The daily morning oasis., 1920-09-24
MANKIND is NOT DOWN AND OUT

The terrible devastation to which the world war
subjected the nations has confronted men with a
task OF rehabilitation so appalling that it seems al
most impossible Yet there are in past experiences
proofs that the very disasters that pile with cumulat-
i've effect undertakings so colossal develop in men
and nations latent capacities and resources that
enable them to rise superior to the titanic tasks set
them and enable them to meet all requirements, and
complsh all undertakings restore waste places, re-
claim idle ones, and within very few years make
over the world SO it seems better than ever.
Before now this editor has asserted that war is
not the unmixed evil depicted. Former wars have
proved training grounds for men and nations, max
ing them equal and fit to meet demands that would
have been impossible without the training given in
war. Not only were men fitted to meet greater I'M
dertakings, but institutions, communities common
wealths And their success wored development and
advancement undreamed of BEFORE which could not
have been compassed without the rack and strain
of war That drew forth remarkable results that
would have been impossible without.
What followed ur own Civil War half century
ago is case in point The remarkable development
OF the Cis-Mssouri River region was accomplished
by men who had been given greatly enlarged and
broadly widened ideas, with stern and drastic train
ing in the stress and strain of that tremendous con-
flict Clerk, mechanics and farmers boys whose
mental vision was limited by their environment the
store. the shop, the farm with only the desultory
training that enabled them to fill ordinary avoca-
hons were taken from the daily round of simple
empOyments, put into training where they were
grounded and developed in principles and practice Of
team work; they were thrown into marches where
they crossed states and captured cities that had been
to them but spots school maps; thew were pushed
through protracted campaigns where team work was
magnfied so regiments, brigaJes, divisions, corps,
armies moved as units; they were faced against
dangers where death or mutilation sane in the air;
and they emerged from the conflict with most COM
pete and thorough training beardess boys had risen
from the ranks to command Of companies regiments;
brlgades and divisions accustomed to moving large
bodies of men with precision and accuracy fitting
and co-ordinatirg their own work with that of 9th
ers OF like command and responsibility so million
men moved as unit directed by one master mind.
Then in the service of supply men were trained so
they kept that million of men supplied constantly
with ratiOns clothing, arms and munitions conduct
ing operations upon scales of magnitude colossal
that they would have staggered imagination to con-
ure five years BEFORE while thescience of medicine
and surgery made wonderful strides in caring for
sick and wounded; and simple country bankers who
had thought in thousands of dollars only before the
war, were widened to think in millions and haduled
colossal financial transactions, that would have been
deemed impossible in 1860. Other great undertake
ings in conduct Of the war developed wonderfully
With such experiences and training the entire
American people were advanced in five years in the
work of spread of civilization farther than would
have been the case in fifty years of peace They
spread out the country west of the Mississippi
and created great states with wonderful cities in
gions hat had been roamed by savages and wild
game only. And they built up the devastated
South SO its wealth and population advanced farther
and more rapidly than ever before,
Similar conditions have arisen from The world
war, and they are widespread, affecting many ma
TONS Work of rehabilitation seems appalling. Yet
it is not hopeless War worn though the people are,
thew have been enriched in thousand WAYS: and all