The Washington times., 1938-05-30
In Memory of a Big War

DECORATION or Memorial Day began to be
~ American holiday in 1868, when Gen. John A.
Logan, Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of
the Republic, nominated May 80 the best day on
which to commemorate the civil war and renew the
flowers on the graves of that wars dead.
That war; lasting from 1861 into 1865 one of
the boodiest wars history. The Union from first to
last threw total of about 100000 men into the
fight, the Confederacy estimated total OF 100000
Union casualties 100000 killed in action and who
died of wounds disease, Confederate about 25OOOO
The war cost Abraham Lincolns Government $685.
900 0O0-of which $3.50, 100000 was paper money
without gold backing Cash cost to the Confederacy
has not been computed far we know, but the
South has not completely recovered yet 70 years after
The underlying cause of the civil Negro
slavery, the secondary Southern secession from
the Union. Northerners at last made up their minds
that they didn't want slaves themselves and didn't
want Southerners to have slaves. The Government
probably could have bought all the slaves in the
South and set them free at fraction Of the cost OF
the war; as Lincoln at time hoped to do but then
neither North South would have had the fun OF
expressing their convictions with guns for four bloody
years. Americans, though they don't like it said out
loud perhaps the most pugnacous people on earth
Interestingly enough the rank and file of the Southern
soldiers not slave In 1850 there were only
1900 Southerners who owned 100 slaves apiece
only 100000 who owned as many as 2O-out OF total
white Southern population of 100000
Most of the civil wars crucial battles fought be-
tween Richmond and Fredericksburg, Va along what is
now u S. Route l. Markers at all historic spots in that
area enable you to study history where it was made
Along U. S. Route 9, between New York and Albany,
two generations before the civil war; the American Revou
ton was fought in large part lasted years. and
it, too was ferocous and bloody The object was
to pry the American colonies loose from the oVerordshp
of Great Britain-and the object was won.
In 1912 we started with Great Britain for the
freedom of the seas, which ended in draw
The Mexican War Q846-47) was also fought for
purpose namely to get lot of land which Americans at
that time thought they wanted. They got Texas, New
Mexico Arizona California and parts of other States
With the Spanish-American War Q898), American
warmakng entered into what might be called cockeyed
phase That fought mainly for fun and adven-
TO- NJ. n ture, though there was lot of right
Oo' NO1 Oo eous talk about freeing the Cubans and
FOOIeG AGAIN Filipnos from savage Spain. We won;
and the Cuban and Filipino objects of charity have
dislked US with varying intensity since.
The World War witnessed one of the prize sucker
acts of all time and Uncle Sam the star in this act
We went into it saying wanted to get nothing out of
it for ourselves. That what got while allies
whackng up 100000 square miles of Africa
and wringng colossal reparations out of Germany.
We're inclined nowadays to look down our noses at
persons like Mussoini Hitler and Hirohto who preach
the ories of war They very pleasant characters
true but at least they fomentng fighting for
very realistic purpose-to get something for their own
country. In that, they are more sensible than we
were in 1917.
One alarming feature of it all is that sympathes
warming up in this country. lot of feel that
body ought to stop Hitler and Mussoni and Hirohito
from acting that way; of already feel that we
ought to do the stopping or help in it.
Let's hope the majority of don't fall for that again.
It's the same old bloody and expensive skin game in
which we got burnt before. Only the labels changed
To keep any of these aggressive gents from trying to
make to their hearts desire, we need powerful
Navy-a Navy at least as powerful the British navy.
It is noteworthy that we have yet gone prepared
into war; we've always had to build up our fighting
forces as best we could after declared Maybe
If we prepare for war we shan't get into war.
tFrom New York;
Bay State BOps Heart Balm