. our old creeps and shivers,
nIn o.. 10