Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1921-03-09

struction. readjustment. restoration
all these must follow / would like L
hasten them. TO tighten the spirit an,
add to the resolution with which W
take up the task. Let me repeat TO
our nation, we shall give no people
just cause to make war upon us, W,
hold no national prejudices, we enter
lain no spirit of revenge. we do no
hate, we do not c0vet. we adream o.
no conquest nor boast of armed
] prowess.
IT, despite this attitude. war Is agair
| forced upon us, | earnestly hope a wax
] may be found which will unity our in
| dividual and collective strength and
consecrate all America, materially and
spiritually, body and soul, to national
defense. can vision the ideal repub-
lie, where every man and woman Is
called under the flag. for assignment
to duty, for whatever service, military
Or civic, the individual is best fitted
where we may call to universal serv-
ice every plant, agency or facility; all
In the sublime sacrifice for country,
and not one penny of war profit shall
inure to the benefit of private indi-
vidual, corporation or combination, but
all above the normal shall flow into
the defense chest of the nation. There
is something inherently wrong, some
thing out of accord with the ideals of
representative democracy, when one
portion of our citizenship turns its
activities to private gain amid defen-
siye war while another is fighting, sa-
criticing or dying for national preser-
vation.
Unity Of Spirit and Purpose.
Out of such universal service will
come a new unity of spirit and pur-
pose, new confidence and consecra-
ton, which would make our defense
impregnable, our triumph assured. Then
we should have little or no disOrgani-
zation of our economic, industrial and
commercial systems at home, no stag
gering war debts, no swollen fortunes
to fiout the sacrifices of our soldiers
/ no excuse for seditiOn, no pitiable
slackerism, no outrage of treason.
Envy and jealousy would have no soil
for their menacing development, and
revolution would be without the pas
sion which engenders it.
A regret for the mistakes Of yester-
day must not, however, blind us to
the tasks of today. War never left
such an aftermath. There has been
| Sts, Of MI
less wasteage of materials. Nations
are still cropping for return to stable
ways Discoul-aging indebtedness con-
| fronts US like an the war-torn ma
tons, and these obligations must be
provided for. No civilization can sur
vive population. We can reduce the
abnormal expenditures, and we will.
We can strike at war taxation. and
| we must. We must face the grim ne
cessity, with full knowledge that the
| task is to be solved, and we must pro-
coed with a full eralization that no
statute enacted by man can repeal the
| inexorable laws of nature. Our most
| dangerous tendency Is to expect too
much of government, and at the same
| time do for IL too little. We con-
template the immediate task Of put
ting our public household in order
We need a rigid and yet sane economy,
| combined with fiscal justice, and ii
must be attended by individual pru-
dence and thrift, which are so essen
tial to this trying hour, and reassur-
ing for the future.
Reflection Of Wars Reaction.
Tho business world reflects the dis
turbance of wars reaction Herein
flows the life blood of material ex-
stence. The economic mechanism is
intricate and its parts interdependent,
and ii has suffered the shocks and
| jars incident to abnormal demands,
credit mutations and price upheavals.
The normal balances have been i'm
paired, the channels Of distribution
bave been clogged, the relations of la
Dor and management have been
strained. We must seek the readjust-
ment with care and courage. Our peo
pie must give and take. Prices must
reflect the receding fever of war ac-
tivitieS. Perhaps we never shall know
the old levels of wage again, because
war invariably readjusts compensa-
tons and the necessaries of life will
show their inseparable relationship,
but we must strive for normalcy to
reach stability. All the penalties will
nol be light, nor evenly distributed.
There is no way of making them so.
There is no instant step from disor-
der 10 order. We must face a condi-
ton Of grim reality, charge off our
losses and start afresh. 1t is the old
est lesson of civilization.
From Destruction to Production.
The forward course of the business
cycle is unmistakable. Peoples are
turning from destruction to produc-
ton. Industry has sensed the changed
order and our own people are turn
ing TO resume their normal, onward
way. The call is for productive Amer.
lea TO 90 on. i know that congress
and the administration will favor
every wise government policy To aid
the resumption and encourage contin-
ued progress. speak for admins.
trative efficiency, for tightening tax
burdens, for sound commercial prac-
tees. for adequate credit facilities, for
symapthetic concern for all agricul.
tural problems, for the omission OF