Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-01-02

were to fight in France, but the vision
of American troops fighting for democ-
racy on the fronts of the far east
would have been declared to be merely
a baseless dream fabric.
1t is virtually assured that the entry
of the United States into actual hos
tilities with Austria Hungary was In
duced by the logic of the military sit
uation as well as by realization OF the
fact that even if Uncle Sam was not
supposed to be in a state of war with
the hyphenated empire, he really al
ready was fighting this second enemy.
for there is no doubt at all that Aus
trian guns and Austrian soldiers now
are facing our troops in the east OF
France.
Time has brought some changes in
the attitude of Congress. Not rev
members of the house and senate were
opposed TO the declaration of war ON
Germany but when once in the war
many of those who stood in opposition
at the first were most insistent that IL
hostilities were to be carried on the
offensive should include Austria-Hun-
gary. 1t was evident from what many
of the returned members of congress
said on arriving in Washington that
they found this view of the case to be
that of the folk back In the districts
On More Than One Front.
1t has been known in the inner cir
cles in Washington for long time
that as soon as the United States made
up it's mind to declare that a state OF
war exists between it and the Austro-
Hungarian empire plans would be
made for inter7allied offenSives on
more than one front. No sooner was
the presidents message read than
there came to Washington from Paris
an outline of the agreement by the al
lied nations for the creation OF COM
mittee on unity of naval action.
OF course it is not proper even to
speculate on what this committee may
direct, but the natural thought is, of
course, that soon the United States
naval forces will be engaged with those
of one of the Allies in some sharp Of
fenSive actions, but necessarily the
scene of the first driving campaign is
not disclosed nor is it proper to ven-
ture a guess as to it's location.
The general staffs, which include the
officers of the war colleges of the vari-
Gus allied countries, have been work
ing for long time on military often
sive plan which would be all-embrac-
ing in it's activities. The plans neces-
sarily have been changed from time to
time as developments came in the war
situation abroad.
More Unanimity In Congress.
There is a feeling among the poll
ticians in Washington that with active
operations against Austria-Hungary
certainty congress will be more of
unit in driving and unquestioned pa
triotism than it was at the last session.
1t seems to be the belief that in the ses-
sion now in progress there will be
comparatively little of the peppering
shrapnel of politics. 1t is known, OF
course, that some men, even in the
face of danger to the welfare OF this
country and of democracy generally,
for immediate peace at no matter what
cost, although of course no one of the
urgers will admit in his argument that
present peace on any terms can bring
anything but prosperity and general
happiness to the world.
Some of the senator's whom Presi-
dent Wilson once denounced as the
- in w
republicans and democrats found rep
resentation, seem no more to be bent
on wilfulness. Most of them have
come out strongly in behalf Of war
against Austria-Hungary, and few Of
them go further and wish that Turkey
and Bulgaria might have been included
in the presidents recommendation.
The senate members and the house
members also are today more compact
bodies so far as driving war tactics is
concerned than they were last spring.
One or two men il either house still
will continue their efforts to preach
down a nations heart but there are so
few of them that it is expected that
the effect virtually will he nil except
for the bringing of certain amount OF
notoriety, probably of an unpleasant
kind. to those of whom it recently has
been said by the president Of the
United States that they ''strut their
uneasy way and persist In the debate
of peace, neither understanding 'fts
nature nor the way in which we may
attain it with uplifted eyes and I'M
broken. spirits"
Off Her Lines.