Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-02-08
peOpoypu[pIt
Have We Won the War7

! ROCK island, FEB. 6.-EditOF The
Argus: 1 am wondering if we can
give positive answer to the above
question.
1t has been heralded far and
near by that noble man, President
Woodrow Wilson, by the leading
representatives of every grade of
people, by the pulpit and the press,
that we had gone into the war for
humanity. Upon this claim we
have held up our heads as being
actuated by the most ideal motives
Of any nation engaged in the war,
with the exception of noble-heart-
ed, heroic Belgium.
We have credited our boys who
have crossed the treacherous ocean
and faced the hellish horrors Of
modern warfare and who have shed
their blood on foreign soil and there
found a nameless grave, with be-
ing actuated with these same lofty
motives-to make the world safe
for democracy.
II this means anything at all ex-
cept mere bombast, it is that Amer
lea has broken through her isola-
| ton, that she is no longer bound
by the swaddling bands of "the for
eign entangling alliances" but for
good or i'll she is one with human
| ity. Which means that we willing
ly share with the more unfortunate
Of humanity the benefits and bless
ings~ bestowed upon US, whether
temporal, political or religious. II
this war has been truly won, that
is the spirit it has left behind to
dominate US in our relation with
mankind.
Yet what do we find when we
look for a display of this spirit of
love and generosity in it's broadcast
sense on the part of our city? 1t
has been literally besieged for two
years by the representatives of the
national organizations interested in
relieving the indies cribable suffer-
ings and privations of the Armen-
ians, Syrians and Greeks, with
100000 orphans alone, dependent
upon the generosity and humane
and Christian spirit of the world at
large, who during the war have
been keeping body and soul togeth-
er by eating grass and barks of
trees, the flesh of animals dead of
things than these have they been
driven to do. That the represen-
tatives of the Commercial club,
after having these facts presented
to them, processing to be interested
in mitigating at least the sores and |
gaping wounds of modern social /
conditions, deliberately and cold /
bloodedly refuse to permit the
needs of these war-stricken people /
(the most helpless of all of the
wars victimS), to be presented /
with the humanitarian needs of the /
city in the one-fund campaign to
be made for that purpose. If this
is not on a par with the fiendish in (
difference of German officialdom
when asked to interfere and put a
stop to the atrocities the Turks !
were infiCting upon these same .
Armenians, and the refusal of the /
Turks to cease the massacres and /
when our ambassador, .
Henry Morganthaus, protested and .
pleaded with them in the name of (.
America, then have lost all sense .
of the proportion OF things
When the Christ saw a few
of men and women suf-
fering a temporary privation, He
His disciples to give .
We them to eat" That Christ still
represents suffering humanity in
these same lands and says to pros
porous. opulent, magnificent Amer
let, Give ye them to eat" The
means are in our hands; the nation
on the whole is obeying this com
mand. Shall Rock Island, by it's re-
fusal to give relief at this time win
for itself the name "Rocky-hearted J
Rock Island?" For again it is said,
That whatsoever hath this worlds
goods and seeth his brother hath
need and closeth up his bowels of
how dwelleth the love
Of God in him."
Should these or any portion of
them die as result Of our refusal
to render assistance? Is it not
within the bounds Of reality to hear
Him who asked the first question
concerning a brothers. responsible
.ty to brother, say unto US, The
blood of these Armenians, Syrians
and Greeks cry unto me from the
earth?''
This is a war for humanity. The
nan who thinks and acts with the
dea that because a man speaks a
different language, has a different
-olored skin or lives in a distant
cline, he is a foreigner. is traitor
o mankind, for men of all nations
md chimes have cemented in one
blood on the bloody fields of battle
Is they have fought side by side for
he cause of democracy, the fact I
hat they are brothers. Ii
Yours truly,
THOMAS HUGHES.