The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1919-08-22
GERMAN ARROGANCE OUTDoNE

Washington, Aug. 21-The Repub-
lican Publicity Association, thru its
president, Hon. Jonathan Bourne, Jr.,
today gave out the following state
ment from its Washington headquar-
ters:
Suppose Germany had won the
great war and had proceeded to levy
her terms upon the United States.
The pricipal features of those terms
would have been an enormous tribute
to reimburse the Germans for their
war expenditures. But the economic
structure of America would have
been disturbed very little. The VIC
tors would have realized that their
terms could never be complied with
unless our industries were permitted
to run uninterrupted and the produc-
ton Of wealth allowed to contin
In short, our economic structure
would have been little disturbed, and
the daily life of the people would have
gone as before except for the huge
financial levy they would have had
to meet.
"But to prevent the Germans from
helping themselves to our national
wealth $4,000 of our boys gave up
their lives, over 100000 suffered
wounds from German bullets, and the
people back home raised fund of
many billions of dollars. If that is
the price we're willing to pay to pre-
vent confiscation of our wealth, what
is the estimate to be put on the very
lives of our people when they are in
jeopardy?
"Yet that is the very situation that
confronts the United States at this
moment. The men who operate the
railroads have presented an ultimatum
to the president, to congress, and to
the country. First. they demand a
further substantial increase in wages
as a temporary relief from high
prices, and, second, they demand the
enactment of the so-called Plumb bill
for reorganized railroad control that
will hand the roads over to a dlrec-
torate of fifteen, five of whom are
appointed each by the president, the
operating officials, and the employees,
The threat of a general tie-up of the
entire railway system of the country
looms ominously unless the demands
are promptly complied with.
"The country has never experienced
a general strike on its railroads, hence
has little comprehension of the ca
tastrophe that would follow such an
action on the part of the railroad OPP
eratives. Practically every industry
in the country depends on the roads
to carry its products to the market.
The prompt distribution of food is
almost wholly dependent on them.
Movement of the mail is contingent
solely on the running of trains. The
sudden stoppage of rail transporta-
ton means almost instant collapse of
practically every activity, immediate
suffering from lack of food, followed
by actual starvation, and universal
riot by desperate individuals fighting
for the very existence of themselves
and their loved ones. Such cata-
clysm would be infinitely worse than
ANYTHING the Huns could have in
flicted upon us. But we used "force
without stint" against them. Shall
it be said that the people are not as
ready to fight for the perpetuatior
of the nation and the rights of indi-
viduals against this monster that is
gnawing at our vitals?
"The railroad employees constitute
only a part of organized labor, but
organized labor itself is only about
IS per cent of our people. Are the
other eighty-five per cent to permit