The Washington times., 1921-11-25

Those Poor Turkeys.
Nobody Ate an Eagle.
Be Thankful, Very.
Canada, Australia, U. s.
y ARTHUR BRISBANE
Copyright. 1919

~see.S
Many million turkeys gave up
.neir lives to yesterdays celebra-
ton. Observe that none had
prepared for what was bound to
come. The gobblers had been
content to swell up their necks
with wind-it's done in Wash
ington-and spread their feath-
ers. The turkey hens did not
even swell their necks and had
sweet womanly hatred Of war.
The poor things never thought
OF fighting, did not even know
enough to fly away into the
woods. That makes turkey farm
ing profitable, May this nation
not switch from the eagle to the
turkey. No eagles were eaten
yesterday, you'll notice.
Still cause to be thankful. as
well as worried. The Atlantic
Is three thousand miles wide, the
Pacific twice as wide and more.
Our chemists are working on
gases and bombs that are to war
now what cannon and battleships
used to be.
The postmaster, Mr.. Hays, en-
couraged by the President, is
working at flying machine de-
veiopment, seeking to find USE
ful, profitable work in peace for
machines and trained flying men
that would be our reliance in
war.
We are talking some danger
Gus nonsense about relying on
the good will of other peoples,
but we are not QUITE crazy.
Be thankful for that.
Our State Department has of
fered to scrap eight hundred
millions worth of battleships and
other preparedness. But we have
not committed ourselves as to
submarines, which must be our
real defense-with aircraft-and
Congress may yet have some
thing to say about destroying
what cost the taxpayers and lit
tie people whose rent and labor
pay the taxes, 100000. 900.
That Washington conference
which threatened to drag US into
some sort of league under an
other name-has started half a
dozen fights and hatreds among
European nations-that should
warn us. A little talk Of French
submarines has made Wells. first
cousin Of the peace dove. predict
war between France and England
war brothers, a few minutes
ago. THAT ought to warn US.
: Lasker. of. the Shipping Board.
business man Of ferocious en-
ergy. chosen by the President.
is working to keep for the coun-
try q national business fleet that
cost billions. and in. war mioht
be worth ten times what 1t cost.
Be thankful for that. They are
going at it in the Republican
wrong way. not trusting the peo-
pie to own and manage their own
boats. But be thankful in these
days for small mercies.
We CAN be safe, If we choose.
We now own the song that Eng
land sang in the good old days.
"We've got the men. we've got
the ships, we've got the money,
too" We actually have them.
When England had men. ships,
AND THE "MONEY. TOO" did
she ask anybody to tell her what
to do with them? Not exactly.
When BRAND was a little boy
he learned by heart Racine's line:
"Ne VeuiIlez pas po1ts perdre, ct
Vous etes sauve," meaning, Don't
insist on destroying yourself, and
you are safe"
BRAND has not forgotten the
hne-he tells the sweet-voiced
conferees: "We know we can't
rely on any one else; therefore
France will rely on herself"
A good many Americans need
to learn that Racine line. The
rows starting at our conference,
as they started at the Paris loot
ing party, will open some official
eyes in America. Be thankful for
that.
Lloyd George, It seems, is COM
ing, after all. He will do the
usual peace platitudinizing in pub
lie. Privately he will tell our
people: "For Gods sake. realize
the worlds condition, and keep
ready to do your share. We, in
England, cannot talk to Japan as
we'd like to. We do not dare.
For she could do in our Indian
empire, what the clumsy Boil
shevists with their propaganda
and the second class Gautama-
Ghandi could never do.
1--WE know you Americans don't
want war. Why should your We,
Of England, have accumulated
everything loose, including some
things like Mesopotamia, that will
take a century Of digestion. We're
FULL and could not eat another