Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-03-13
Russian Situation Proves
Menace to United States

a league member of the league with
hold It's add
America Disapproves.
Put that straight UP to the Ameri-
can people and I am sure there
would be one answer. They cheer
fully went into the war against
Germany, but they will look upon a
war to quell riot and anarchy in
Russia as another matter. Put it
up to American soldiers in France
and Germany, as ! have done, and
you will find that any proposal to
fight in Russia meets with emphatic
disapproval.
Our soldiers know what overseas
fighting means. And they know that
hard as it was to fight in France,
it will be still harder to fight in
Russia, where transportation condi-
tons have been shot to pieces, and
where the country can supply practI-
cally nothing to live on,
Requires Large Army.
In the estimation Of one general
officer with whom l talked it will
take from one million to two mil
lion men to pacify Russia and the
job can not be done inside Of five
or ten years.
1t may be that it will be neees-
sary for European countries to do
this. Their people must live next
door to the Russians. They have
known what it meant to live next
door to the Germans and have seen
that the only way out was to fight.
But America is across wide
ocean from Russia and American
soldiers, at least, feel that it is not
Americas business TO mix in Rus
sian pacihcation.
Already our boys in France and
Germany are very weary of their
Jobs. A call for volunteers might
bring forth a few soldiers of for
tune who like to fight for the sake
OF fighting. But no sentiment of
American patriotism could be awak-
ened by an appeal to enter that land
of anarchy and put down the boil
sheviks that the peace of Europe
might be more secure. There is
no altruism among our soldiers that
will extend as far as that.
Yanks Oppose League.
1t is for this reason that the league
of nations plan is not finding favor
in the eyes of our troops abroad.
They feel that they have done their
full duty to our allies whose cause
they still uphold despite certain per-
sonal differences between French
and American soldiers and between
British and American soldiers.
They feel also that the founda-
ton OF a league of nations, in a
world still troubled by armed bands
of men, is force, and that if force is
TO be applied they will be expected
to apply it.
Therefore, however the constitu-
ton of the league may be drawn, I'M
less it specifically forbids the use
of American troops in Russia or in a
bolshevik-ridden Germany and Aus
tria, it will not find favor in the eyes
of our fighting men.
Want to Come Home.
What they want to do is to come
home. They will come home any
way they can. They will stop as
long as may be required in muddy
embarkation camps, spend as many
days as may be necessary crowded in
the bellies of slow transports so
long as it means home coming.
But suggest to them that after all
that they have done, they engage in
another and what may be an even
greater war, with no definite Ameri-
can issue at stake, and they will reg
lister their sentiments very strongly.
That is why l believe the league of
nations idea as now projected will
not be supported by the American
people. The American people are
first of all for the boys who fought
for them and will carefully consult
the wishes of those boys before they
will commit themselves to a policy
of long continued European service
for American troops.
sV