v
owEopEtynm
The Commoner
a man im the service as . a private soldier it de
stroys .-his. entire earning power, except to the
extent of .$39 a a year., The government, in fact,
not only conscripts the man's life, hut It con
scripts all of his earning power beyond the $396
per annum It pays him. Having, therefore, re
duced the soldier's earning, power so that he is
unable to pay the excessive insurance rates (68
per thousand) demanded by private companies,
it is the fimperativo duty of the government to
make restitution at least to the extent of giving
the drafted man the chance to buy insurance on
a peace time bads.
Who- with blood in his veins, patriotism in
his heart, and justice in his soul can deny to the
men and their families .who must suffer, more
than any other class of our people, the horrors
of this world carnaga and war, these poor com
pensations? Who would submit to torturing
agonies, of soul .and mind our gailan, soldiers
and sailors by withholding from them the knowl
edge that their wives and helpless children will
not be dependent for support upon charity while
they are lighting at the front? Humanity and
justice cry out against s ch monstrous indiffer
ence as that would be.
It has been intimated that the organized insurance-companies
of the United States may op
pose this legislation. I do not believe it. It is
not conceivable that in a time like this men
would be so callous and visionless. Men of
vision and humanity will get behind this bill
and not in front of it. Bat if any such effort
should bp made, who is willing to listen to the
selfish cr,y of organized insurance companies that
their interests may suffer if the government
dares to be, humane and just to its heroes? Can
we for one Instant permit any selfish interest,
however', organized and wherever existent, to
stand in the way of humanity and justice? Shall
we subordinate the interests of the nation, shall
we imperil the cause of liberty in the world by
failing(ito do justice to our fighting men and
their dependents, in order that the selfish Inter
ests, of any private corporations or organizations
may,be conserved? I -can not believe that any
organize di( effort ,wiU bo made to prevent this
,just .legislation, but if such an- attempt should
be made, we should welcome the opportunity to
arouse the conscience and soul of America
against any such selfish purpose or demand.
It has-been intimated, also, that those who
are wedded to the pension system might oppose
this measure, I do not believe that. This in
surance, billv does not affect existing pension
laws, although v 's intended to be a substitute
for and t'oinake unnecessary future pension laws
to coyer this wc-. Nor does it interfere with or
in any manner change or modify provisions al
ready made for the gallant men who fought in
our previous wars. They are not disturbed. I
believe that every old soldier who fought in any
American war for his country's rights and lib
erties will support this measure, because nobody
knows better than these old soldiers how dere
lict our government and every government has
been in the past in doing justice.to its fighting
men and their dependents. They above all oth
ers should want justice done to those who suffer
most for the services they render to their coun
try. America is holding aloft the torch of liberty
in the. world. Can she hold it aloft with honor
if her soul is dead to the sufferings of her own
children? Can she refuse to do justice to her
own dead and dying and suffering while she
claims to be rendering a i ervice to the rest of
mankind? , , .. f . .
Let us not hesitate to go forward in this fight
for America's rights, for liberty and justice with
all the might and power and coufage of the na
tion: let us, at the same time, make our efforts
terf thousand times more effective by setting an
example to the world of what a mighty, just,
humane and courageous nation can do for Its
own people who are called upon to make su
preme, sacrifices in order that the world shall be
free;
President Wilson has excited the harsh criti
cism of a number of the big manufacturers and
exporters who can not understand why he should
.have interfered to prevent them from continuing
to cet the big price from the allies of America
Sat they werSe able to extort before we entered
the war: Isn't business still business? they de
manded to know, even if we are loaning the
moneyfcto,pay the bills. A cash BlsTWmato
be.the only instrument to determine some mens
patriotic content.
Press Comments on
Air Reprisals
With French aviators now bombing German
towns In reprisal for German aerial raids on
France, comes word that tho English government
has yielded to the country-wide demand that it
resort, to similar action. Premier Lloyd George
is quoted as saying: "Wo will give it all back
to them and we will give it to them soon. Wo
shall bomb Germany with compound interest."
Regrettable as it is that the point has been
reached where such reprisals on Germany are
thought necessary, It does not obscure the fact
that human . iduranco has its limitations. Franco
and England, by the length of time they with
held such action, have proved abundantly their
aversion to adopting it as long as it could bo
avoided. They will bo so credited by history.
It will bo recognized that Germany by its re
peated murdering of women and children drove
the people attacked to a fury that could not bo
expected, from the very limitations of human na
ture, to hesitate to resort to any means to stop
and punish the aggressors. Logically it will bo
recognized that if such terrorism has proved sat
isfactory enough to Germany to cause her to
keep it up for years it maj prove equally effec
tive against her. A taste of terrorism their load
ers have been applying to others may do much
to stimulate the desire of the German people for
peace.
The only thing left to say is that if it must bo
a case of fighting furies with the methods of fu
ries, the sooner there is resort to them tho soon
er the Prussian barbarians will be brought to a
halt. It Ib easy enough at a safo distance from
the terrorists to bewail the thought of fighting
them in kind, but how about it if women and
children were being murdered every few days in
Pittsburgh by aerial invaders? That is the test.
