The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1918-04-25

| plan INTO acuon.
When all was ready Prussia created
a condition that would force war The
weak Napoleon had gathered around
him a mass Of incompetent and boast
full leaders. So blinded were the
French officials that they saw not the
black clouds mounting in the sky, so
deaf that they heard not the thunder Of
the approaching storm. The leader
upon whom was to fall fual(y a great
part Of the terrible burden OF trying to
save the nation from the disaster into
which the weaklngs had plunged her
exclaimed in hopeless sorrow before
the tempest came, There are no
blunders left for US to make" But
the people refused to heed his warning
and break the power Of the demagogue
who was leading them 70 ruin.
War became inevitable. Theirs,
who had sensed the approaching dan
ger, demanded that the government
answer as 40 its stewardship. This
patriotic and able man was abused as a
traitor and almost mobbed. Alas!
France in her hour Of sorrow was 10
turn to him when it was too late for
him to save her. When members of
the assembly demanded to know Of the
war minister whether the army was
ready he replied There is not a but
ton wanting" What a bitter taIsehood
this was the Prussian armies we're to
show in the next few weeks. Louis
Napoleon had once expressed as his
motto. Il wait" Bsmark did not
make business Of coming notices,
but his genius so lar beyond the under
standing Of Napoleon the Little may
be summed up in the words II act"
The duplicity Of one scarcely less than
the other injured the cause OF France.
Official France was rotten. The
army was full Of weak leaders. The
higher officials were Incapable, met
fcieut and selfish. They boasted to
the country and to the world of what
they would DO For a few DAYS they
gloried in fine words and then tie tor
rent Of The Prussian armies burst upon
the lair fields Of France. Bismark with
a grim irony answered the bombast Of
the French licials with the most ter
rble force that had swept over Europe
in all its history, The armies Of France
were beaten and destroyed, Paris was
taken and bitter peace infected upon
the nation. With fine end noble hero
ism the French people met the disaster
broke the hold OF their weak leaders
upon them and rose bleeding from the
ground in a noble endeavor to rebuild
their shattered fortunes. We have no
nobler example Of devoted patriotism
than that shown by the French nation
in facing the crisis ol 1871. But the
wounds Bismark made, Prussia has
never allowed to heal. As a result
France entered the present struggle
handicapped BY the disaster brought
on by the complacent boosters Of Louis
Napoleon's time. Iu the present war
France has shown what a free nation
Can do When given leadership. Her
courage, her efficiency, her leadership
backed by the power Of the British
navy has saved the world, so far.
These nations have suffered cruelty.
Without the aid Of America they can
not beat down the beast that tears at
them. The machine Of the kaiser is
l the iruilion Of Bismark's planning.
1t has developed in energy and ef-
! fciency from year TO year. In dealing
with this monster We must not permit
u'selves to be deceived By narrow
minded leadership. We are sometimes
} told free government can not be ei-
fcient. France and England Of today
belle that statement. The handlidg oil
! our selective Service sho1s this false.
Gee. CroTder has shown wonderful ei.
j fciency and leadership in his handling
Of a new and complex problem and all
America owes him debt Of gratitude fol
i this service. Gen. Wood showed the
same quality Of leadership when he cut
|" red tape and provided clothing for ouI
. boys called to the colors. But we
i have had lamentable mistakes. Just