The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-02-21
Illinois Executive Speaks Today at
Opening Session Of Congress
Of National Service at
Chicago.
HOW BEST TO WIN WAR
Men and Material In Plenty, With
Thrift Stamps to Help
Pay the Enormous
Expense.

CHICAGO. Feb. I'll Governor
Frank o. Lowden was the principal
sneaker this afternoon at the open
ing session of the congress OF nation
al service. The congress VIII con-
tinue through Saturday.
Among the other prominent speak
ers on the program are former Presi-
dent William Howard Taft, former
Governor Whitman of New York ana
Elihu Root, former secretary OF state.
Governor Lowden's speech follows:
"Mr President and Gentlemen:
"You are gathered here to consider
how best we can win the war. The
first condition of success, ! think an
will agree. is that our people should
know what this war means The>war
marty of the German empire is now
in supreme control WIN cynicaa
frankness 1t disavows the claims
made in the early days OF the war
that Germany, was fighting a. defen-
siye war. 1t reveals more clearly
day by day. that this war 10 only the
frnit of a conspiracy Matched nail
century ago. The universities OF
Germany became its willing lnstru-
ment. and Treitschke taught that the
state was above moral law. mere
fore the state was bound by treaty
only SO long as it was OF interest 10
the state. When the German cnah
cellor declared a treaty TO De .
"scrap of paper" he was putting III
simple language only what the Ger
man sayants had taught. Their scien,
lists announced that the biological
law of the survival Of the fittest was
therefore. the Germans being the
ittest, as they assumed, should runs
the world.
"Their philosophers taught that the
christian virtues were but the foohsn
Inventions of men who sought to
evade the effects of~nature's law.
therefore the notion of frightfulness
fitted perfectly into their military
code.
@Their ministers OF religion, also
controlled by the state. dethroned the
christian God and set up in His place
god of battles, of vengeance and OF
force. They lent their sacred author
ity to the Hohenzollern's claim OF
divine right This Is war OF de-
mocracy: but it is something more.
It is the eternal war OF good ana
evil. It is a war for the rights OF
all nations, large and small. IL is
our second war for independence. It
La a war between the spiritual ana
the material forces of the universe
for the supremacy OF the world. II
our people shall understand the
m Gaming of the war, they viii pay the
price, whatever 1t may be, Tor COM
plete victory.
I'VE have the men to win-the
selectfye draft is our outstanding
achievement in preparation for this
strife. But the German war lords,
still fighting not on their own SOIL,
hut on that of their enemies. hearten
themselves with the belief that this
is but a temporary device and that
wa will soon weary of 1t. Our answer
should be a permanent law providing
Sor universal military training. We
have manhood suffrage. There should
eo with 1t manhood service. We DO
not deserve our liberties unless we
are willing, rich and poor alike. to
nav some price for them. we shouid
be willing to give at least one year
to the service of our country In order
that we may have It's protection all
our lives. Long before the war we
had become careless of our most
precious heritage-our liberty ana
our independence. We looked upon
our country as a fairy godmother VINO
should bestow everything upon us
and receive nothing In return. We
complained of public officials and dld
not take the trouble to go to the
polls and change them. human ma
ture is such that we value nothing
hi ghlv unless 1t costs us something
ha
government of universal military
training was regarded as a fatal OBJ
lection. Just the interest upon the
cost to America for the first year OF
our war would have provided indefi
|nitely for genuine military training.
Suppose that had been the policy Of
our government for the last decade
Would Germany have dared to cross
the Belgian frontier in violation Of
it's treaty over our protest? Why,
Germany's main hope now Is that
she can crush the allies before we
can reach, in sufficient numbers, the
western front With universal mill
ry training we shall have security
for the future We shall have finer
manhood. we shall have a better citi-
zenship, and we shall have taken the
most promising measure possible
against future wars.
I'VE also have the material re-
sources to win, If we but marshal
them have no doubt but that your
distinguished body will inquire If the
time has not come to write down a
definite financial program.
Zone of the most valuable and
promising features of the war fnan-
billion dollars this year in that way,
savings certificates. If, as the treas
ury officials hope, we can raise two
billion dollars this year in that war,
it ought to be possible to raise gat
least as much each succeeding year
For the money that goes into the
thrift stamps and certificates comes