The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1921-03-03
WHY "FORCE" AMERICA To-
WARD WAR?

is making in Milwaukee, President
Nooman of Marquette university de-
clares that "every American citizen
should conceive it his duty to force
America to recognize the rights of
Ireland" He goes farther and says
that "all we fought for will be a
horrible lie if we do not call Eng
landto account for what she is doing
in Ireland" and eff America does not
call upon her recent allies to. act in
the case of Ireland, she lis forgetting
that pledge that she gave to the
world"
Talk of this kind tends directly
toward war. A nation does not "call
to account" another nation on a mat
ter of that nations policy, or call
on other nations to interfere, unless
it feels ready to back up its de-
mand. Moreover, the very making
of such demands stirs up hostile feel
ings which makes it increasingly
hard to avoid other causes OF offense.
If we are at point where 1T is
Americans duty to contemplate the
possibility of war, it is important to
know why we should act When
President Wilson, on the eve OF war
against Germany, explained to con-
gress why we did not declare war
against Germany's allies, he said:
Eve enter this war only where we
are clearly forced into it because
there are no other means of defend
ing our rights"
Clearly we are not to "call Eng
land to account" in defense of Amer.
ica's rights. American vessels have
not been sunk, nor American citi-
zens going or peaceful errands
murdered. DR.. Noonan says that it
is Americas cause, that America is
doing an lawful wrong" that not
to interfere in behalf of Ireland is
forgetting the pledge America gave
to the world. But America has
never undertaken as her duty the
work of interfering wherever in the
world wrong may be done-has
never accepted the task of inter-na~
tional policeman to right every
wrong or everything she may deem
wrong.
DR.. Noonan cites the outrage COM
mitted against Belgium, remarking
that the press of the world protest
ed. 1t seems "a strange cause to
plead in behalf of a movement
headed by Sim Feiner who did
nothing in behalf of invaded Bel
GUM. who were busy at the time IN
plotting with the aggressors on Bel
GUM, who opposed, because it was
also the British cause, the cause OF
Belgium and our other allies.
But without regard to the Sim
Fem attitude toward Belgium, and
even granting that Ireland has suf-
fered anything like the horrible fate
of Belgium. how does that make this
Americas cause? America did
nothing for Belgium, except the acts
of sympathy and charity of indivi-
dual citizens. America did not IN
tervene by word or act for Belgium.
America did not even take up arms
against Germany until act after act
had left no other resourse. Then
we made Belgium small loan as
part of our policy in prosecuting the
war against Germany.
If there is to be al appeal to
Americans to pursue an information
al policy which tends toward war,
it must be based on the right OF
America. There must be no more
of such appeals as were made few
years since to use the government
of America in the interest of an
other country.
1t is unfortunate that DR.. Noonan
should talk of the subsidized press.
That phrase has been worn thread
bare by the soap-boX agitator and
the demagogue and by lpaftlsanS OF
Germany who plead with Americans
the cause of Americas enemies. 1t
is surprising that he asks why the
press has not told us of protests
charging that British authorities
hold up American cables. We fino
in a cop yof The Journal of Dec. Il
a dispatch embodying these charges
conspicuously displayed on the first
page. But what the press does OF
fails to do is not the question. What
is important is that when a propa
ganda is undertaken, calling on every
American to Ego out and work ant
force the recognition of Ireland, :" i
should be made clear why this j!
Americas cause, why Americ;