Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1919-03-07
A HOLE IN THE GROUND.

There is hole in the ground in New
Yorks City Hall Park. Not many
weeks ago there stood on that spot an
obelisk OF brick. II was erected at q
cost OF thousands OF dollars. The public
was stridently invited to watch the
building of it by purchasing Liberty
Bonds Every bond meant a brick"
people were told, and 1t was ssid that
tho President OF the United states him.
SELF had thus paid for one brick. So the
thing rose, brick by brick. while the
Liberty Bond campaign was on. At the
end of the campaign the obelisk was
not finished, but it was capped with an
absurd little misfit wooden roof. and so
stood. wonder and an eyesore. until 1t
was time to tear it down. And now
there is nothing there but ahole in the
ground.
The vital feature of the whole busin
ess was this: that while it was being
built, and for q little while afterwards
that shaft was conspicuousfy, yocifer
ously. and most unequivocaily declared
to be a permanent memorial of the pat
riotisni Of those who subscribed for
Liberty Boads. There were those who
were surprised at the erection of per-
manent eyesore of that kind in such a.
place. But there the assurance was in
letters a foot tall on the authority OF
the city OF New York 1t was a per-.
manent memorial. On the assuranc Of,
its perrnanence. people were invited. in
duced. to purchase bonds. And now
there is nothing to be seen of that per-
mancnt memorial but q hole in the,
ground.
That, we are all agreed. was n con-
temptible bunco game, OF which the city
OF New York ought to be heartily a.
shamed. and which the National Gov
ernment ought to resent as an insulu1sg
reflection upon its own good faith. Yeti
what is the wider application OF thel
lesson?
1t was not so long ago. though per-
haps a little longer than the building Of
that Tower of Bunco. that we were re-
solving. oh. so vehementiy. that there
must be the "strictest accountability"
for the unspeakable infamy of the Lus-
itania. ard for all other abhorrert cat
egory OF German crimes. The murder
of Edith Cayell the destruction OF Lou
vain, the crucifins of wounded soldiers,
the n,utiiation of children. the wanton
of babies. the ravishing OF
women, the driving OF a whole people |.
into alien slavery: thsse were the !
things for WHICH ;sne blond beast would
be called 10 account, instantly upon the
winning OF victory and with resolutei
Stern aess which 40 Establishments could
turn aside. Brick by brick the perm
lnent memorial OF Hunnish lnquity and
- cpaA
was built up. and We were
patriotically exhorted to think on these
things. aad because of them to give our
full support to the government in order
hat this intoicrable Thing" should be
rushed.
To-day. aii such things seem 10 be for
gotten. Thsre must be no viRdictivess
There must be no punitive action. We
must forget all those things which were
he cause of our engagement in the war
md must busy our minds with thoughts
II Leagues of Nations. and of interna-
ional legislation to legalize piciSeting in
strikes in Hester Street. and Of any
hing and everything in the word eX-
,ept the punishment of the guilty aud
he restoration of the injured. We had
the object OF the wstr was nrst
# all to crush that 'intolerabie Thing
md that the prime purpose of the peace
congress would be to make sure that It
vas crushed and that 1t would stay
rushed, so as to offer no further men
nee to the world. But now our sell I
.ppointed delegate to that Congress
ONES home, not to tell US how the
angs of the Blond Beast have been
rawn, how fully the wrongs OF Belgium
ave been righted, but how far he has
ried to commit an unwilling nation TO
meddlings in things which
ave no relation whatever to the cause
r objects of the war.
Can It be that. after the example Oh
'ower OF Bunco, the PERMANENT
fEbfORIAL of the great war and IS
'eace Congress will be merely hole IN J
,e Ground? THE WEEKLY