The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-11-16


porting their government?" the an
swer is, Because in both cases they
are wrong; in both cases they ave
fighting against freedom and democ-
racy in support of military conquest
and autocratic rule"
Another German Trick.
In our western states another sort
of class cleavage is being widened by
German syInpathizers. There, for a
decade past, political struggle has
been proceeding between reformers and
corruptionists. In many states the re-
formers have won. They have broken
the political bosses and ousted their
henchmen. When the government
boards at Washington called for volun-
teers in the work of organizing the
trade and industry of the country many.
of the defeated political enemies of
the western commonwealth voIun-
teered for service and were accepted.
The assignment of such men to war
work has been used ito give the war d
black eye" 1t is argued that the dark
powers which so long exploited the
West are running the war;" 1t IS
limited that the government at Wash
ington is innocently under their CON
troll. And German agents and German
sympathizers are using that argument
and giving that hint.
It was inevitable that some discred,
tied politicians should find their way
into the ranks of volunteer army Of
war workers SO hastily assembled.
Such men would be eager for the
chance to rehabilitate themselves.
They might even be genuinely loyal to
the country at large, though they have
never been loyal to the best interests
of their home communities. 1t is as
absurd for anyone to turn against the
war because of the participation Of
these men as it would be absurd for
him to withdraw from the trenches If
he found old political enemies serving
beside him. 1t is his business to see
that political crooks in war work are
watched as carefully as suspected
renegades would be watched in camp.
Meanwhile it is work In aid of the
enemy to let suspicion Of such men
weaken support Of the government In
It's prosecution of the war.
Not Rich Mans War.
1t is German agents, of course, who
are most eager to arouse the feeling
that this is "a rich mans war;" They
spread that lie in spite Of the fact that
the rich cannot buy exemptions from
CONSUMPTION in this war as they could
in our Civil war; in spite of the fact
that no one can hire a substitute to
take his place in the trenches, as one
could in the Civil war; in spite of the
fact that the only exemptions are
allowed to poor men with dependents
or to workingmen in vital industries;
in spite of the fact that the war taxes
fall most heavily on the rich, and the
measures Of price control are designed
to prevent them from exploiting the
poor, and excess-profts taxes absorb
the fruits of any such exploitation.
And 1t is the German agents who ne
encouraging the western feeling that
this is "a business mans war;" because
when the government called for volun-
teers to help organize the business of
the country on war basis the BUSH
ness men were most free to respond
and most fitted by experience to fill
administrative positions. There are In
Vulnerable rumors that some Of these
men are taking advantage of their Off
cial knowledge In order to make for
tunes for themselves. 1t would be the
miracle of the world If no such be-
trayers of public faith were ever found
among them. And doubtless In this
country, as In other countries, congress
sional Investigations will discover the
occasional CRATER and dishonest adj
ministrator. But 1t is none the less
true here, as abroad, that the great
body of business men who are serving
the government are as Loyalty self
sacrificing as anyone who is behind the
| fighting lines. a....
Not In War for Markets.
Recently, in the White House, Presl-
dent Wilson was asked by one Of our
most famous flnanclers to appoint a.
commission that should safeguard our
foreign trade during the war and see
to it that new foreign markets were
made ready for our peaceful penetra-
ton after the war. And the president
replied that the government would not
appoint such a commission; that this
country was not fighting to obtain for
eign markets; that the struggle for
foreign markets had been one Of the
predominating causes Of the conflict
among the European nations, and It
had been most difficult to make those
nations believe that America was not
secretly inspired by similar greed for
spheres Of influence and "a place In
the sum-" that America was not wag-
ing commercial war or seeking any
! selfish advantage; and the government