The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-04-16
FOR WHAT DID THEY FIGHT AND
PAY


them died. Kindly see in civilian life,
they proved themselves fierce fighters
when after the foe
An idea of the size of the struggle
can be obtained by comparing it with
the Battle of Gettysburg. in which
100000 Northern soldiers fought
The Meuse-Argonne struggle lasted
AZ days. and 100000 American sol
diers risked their lives, many of them
making the supreme sacrifice.
America had 2,0S6,000 soldiers in
France, of whom 1,s9O,0O0 saw battle
service, more than $4,000 dying in bat
tie, total of 122,5OO overseas having
died.
There were $4,000 American SOL
der and sailors wounded on the west
ern front
No tribute is so great as to do JUS
tice to the gallantry shown by the
boys who turned the tide of battle and
helped our bleeding Allies to victory
the French soldiers who died in the
struggle having numbered 1,3S5,00O,
and the British, 100000.
The war cost America much more,
very much more, than $I000,000 an
hour for two years.
Tie people have paid and are
paying taxes on nearly everything;
if not directly; then indirectly, on
what they wear and eat and in rent.
The nations net debt as result u
the war is about 100000, or
about $1,000 for every family, which
finally must be paid by the toll of the
family, for no matter who pays it di-
rectly, in the end it comes to the con-
sumer: and with interest added it will
amount 10 more than $4,000, nearer
SO, 900 by the time it is paid.
What was the object of all this sacri-
flee of life and treasue?
What do we owe to the men who
went ever and risked their all?
What do we owe to the dead on the
fields of France?
What do we owe those who came
back manned for life?
What do we owe to those who gave
generously of wealth and time?
What do we owe humanity?
Do we owe them assured peace for
the future or do we owe them endless
pickering?
Those who sacrificed over there cry
out that such sacrifice shall never
be forced on humanity again.
Those who suffered in the trenches
would have themselves. their children
and their children's children, spared
from such an ordeal again.
They know the fierceness of the
deathdealing instruments devised by
man. they know that another world
conflagration. carried on with the
knowledge gained in this, would all
but. wipe out humanity.
We all know that before this war
we were told that great ornaments
worked for peace. and we know now
that that was not true; that they
meant death to mankind.
We have learned that peace can be
maintained throughout the world only
through an intelligent understanding
among the nations.
And the voices Of those who have
gone and those who remain cry out for
such an understanding.
Taat und landing, written into the
League of Nations, is being accepted
in Europed.
Our Constitution gives the United
States Senator's the. power to accept
or reject the understanding accepted
by other nations and before this gov
eminent for action.
Each Senator has a right to use his
own judgment, to come to his own
conclusion, in the matter, but he has
no right to push aside Humanity's cry,
and to bast that judgment, to come
to that conclusion, on the lines Of
party expediency.
There was no partisanship in the
fight on the French front: there was
no partisanship in the buying OF Ii
berty bonds or giving to patriotic
funds: there should be no PARTISAN
ship in the contest in the United
States Senate, but unfortunately there
is.-Dearborn Independent.
BEN FRANKLIN ON PAPER CUR