Speak against the spirit of vengeance as wo may,
there is much of excuse for it in the men who
see iniiocent women and children murdered about
them. This, of course, brings up the thought of
the effect on the men of Germany. . It is but na
tural that it will infuriate some of thorn. On
the other hand, it may spur the great majority
who have not been affected by it to urge, in the
hope of saving their families that their govern
ment abandon its ruthlessness against the inno
cents of other lands. Here is one of the prime
objects of the reprisal. If it does not work in
this way, then, of course, there will bo the hope
that the Germans may be overwhelmed by tho
methods with which they have sought to reduce
others.
Whenever was war a parlor game
Pittsburgh Post.
AIR REPRISALS
It is announced in London that tho British
government Is seriously considering, If it has not
already decided upon, reprisals for German air
attacks. Intimation ir given that this Is a mil
itary question at present, tho dispatch of air
planes for the purpose of reprisal depending up
on whether they can be spared from the ordinary
military service In France. Evidently there is
now no doubt on the score of policy, which for
merly deterred tho government at London from
engaging in any form of reprisal. This conclu
sion may have been hastened by the action of
the French, who have already sent air raiders on
two occasions recently over the German boun
daries for the bombardment of cities, in reprisal
for the bombing of French cities. No returns
are of course, available as to the damage that
has been done in Germany by these French at
tacks The striking fact, however, is evident
that the French are capable of carrying out air
raids on a large scale at long distances. ,Tho
French aviators covered approximately 350 miles
In The French have an advantage over the Brit
ish in this respect, as they can launch their air
mane raids from points fairly near German ter
ritory Naturally they will not bombard any of
the cities in Alsace or Lorraine, but will seek
the strictly German centers. From Nancy, which
safely behind the firing line, the. French can
LA wpidelberff Stuttgart, Frankfort or Co
logne wlttta a radius of 160 miles straight flight,
with many -smaller cities and towns at shorter
6? Berlin itself is about 400 miles from
Nancy Essen, the center of the German arms
industry, is 200 miles In straight flight from
Nancy. The distance from London to Cologne in
about 310 miles, or from Dover, which would bo
tho natural starting point from British territory
about 250. The nearest German torrltory from
Dover is 200 miles by air lino. It would not, of
course, ho necessary for tho British airmen to
Hy from England. They could fly from Just back
of their lines In France, In which caao It would
bo possible to roach Cologne with about 190
miles of straight flying. .From this same point
back of tho British lines to Berlin Is about 475
miles.
Evidently Is it felt In London that there Is no
reason for withholding longor from reprisals, in
as much ns tho Germans aro apparently already
doing their utmost In tho way of air raiding. In
creased "frlghtfulncBs" may bo posslblo, as the
Germans have progressed from ono degree of
terrorism to another In tho course of tho cam
paign, but there Is no warrant now for with
holding those blows In reprisal that arc prompt
ed hy every consideration of sclf-dofenHO.
Washington Star.
AIK-KAII) REPRISALS
Hegrettablo as It may scorn that the record of
the allies could not have remulned, despite all
provocation, free of anything remotely re
sembling Germany's murderous warfare against
non-combatants, it must nevertheless be recog
nized that tho Teuton barbarians have carried
systematic murder hy nlr raidB to a point whero
only reprisals in kind offer any hopo of check
ing it.
Monday night German bomb droppors, flying
over London, brought tho total of dead and
maimed by air raids on that city up to 51 killed
and 248 injured since September 24. Tho same
day another German airman dropped bombs on
t o hospitals behind the British. llnoj on the
western war front, killing three Britlnh nurses
and several wounded soldiers.
No nation can he expected to permit the mur
der of women, children and tho helpless wound
ed to go on Indefinitely without trying eyory
possible means calculated to terrorize the,.Uir
dorers. Tho French decided earlier, and In re
prisal for rccont German raids on Dunkirk and
other towns in Fraifce, French airmen this wook
bombed Stuttgart, Troves, Coblcnz and Frank
fort. The British public Is now, more and morc0
loudly calling for reprisals. It seems not un
likely that British scruple may yield to the de
mand for vengeance . .
After all, would Americans feel or act differ
ently? , a
Deliberately repeated attacks upon defenceless
non-combatants lower a belligerent nation to a
plane of savagery where massacre as a rctalla
' tory mcasuro Is recognized as necessary.
It Is hard to see wounded soldiers murdered
on their cots, or little children blown to pieces
as .they come from their lessons, without .pre
paring for those guilty of such crimes tho only
punishment barbarians can understand. New
York World.
MR. BRYAN'S RULT3 OP' PATRIOTISM
There is no better rule of patriotism for tho
guidance of all pacifists, conscientious objectors
and sticklers for the rights of freo speech than
that laid down by William J. Bryan In an ad
dress in Chicago.
After asserting that the citizen who insists
upon criticising the war policies of the govern
ment is "a promoter of anarchy," Mr. Bryan
said:
"I don't know how long the war will last, but
I know that the quickest way out is straight
through. Anyylivision or discussion now would
simply prolong the war and make It more costly
In lives and treasure."
No man hates war more bitterly than Mr.
Bryan, but tho war has come In spite of every-,
thing fhat was done to avoid it, and Mr. Bryan's
way of ending it is to beat Germany as soon as
possible. That is tho way of all men who see
straight, and Mr. Bryan Is doing a great public
service in bringing" the Issue 'into the open.
New York World.
Those chaps down on the appropriations com
mittee in Washington must often wonder how
in the world the Hon. Charles C. Pinckney ever
got undying fame by declaring that this country
has "millions for defense." In their mind la
these days of billion dollar bills, Col, Pinckney
must be a synonym for piker, ,
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