Evening star., 1937-03-21

Our decision was already made We
strained at the leash, waiting only on
official formality to slip it. Already, in
the third week of March, 1917, we
knew that the special session of Con-
gress. which President Wilson had
called for April 2 would declare war
against Germany in answer TO public
demand
Nineteen seventeen and nineteen
thirty y-Seven We continue to suffer
spasm Of apprehension with each fresh
European war alarm lest We shall be
drawn in a second time A crisis
passes; we breathe freer-only to have
another crisis appear
When the war fever sped the hot
blood in our veins 20 years ago our
slogan was TO make the world safe for
democracy. In that cause we sent
100000 soldiers to France.
The initial money cost was s21,-
750,000000, exclusive of the billions We
loaned the Allies. We shall not know
the total cost until the last pension to
the widow of veteran has been paid,
after the last disabled veteran is dead
1t may reach 100 billions.
Yet, with this experience in mind.
our present Never again" is no
stronger than our Keep out!' upon
the outbreak of the World War.
Then we were numb and staring at
the prospect of the huge armies of Eu-
rope marching to slaughter We drew
together in horror and in gratitude
for the breadth of the seas between
us and them.
Europe had gone insane. We would
remain sane, keep clear of the slash
ing fangs Of the mad dogs which
might infect us with the rabies.
Wilson's Call Acclaimed.
There was universal acclaim of
President Wilson's call for neutrality
in individual as well as public thought
and action. Political and popular in
stinct commanded us to keep the home
fires burning under the melting pot
which was making a national ANAL
gam of European races.
On August /, 1914, we did not fore
see that there could be no escape from
the free forum of our country becom-
ing the propaganda battle-ground for
the passions and interests of the war
ring netherlands. Much less did we
foresee the pitiful flight of the Belgian
refugees before the advancing wall of
German fire, the deaths of American
women and children when the great
passenger ship Lusitania was sunk
without warning by a U-boat, the
eventual declaration of unrestricted
submarine warfare against our ships.
Shall we not face another irresistible
trend of events in provocation?
OF this we may be sure. The next
cataclysm will break upon the world
as suddenly as that of 1914. A tram
quill outlook, after another crisis seems
to have passed, may be the cover for
surprise action.
One days start in mobilization will
be vital in getting the jump on an
enemy nation. Even an hours start
may enable an aggressor's bombing
planes to catch an enemys anti-air-
craft guns nodding. We may go to bed
on Saturday night to find on Monday
morning that the armies are already
on the march and that showers of
bombs have already fallen.
Mobilization will be instantly met by
mobilization when there is no other
alternative to escape military disaster.
We shall have the same outburst OF
declarations of war as in 1914.
Short War Expected.
We are told that the next European
war will be a short war. Since two
years and nine months elapsed from
the outbreak of the World War before
We were drawn in. the decision will