Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1921-08-08

.-r-.-a - 80 ~, -4,..., 4t.ts,
they were by force compelled to put on
a uniform ~.
Nobody can blame "A veteran OF the
late war for taking exception to such
statements. There is no sudden out
burst of patriotism OH the part of the
cx-service men. They were patriotic
when it meant something and the vast
majority of them gladly responded to
the call of their country in the hour OF
its peril. Men who talk about their
being ''c0mpelled' are not patriotic
themselves and the chances are that
they did nothing for their country dur
ing the war that they We're not forced
TO do. IT. they bought bonds they did
SO under duress and il they held their
tongues it was because they were too
cowardly to speak their sentiments.
There We're many of that kind or men
aud now, three years after hostilifies
lave ceased, they are trying to get some
If the reasonable poison out OF their
systems.
But let the Iowa LesiOnaire answer
this man. In referring to his state
mcnt the paper says:
HE had mistaken idea that the
American Legion had attacked So
cjalist speaker. The fact was that the
American Legion, as. an organization,
Lad nothing to- do with any ATTACK
that there was no attack What hap
pened was that serNire men actually
rescued a woman socialist from harm
ut the hands of hoOdlums. The Legion
stands for law and order, The Ie-
gion is not fighting socialists. 1t is
lighting I. w. WIS openly and makes no
apologies for assailing what it believes
to be an un-American body of criminals,
who commit, treason as readily as they
ride the rods on freight trains.
Even when service men strike Mt the
disturbing elements some citizens crltl-
cizc vigorously. They point to the con-
stitutiOn that gives free speech. free
press and so forth But, never having
gone through the hell of war, they do
rot know how the veteran feels at see
Ing the things he fought for assaulted.
He resents the enemy to his principles
within as keenly as the enemy without.
A red damning the government from a
soap box in Dcs MOines stirs his fight
| Ing blood as quickly as a German shoot
ing at him and his comrades. He won't
stand for attacks on the system of gov
eminent he has been called upon to de-
fcnd He loves his country, else he
would have lodged the summons as so
many reds did.
,, "The writer Of the letter referred to
above makes no point in the paragraph
quoted. If there were men who knew
10 difference as between people and
their doctrines before the war, and they
learned through war service, let us be
thankful. No citizen can measure up
to the fullest unless he Is thoroughly
familiar with the trend Of thought in
the country. Most everybody knows
there are elements here who do not be-
l.cyc in any form of government, ele-
n.cnts who are striking constantly mt
the roots of the greatest and most pow
crful nation on earth. During the war
it was necessary to curb the speech OF
some agitatOrs. 1t was also necessary
to suppress certain publications and to
Jail scores of disturbers who interfered
with what the majority thought were
real American activities.
THE charge against these. offenders
was usually either treason or some.
thing akin to it. We dealt with treason
without gloves while we were at war
i! is just as dangerous now. Treason
is treason, whether in war or in peace
and your eX-service man who knows
flat reasonable utteranccs and activ.
tiles while he was fighting cost him and
lis buddies wounds and cost thousands
Of their lives, can see no more cause
for dealing gently with the reasonable
row than he could then. There is nc
assurance that there will not be more
wars"
SOCIAL REQUIREMENTS.
cat present. the country 6 gain will