The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1920-10-30

Rickenbacker on why Soldiers Are
Against the League of Nations"
Capt. Rickenbacker toas the ace of
aces in american aviation on the
front in France His acquaintance
among the soldiers of the late war
is nationwide. When he speaks for
them, he speaks what he knows.
ey CAPT. EDDIE RlcKENBAckER
Chapter a.
An American soldier Of the line does
not talk much about his mother.
Something holds him back But he
thinks about her.
When ordered to the front he writes
last TO ner. When letters come from
home he looks first for hers. When
he returns from war, hers is the first
face he seeks.
If In battle he faces death, 1t is her
features that flash upon him. If he
has time to remember his home 1t
is her form that means home to him.
This, l believe, is true of ninety SOL
diers in a hundred.
No man feels more deeply than the
American soldier what war means to
American mothers-especially for
eign war. So one of the first thoughts
that come to a soldier after reading
the league Covenant Is this: Is it
right TO expose the mothers of Amer
lea to all the grief Of war, just to help
Il foreign nation settle boundary
quarrel or win a political dispute?
The one consolation of the American
mother, when her son said good-by,
was that he wore the uniform of his
country and marched away under the
flag of the United States. He went
because the government of his coun-
try called him. He would fight TO up
hold the honor of the United States.
He would risk his life to protect his
country and his people. He would
risk his life to punish the enemies of
his country.
This pride In their sons American
spirit and American loyalty carried
million American mothers through the
anguish Of sleepless nights 1t was
what brought them through the tor
ture of the days when American young
men We're dying by thousands and no
news came to tell who still lived and
who had gone.
Now Just Imagine a war which had
not even this comfort for mothers
hearth Could anything be sadder?
Think of the mother whose son would
be sent TO Asia to protect the Meso-
potamian oil fields from Russia, or
help France rivet the bonds on Syria !
Or to get piece of Turkey for
n. In
territorial trick for people we have
never seen and a cause nobody could
understand!
Are the mothers of America to be
crucified for foreign quarrels that new
er end? Can an American imagine a
more needless outrage to be imposed
on American womanhood? Can a SOL
dier think of more painful sacrifice,
this side of death?
! know that some men, who have
not felt death facing them in front
and anguish waiting on them at home,
have said much about fighting for
mankind. An American statesman
has even slid: 'sThese men gave their
lives to secure the freedom of man.
kind" But no soldier can accept that.
If the statesman had been soldier,
he would not have said 1t. Why? Be-
cause he would not have felt it.
The soldier of the United States
fought for the United States. He had
no like or dislike for mankind in gen.
eral He thought only Of his own
country. That was his main pride and
consolation; for his mother, that was
the sole pride and consolation. And
for the mothers of America, if not for
themselves, American soldiers would
resent any scheme of world politics
which in the days of war. trial and
war misery, woula take away this last
vesrige Of comfort and leave nothing
but i killing anxiety behind.
No soldier can be for covenant
That is 50 cruel to her whom be loves
best
N-b,ar;ho f1,,. tho SiRtipnc