The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-04-03

up to us to beat the enemy at his own
game. The Alladin's lamp of Amer
lean management sent money, men,
and munitions flowing Europeward.
From farm, factory and office our
youths marched into the battlefields of
France, and with eager, joyous deter
mination prepared to give battle for
the right. The stay-at-homes, with
the same spirit, worked, saved, loan
ed and gave to keep the supply lines
open and full. They played their part
just as bravely and smilingly as did
the lads in khaki.
What We Did in the War.
Our hats are off to the heroic peo-
Piles of France, Belgium, Gfeat Brit
ain and Italy. We must always pay
them homage before we speak of what
America did. Through four terrible
years they gave and suffered i'm
measurably. The veterans of the Eur
, opean armies, though hard pressed,
never quit. They would not have quit,
but they We're weary and Americas
fresh, keen soldiers heartened them
as they disheartened the Boche. Eag-
erly, Uncle Sans troops took their
! places in the great battle line, and,
when the time came, they blazoned on
the imperishable tablets of American
history the names of Chateau Thierry,
Belleau Wood, St. Mihiel, the Argonne
and Sedan.
! Uncle SANS navy, manned by Am
erica's best, did its part in the dreary
! watches Of the North Sea, in the haz-
ardous sport Of hunting shell divers"
and in the marvellous feat of convoy
ing to France, practically without loss.
two million soldiers and millions Of
tons of supplies.
II Americas "heroes of the air" made
records second to none and Americans
in every other department of the war
making worked effectively for VIC
tory. s-n-4a
At home, practically thirty million
Americans bought government secur-
tiles with their savings and thus made
it possible for this country to help
finance its exhausted allies and to
launch the most stupendous war pro-
ductlon plans ever conceived. With
wonderful cooperation, loyal Ameri-
cans saved and bought, worked and
gave-to win. The business forces
We're modified at the Governments
call, with the result that if the fight
ing had continued into 1919, Germany
would have been smothered. The Unit
ed States by now would have had
tank for every seventy-fve feet of the
flrlng line; ten thousand gas shells for
every. one Germany could produce:
aeroplanes in droves; guns, big and
little; and munitions of all kinds upon
scale hitherto undreamed of.
What Ended the War.
| Germany tested the metal of Ameri-
cas- fighting men. Germany knew
just what America was doing in prep
! aratlon at home. Germany quit. Why?
Because Americas tremendous show
Of spirit and power convinced the
Boche that it was only question of
time. This country's fighters "over
there" and the makers "over here"
ended the war at least six months be-
fore the best qualified experts believed
| it possibly could be ended. AS a re-
suit, there were saved one hundred
thousand Americans whose sacrifice
would have cast shadows on just that
many additional American homes. Is
that unshed blood worth the cost Of
unused munitions and untitled con-
tracts?
Six months more of war would have
meant twelve billion more expenses,
and instead Of facing the last Liberty
Loan and one year Of saving and buy
ing of Thrift Stamps, the people Of
America would be facing the fifth
loan, with the sixth and seventh and
many years Of sacrifice in prospect.
Was what may seem to us immense
expenditures and colossal contracts
justified to save twelve billion? Re-
member those things all had to be
done Immediately and on that account
there was some unavoidable waste
and some needless expenditures. But
because they were done imme diatly
4 the war ended suddenly. Was it worth
the price? Is America going to quib-
BILE about expenditures or is it going
to set about finishing the job. with
gratefulness and joy?
The money that was spent soaring
4 Germany to death is the money we
must raise by selling government Sc
curities in 1919.
j Where America Found Herself.
:. So, with the fighting stopped, we
found:
j ~ The war had cost us twenty
one billion, of which eight billion is
owing to us and drawing interest from
!, our allies. This is compared to war
\ costs for Great Britain Of thirty-seven
billion, and for France Of twenty seven
billion.
i ~ Our own battle deaths were
only fifty thousand as compared to one