The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1941-02-13

In my consideration of II. r. ITO
/ have been entirely free from any
fear that 1t Is within the range of
possibility that the United States
of America can be invaded by any
single nation or combination Of
nations in Europe or Asia, or both.
I am not one OF those who holds
such poor opinion of the fighting
qualities of the America as to trem-
BILE with fear over the possibility
that the war In Europe may end in
a way that Is neither pleasing nor
satisfactory to us. Neither am
one of those Americas who believes
that the navy of a foreign country
is our first line of defense. The
first line of defense for America is
1872 million free men, women and
children and so long as we remain
free and fully protected there will
be no danger of invasion.
I cannot bring myself to believe
that people, who in $50 years
transformed a wilderness empire
into the greatest and mightiest nat
ion in all the history of the world,
have so deteriorated that they are
incapable of protecting their own
firesides under all conditions and
against all odds. It may be that
feeling of security is due in a mea-
sure to the interior location of the
great state which I have the honor
to represent in part, but I will not
concede that because those Ameri-
cans who live in the costal zones of
the country are just as independent
and self reliant, just as ready to re-
ly upon themselves as are their kin
folk in the interior.
There are few left in this and in
the other body of those who served
in the World War Congress "a years
ago. They must be impressed, as
have been, with the fact that we
are now being subjected to the
same waving of flags, the same
beating of breasts that blitzkrieged
us into the World war nearly "a
years ago. The only difference that
can discern is that comparative
1y new instrumentality-th radio
is freely being made use of by
both sides.
There is another difference in
the two compaigns to embroil
America in the war. Twenty-Five
years ago the anger of our people
was raised to a fighting pitch by
cleverly concocted stories of un-
speakable atrocities that we found,
after the war was over, to have
been tissue of lies invented and
disseminated by the most expert
propaganda oranization in all the
world-the British Foreign Office.
Now we know that our expedi-
ton to Europe in 1918 was a
tragic mistake. That war marked
the closing chapter of the America
that we had known and under
which all had greatly. prospered
It ushered in a new era Of waste
full spending and an ever increasing
tax load that will sit shoulders Of
unborn generations like the old
man Of the sea.
When we went into that war our
national debt was abont 1000 mill
ion dollars. During our excursion
to Europe we spent about $4,000
million dollars, or let me put It
this way-$38O0 for every minute
since the dawn of the Christian era.
And 1t is estimated that before the
obligation Of that war has been
paid it's total cost will be in excess
of 100000 million dollars.
Now we are getting all set to re-
peat that folly. It seems that we
didn't learn much Of anything from
our former European experience.
Twenty-Five years ago we were
told that it was necessary for to
go over there to make the world
safe for democracy. When the war
was over there wasn't single dict
ator left in Europe. The Gar and
the Kaiser had been driven from
their thrones: Hitler, Mussolini and
Stain had not been heard of; new
and free nations were created-Po-
land, Finland, Czechoslovakia, Lat
via, Lithuania, Estonia-all of
them ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS off the
ways and were launched on the sea
of democracy. Alas, the good that
was wrought soon disappeared,
like the SHOWS of yesteryear. Ger
many, italy and Russia are today
relationships and in all Europe only
two real democracies survive-Fin-
land and Switzerland. So much for
what we accomplished then.
Now we are again being urged to
go over to Europe on the plea that
Britain, who they tell us is our
first line of defense, is being SER
iously threatened, and we are fur
ther told that If she goes under, we
will be next. They are not trying
the old atrocity stories on us this
trip-Oh, on!-we may bite on the
same substance twice but it must be
dished up in a different form.
Twenty-Five years ago they played
upon our hates and passions. To-
day they play upon are fears.
do not believe that there Is a
single military authority in all the
land who will seriously claim that
this country is in danger of invas-
ion. Neither do believe that there
is serious danger to South America