The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1919-04-17
COST NOT COUNTED
WHEN II CAME To
SAVING OUR BOYS
THINK OF SITUATION YEAR AGO,
AND HOW READY WE WERE
TO STAKE ALL,
BIG DEBT WAS INCURRED
War Closed Earlier Than Anyone
Expected, and We Must Finish
Paying For It.

When your boy was on the fighting
front over there last fall, or was in
one Of the training camps over here
being hardened for the most terrible
task that ever confronted man; when
countless mothers with sad eyes were
scanning the death lists with hearts
atremble, fearing lest the name Of a
loved one might be there; when the
fate OF the nation and Of the world
hung in the balance, then the thought
uppermost in every mind was the win.
ming of the war and the avoidance Of
continued loss Of life.
Then during the fall months Of 1918
the purse strings OF Americas citizens
were cut with willing hands. For the
Fourth Liberty Loan--the Fighting
Liberty Loan-the almost inconceiv.
able sum of six billions of dollars was
asked by the United States Govern.
ment to prosecute the war. What the
answer was is history-glorious his.
tory.
Americans not only met the call but
threw in another billion for good
measure.
1t required the most sanguine opti
mist then to predict q victory over
Germany before the summer that is
now approaching. Thousands Of
Americas best and bravest young
men, the flower Of the country, were
daily Offering up and giving their lives
for the veal Of humanity. They were
suffering ghastly wounds, inflicted by
weapons such as only the brutality Of
Germany's most vicious minds could
fashion: they were being blinded and
tortured with poisonous gases that
Germany introduced against all usages
into modern warfare, and they were
lying in the mud Of Shiny trenches, de
prived Of every comfort with each
recurrent day sapping their vitality
that America might be saved.
Total Wealth Pledged.
Then could anyone IN absolute au
thority have promised victory before
Europe was locked in winters grasp,
the total wealth OF this rich land
would unhesitatingly have been placed
at the nations disposal, that the lives
of countless thousands OF the flower
Of American manhood need not be sac.
riilced.
Those who were planning and di.
recting the war, or that part Of it
being enacted by America. were domi.
mated by the idea of ending the war
quickly AMI saving every American
life possible. The cost was not
counted The money that flowed from
the peoples purse was spent unstint-
edly. Millions were spent to equip
the grandest army the sun ever shone
on, Other millions were spent for
ships to convey them across the Allan.
tic. Factories were kept at work
night and day turning out munitions
and supplies.
America surpassed even herself
She arose even above the glorious
traditions Of the worlds greatest coun.
try, that has never tasted defeat. She
accomplished the impossible. At the
very moment when the German war
machine seemed invincible when that
which was intended as the final drive
that was TO wipe france off the map
then pershing's ads were thrown
against that terrible army in gray
The onslaught was all that Germany
had planned. But the stolid German
mind had not adequately valued the
fighting ability Of the boys IN khaki
The gray clad hosts attacked with all
the confidence Of their training But
the Americans did not yield. Their
depleted ranks were filled as II by
magic and that which German mill,
tarists c0ntemptuously termed an un.
trained mob, displayed soldierly quail.
ties and persistent fighting qualities
that has ELECTED the warmest admira'
tior OF the whole world.
Finish the Jobl
Every day tho war was shortened
thousands OF American lives we're
saved. For every day it was short.
ened your boy or your neighbor's boy
will be returned to the family hreside
Just that much sooner, and this fact
that he will return sound In body and
mind is due to the splendid prepara.
tions his government made for his well
fare and the prosecution of the war.
Now more money is needed to pay
the bills--the debt that was incurred
that the life Of your boy and your
neighbor's boy might not be offered up
on the sscrificial altar of war, must
be paid. Money is needed TO bring
him back 70 the land that gave birth