Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-07
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

| 1t was 10 years ago yesterday when
Congress declared the entrance of the
United States into the World War.
That action had the overwhelming
support of both branches of Congress
upon the urgent representation and
recommendation of the President, who
had been reelected on the slogan, He
kept us out OF war;" There was great
enthusiasm in the patriotic support of
this declaration, especially as the
millions of soldiers rallied round the
flag"
Yesterday there was no apparent
notice taken in the National Capital
OF the tenth anniversary. Wars
aftermath goes on year after year
with it's burdens of pain and grief Of
the participants in the great struggle
What has become Of the national
enthusiasm of patriotism? Has the
peak of soldier suffering passed? Is
it as fashionable to cheer Old Glory
as it was in 1917? Has the "war to
end wars" accomplished it's boast
outside of the % major wars which
have been fought since the armistice:
outside of the war today between
Italy and the Arabians, between the
two parties in Nicaragua, between
Chlna's two vast armies in internal
struggle, both combined against the
foreign devils" who hold concessions
or do not hold concessions in the coun.
try which comprises a quarter of the
worlds population? What about the
World Wars aftermath?
X y
For yesterdays publication enter.
prising newspapers gathered express
sions of notable participants in the
World War as to how the situation
looked to them 10 years thereafter.
Gen. Pershing cabled from France,
Peace among civilized people is not
a dream
Marshal Joffre cabled fluctuations
to the American veterans who are
planning to hold their next convention
in France.
The war Secretary of State, Robert
Lansing, reviewed the chaos of the
world following the war, and summed
it up with:
THE situation in China, Russia and
in other countries shows that the
world is in a state of ferment and
confusion"
Maj. Gen. Peyton c. March, Chief
of Staff during the World War said:
1--WE entered the World War with
the highest ideals and purposes.
All those ideals are in the
discard. Democracy Is on trial every
where, and in many countries the
reign of the dictator has superseded
the will OF the people. Wars have
been and are going on all over the
world, and the end is not in sight
Nor do we need a Mussolini
to handle our affairs for us. We be-
lieve in freedom of speech and of the
press and in government by duly
elected representatives of the people,
and, whatever defects may have de.
Veloped, we ourselves will make what
changes are necessary and will not
have them made for us by a dictator.
And that finally is our browning
offense. We are putting democracy
over"
Tie war Secretary of the Navy,
Josephus Daniels, asked and an
swered, did the World War pay?"
lit demonstrated that in courage and
in deathless valor the youth of 19171S
were the same stuff as their fore
fathers of the Revolution and Of bat.
ties of brothers in the sixties"
\ y r y
Speaks the national commander of
the American Legion, Howard P.
Savage:
There are those who scott at the
very words which clothed the ideals
that men endured and died for 10
years ago. This is a matter of serious
moment, for a nation, even though it
be a world power and as rich as
Croesus, ia sick when its spiritual
side is neglected. We need a rebirth
of patriotism, repledging of part of
ourselves to serve those ideals men
died for 10 years ago.
y T.
1t has been openly charged that in
the city Of Washington. Capital of the
whole Nation, apathy toward the ideals
of 1917-1S is most apparent; that here
the veterans who survived the strug-
gle, more or less broken in health and
self .SufficiencY to face LIES lasting