The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1919-01-02


sounded bv such clesr-headed Amer
can as Frank Simonds who has been
reccg,iz d throughout the world as
the best writer on the war it is time
for us to take the mater 10 heart and
pouder it well. 1t must not be, The
! Aigeut citizenship Of this nation
nusr tawart any possibility Tor false
leadership in the future as i, has in
h past. We amo shudder when
We contemplate how neatly We PER
mitted this nation 20 driit to d=S;ruc'
tion before by sheer power Of pubic
opinion we forced a certain steadying
Of the helm.
Just at the present we do not know
what it is that the American Peace
delegation will stand Tor. There has
been such haziness OF expression,
such tendency to deal in generalities
that might mean anything or nothing
that the public is at sea. We know
that there is a wide spread belief in
certain quarters that Mr.. Wilson in
tends to try to force general disarma
ment. In view Of the existing con
dition let US consider possible
danger, We are often met with the
argument that il all nations disqrm in
proportinate degree that we would be
as safe after disarmament as before
that none would be in position tc
attack us without an interval Of prepara
ton. Let US see. After Jena Napo
leon took possession Of the Prussian
strongholds and limited the Prussian
army to forty two thousand men.
Never was there shrewder man to
scent danger Of military nature than
the Great Napoleon. His capacity ior
reading the purpose OF his foes was un-
cannv, in fact one OF the secrets Of
his success. Yet stung by the humilia'
lion Of his country and urged By the
force olthe strong willed Queen Louise
Scharnhorst managed to train and equip
an army six times as large as that per.
oijted by Napoleon. And although
he eye OF the master was upon him
all the time Scharnorst was never
caught. When the hour struck it was
these Plussians who furnished the re-
Inducements that broke the power Of
the Great Captain under the walls Of
Leipsic. Nor need we 60 so far back,
When the presen, war broke out it was
one CT the accepted maxims Of milt ~
Experience based upon the Boer War
and the war between Russia and Japar
HIT fortified works under modern con
diticns were impregnable TO direct
Ittack. Yet within few weeks Ger
many had smashed that doctrine 10
tits and forced fix ID position from
the frontier TO the outskirts Of Paris
Unknown to the world she had built
great mobile siege artillery that
amazed and confused us. Only the
sublime hercism Of the French and
British Who opposed their blood and
,ourage 10 the great guns STAYED the
Huns in the quagmires ot Flanders
It DOW appears that unknown 10 Us
the vast German dye industry was bu
I concealmept Of great plants for The
making Of high explosives and poisor
gas. Their other peaceful lactorie:
we're provided with gauges that enabled
hem on short notice TO turn 10 tht
nJnuiaclure Of implements Of war.
Do we believe that it would not b
sible again TO fool The world
p acelul people inclined to mind ther
en business do not 20 seeking Il
id out all the things heir neighbor
re doing. Ii Prussia could fool tht
master war maker, Napoleon, when h
nad her down aud his loot upon he
1eck mi hit she r OF now iool US?
sh. could surprise the world with al
lnl xp. ctsd artillery might she no
.eanaza uuknCwn 10 Us aud attack u
tier we bsd disasmed? Nor i, Pfu,
"a the only danger, not even tH
reaiest at thi, time Though n
assr is but few hours from Beili
d is still q grave meBsnce there az