Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-04-12
What One Soldier Thinks
[From an American Soldiers Lette

lfrom an American Soldiers Letter
| in the Christian Science Monitor.
My mind is burdened by the
many foolish statements that are
published here about what many
well-meaning, and others not we'll
meaning, are doing in the old u.
5. A. to settle the future of the
| country and the army. Particularly
am l worried about the attitude OF
my country over this League of Ma
tions idea. Judging from certain
| statements that / read. there are
| many that are not taking kindly
to the idea. Why? AS Hashimura
Togo would say, II ask but to in
| quire" L believe that some are
moved by an honest desire to cling
to the Monroe Doctrine.
Germany is as watchful as ever,
and more so, because she has got to
| fight to save what she can from
the wreck. This fighting is largely
being done by the one enormous
| force of her previous ranks that re-
mains intact. The force of the pro-
pagandists. They are as strong
to-day as ever, both here and in
America.
How are they fighting? They are
fighting with every means our alli-
ance with England and France,
which is, in the main, the founda-
| ton of the League of Nations. They
are fighting this league through our
own dear senators and congress-
men. 1t is this fact that started
me to write this epistle to Brook
| Unite. To-day L see Senator Borah
| is about to stump the country
against the League of Nations. A
| noble man / trust. Frank enough
to admit that he is backed by sew
eral wealthy western men, but
whose names he refrains from dis
closing! Why should men who
| have honest intentions be so mod
est about the disposal of their for
| tunes? | wonder if their reasons
| would bear a very close inspection? :?
Is it possible that they might be
Germans with a touch of pity in
| their kind hearts for their brethren
across the Atlantic, who are about
| to be deprived (if the league is
actually created) of an opportunity
TO repeat their dastardly perform
| ance of 1914?
! I do not like the idea of mixing
up in European politics. Who does?
But are they European politics?
All our high-speed efforts have done
for us: they have internationaliZed
| the world! The only way to pre-
vent it is to sink all our high-speed
ships and aeroplanes that will soon
be crossing the ocean in 40 to so
hours! Such methods of communi-
cation are bound to ally us to the
rest of the world. If we are de-
pendent on the rest of the world,
then. why not help hold the rest OF
| the world together? This is the
logic of the League of Nations. Who
opposes it? Germany! The Boil
sheviki! Birds of feather flock
together! Germany created this
particular bird herself and now he
| is irving to come home to roost.
WHY should we help Germany keep
this bird from doing so until Ger
many shows us that she is sincere
Iv interested in paying her debt to
the world? Germany has not yet
done so and I do not believe that
she will.
| There are many petty ways of
CARRYING on this propaganda that l
see here on this commission; for we
are working with the Germans and
| have evey opportunity to observe
their slv ways of trying to make us
turn our backs on England and
France. l could fill volumes with
what I have seen and heard since
I have left home, and / am return
ing to America with an awakened
sense of duty toward the ballot;
| for which I am grateful.