The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1919-04-17
Some Lessons from History
WILLIAM E. FREELAND
BOIshevlki and "NatchfHl Waiting"

Il owe my readers an apology Tor an
error in 10Y article ol March 9th. l
made the offer Of Germany to return
Texas and other paris OF the United
States 10 Mexico go through Japan,
whereas all know il was made direct to
Mexico herself aud her inIercrSson
sought to bring peace between Ger
many aud Japan. While it in no way
affected the point was trying TO make
wish to correct the error.
For a number Of years the official
attitude Of our nation has been that oil
"Watchful Waiting" We found
band Of Mexican brigands numbering
and plunderiug our nationals in Mex.
leo and committing the vilest outrages
on our American women and yet the
President calmly stated that our atti-
tude might be stated as that oil watch
iul waiting, The outlaws became
bolder and since no amount Of insult
and brutality on our people in Mexico
seemed sufficient TO stir our official
heads to action they crossed into our
own country and shot up Columbus,
New Mexico. We then had a modi,
fed policy Of "Watchiul Waiting"
Our army was ordered into Mexico but
after spending ten times as much as
the World Almanac gives as the cost
of the Civil War Tor all Of the year
1861 it returned without ever having
seen the bandit it was sent to catch,
We pursued policy OF "WatchIul
Waiting" with Germany until thought
iul citizens feared the world would be
dominated by the kaiser. 1t is just
such a policy as this that makes it
possible Tor dangerous men like the
kaiser or the worse and viler beasts,
Lenine and Trotsky, 10 become men
ace. In his The Roots Of the War"
VIM. S, Davis shows clearly how the
pacifist English leadership, especially
the labor leadership were responsible
for the present war. He goes on TO
show the absolute complacency with
which they ignored the approaching
tempest, blindly refusing TO rise 10
meet the issue aud give the kaiser TO
understand that il a wanton war were
provoked that England would be found
opposing him, So apt is his descrip
ton OF this leadership and so we'll may
we take it to heart and apply it to our
own that | venture to quote it from
memory, He sayS,-"So the witlesS
sparrows twittered amid the ivy but
the thunder storm drew nigh"
Col. Roosevelt with his uniaiiing
common sense repeatedly warned US
that nine tenths Of wisdom consists OF
being wise in time. II our fathers had
waited until all oI our friends in the
English Parliament had been crushed
by despolic king who sought not
only TO enslave Englishmen in the col
onies but also Englishmen at home,
II they had waited until the king had
me1cenary army well established on
our shores, the liberty Of America
would have never been won.
I have several times during the last
eighteen months mentioned the dan
ger that has been rising in Russia
Today it constitutes a menace that
grows more deadly than the kaiser
Our leadership has 'emporized and
follow ed a policy OF wa chlul wait
ing" while the storm has gained in
fury. II has now become hurricane
OF anarchy that threatens TO overwhrlm
the world. Our lack OF any definite
policy, combined with actions that
merely annoyed the bloody cut threats,
has been a combination that is the ex-
treme OF folly. There we're arguments,
good valid ones, why we should have
gone in and cleaned up the gang Of
mad dogs that were terrorizing Russia.
There were also understandable argu.
ments why we should treat the matter
as strictly a Russian affair with which
It was improper for us TO deal. There
was no sensible argument why we