The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1926-03-01
The Argonne Remains

he ArgOnNG NGiHdlnS
The trend of events had turned the corner in the
World War. The mighty retreat in progress.
Slowly step by step, the allies driving their
mics back-out of France. And then they to the
Argonne forest. Here the masters of defense had done
their best. Earthworks and machine-gun nests and
trenches and all of modern defenses were be
found along the borders OF the forest here and
there, not the htops i'll valleys but everywhere.
And weary work it for the troops There
way by which wholesale action a general movement
could accomplish anything. 1t fell the lot of the
American troops do good deal of the work which
had to do in order to subdue the Argonne
forest. 1t could not be ignored, there way of
going around it, it had to be conquered yard by yard
and foot by foot On the other side the armistice
and peace but before that goal could be reached the
Argonne forest had to be trayersed by conquering
army.
WE'LL the local enforcement OF the prohibition law is
the Argonne forest in the prohibition advance. 1t
be traversed Nothing is to be gained by evasion and
certainly nothing but increasing difficulty would be OBJ
tanned by modifying the Volscad act-that is, by
treating from the Argonne and going back to the Mouse
Surprising allies commander had said 1--WE can't
clean out the Argonne it isn't worth the cost. 1t is
practically impossible TO capture the region, and
rate, have the of France cleared. Suppose
let it go at that" Such idea would not have been
considered for moment. 1t would have left the fate
of the war undecided. 1t would have produced
don in which there stability If the enemy had
been allowed hold the Argonne forest nothing could
have prevented them from making their ncursion in the
French territory it known that the allies
had stopped there Using the Argonnc for base they
would have made ncursions continually into French
ritory with view to reganing ground lost.
And that imaginary situation is exactly what is in
VOWED in the light wine and beer talk To discuss ser
ousy about the restoration of light wine and beer is
equivalent to the allies Withdrawing from the Argonne
forest to the ranks of the Meuse. II such actions had
been taken would have meant nothing but the
renewal of the struggle, and, after the allies had done
their fighting that necessary i'll order to hold their
enemies i'll check and drive them back into the Argonne
they would only be where they were before and the
Argonne forest would still remain to be taken. So in
this situation No matter how much certain people may
talk about modification of the Nolsead any
withdrawal from the present advanced position simply
giving the liquor interests lease of life and
they will Immediately take advantage Of it with all the
force they possess in effort to regain lost ground
The forces of decency and Righteousness will have
resume the conflict the ground to which they
will be forced by the oncomng rush of the Then
we will have all this fight again and
come to the same Argonne forest from which we had
withdrawn.
If should permit the sale OF light wines and beer it
would only be short time and most unhappy at
that until would have to begin the fight again and
take away the privilege. The breakdown of law and
order the resurrection of drunkenness and the renewal
of the oubreaking misery assured by the general sale
OF liquor would be with again in very short time
Then we would have to fight as hard as fighting
in order to get back to the place which
occupy. When had regained it would still be
facing just the same problem which are facing now