THE NENANA DAILY NEWS
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(
WHY WE ARE AT WAR
WITH GERMANY
LECTURE NUMBER THREE
A Series of Lectu-es By Ephraim Douglas Adams, Executive Head
of History Department, of Leland Stanford Junior University
V___/
.Two Bits
.$ 2.00
.. 9.00
. 15.00
“The object of this war is to deliver the free peoples of the world
from the menace and the actual power of a vast military establishment
controlled by an irresponsible government, which, having secretly planned
to dominate the world, proceeded to carry out the plan without regard
either to the sacred obligations of treaty or the long-established practices
and long-cherished principles of international action and honor; . . This
power is not the German people. It is the ruthless master of the German
people. ... It is cur business to see to it that the history of the rest of
the world is no longer left to its handling.”—President Wilson, August
27, 1917.
THE NATION ANI) MORAL DUTIES
Tin* rulers of Germany believe tliat they have the right to
prevail over all other nations. They also believe that the power
of the state is the only object for which its rulers should
struggle. Still further, they believe that moral principles and
ideas have* no place in determining the actions of the state,
since the sole duty of the state* is to get power. This is German
political philosophy. American political philosophy, from the
very beginning of our institutions, has opposed this theory, and
now in this war is fiyhlint/ against it. For the German theory
necessarily carries with it utter denial of the claims of moral
feeling, of international right, of human decency and chivalry.
The German historian, Treitschke, at whose feet princes and
rulers sat. eagerly absorbing his teachings, devoted his life to
spreading the gospel of Power. It is true, lie* said sneeringly,
that “a stock of inherited conceptions of integrity and morality
is a nessessity for government,” ( useful. that subjects of the
state be obedient i. but “the end till and be all of a state is
Power." "The state is the sole judge of tin* morality of its own
actions. It is, in fact above morality, or, in other words, what
ever is necessary is moral."
From this it follows, in internationl relations, that there is
no rule or guide to conduct except self-interest. In this present
war a follower of Treitschke, one of the leading common-school
educators of Germany, Kirschensteiuer of Munich, drives home
the theory. “The great lesson which the German people has
had to learn is to think in terms of power. . . .Let no one lien*
sa.v that small states, too can have a national life of their own.
True, so long as the great states around them allow them to
exist. Hut any day may see the end of their existence, in spite
of all treaties to tin* contrary. . . Xeitlier alliances nor treaties
proride the least security. . . . There are no ethical friendships
between stales in oar day. . . There are only friendships of con
rcnience. And friendships of convenience last just as long as
tin* convenience itself." Professor Eulenberg, of Leipzig, sums
it up, “All ethical considerations are completely alien to th*
state and the state must therefore resolutely keep them at arm's
length."
Gan we wonder that the German foreign secretary spoke of
the broken treaty with lielgium as a “scrap of paper"? or that
-VI MV-lMUIlil UClCI/ltttni till- fMlJIVlll^ t»l 111U
Lusitania? or that German agents in America, smoothly friendly
in appearance, secretly plotted, before we were in the war, to
destroy our industries, our railways, even our lives?
Is there no such thing any more as common humanity—no
“decent respect to the opinion of mankind,” as Thomas .Jeffer
son stated it in the Declaration of Independence? Is our ideal
of righteousness, yes, even of unselfishness, impossible in in
ternational politics?. This war, if (Jennany is defeated, maij
decide these questions, hut if (iermany wins, the struggle has
but just begun.
This American democracy of ours denies, and has always
denied, the German theory; it asserts that the laws which for
mulate the duties of men toward each other are binding upon
nations equally with individuals. For centuries civilization
has been slowly advancing from ignorance, prejudice, and self
ishness toward sympathy, understanding, and a desire to see
justice done, whether between individuals or nations. The “be
all and end all" of a state is not Power—it is Justice.
And the German government has left us in no doubt as to
the results of her theory, in application. That government has
broken a solemn treaty with Belgium, ordered the murder of
innocent hostages, bombarded unfortified towns, torpedoed
unarmed passenger ships, destroyed works of art where they j
could not be carried to Germany, plotted secret war against
neutral nations—all of them actions sin; once pledged herself
to forego has lost, in short, all sense, apparently, that she is
dragging the former good name of the German people through
a mire of dishonor, the stain of which will not be removed for
geneiations. Against this mad philosophy and mad govern
ment the war must Ik; waged, until they are defeated, or there
is no safety for men or nations.
2695 MINERS
KILLED LAS! YEAR
_
The demoralization forced upon
the coal-mining industry by war
time conditions is said by the Bu
reau of Mines to be responsible for ;
the highest fatality in the last seven i
years. |
During the year 1917 there were
2,695 men killed in coal mining,
which is an increase of 470 over the
previous year. ,
Statement by Secretary Lane j
“At least, temporarily, it gives a
black eye to the splendid efforts of
the Bureau of Mines in its cam
paign with the miners and mine
operators for safer conditions,” said
Secretary of the Interior Lane.
“Until the war struck us there had
been a constantly decreasing death
rate which was much gratifying to \
the men of the Bureau of Mines,
I as well as to myself. There had
j been the utmost co-operation be
, tween the industry and the bureau
and it had begun to appear as if
| we had passed those disgraceful
i days when human life was cheaper
than a mine mule.
Due to Changing Conditions
“Although the war has changed
all this for the time being, it is still
our duty to analyze and see if we
can not correct some of the condi
tions even during the war, for a
single life saved is not only humane
but a step toward victory. The un
fortunate death toll of last year is
undoubtedly due to the fact that
the industry has been speeded and
retarded spasmodically throughout
the year. There was the unusual
demand for coal, the uncertainty of
prices at the mines, the failure at
times of transportation facilities,
and the changing of markets to
avoid long unnecessary hauls, the
difficulty in obtaining experienced
men to offset enlistments, the draft,
and miners voluntarily returning to
their countries in Europe to take
part in the war. All of these fac
tors combined against the best ef
forts of the operators to produce
coal in sufficient quantities to keep
the country supplied with the nec- ]
essary fuel and also to have the <
safety conditions which we expect. 1
“The speeding up of the mines i
at times, under the circumstances. '
was conducive to a high death rate, j
Mines found themselves short of 1
labor and compelled to employ new 1
and inexperienced men from other (
fields. Many of the experienced i
mine formen and safety engineers <
had either enlisted or been drafted 1
into the army, or obtained more re- 1
munerative employment elsewhere, 1
with the result that less experienced i
foremen had to be placed in charge !
of some of the workings. With the S
exceedingly large demand for coal :
it was not possible for the oper
ators and others concerned to give
as much attention to accident pre- t
vention at the mines as in recent i
years under normal conditions. i
Dange- in Shutdowns. .'
‘Mines which have not been able 1
to obtain an adequate supply of coal ;
cars have been operated only part 1
time, which again is not conducive >
to safe conditions. This has re-;t
suited in an increase of certain <
dangers, especially those due to gas. *
dust, and falls of roof, which would '
not obtain in the case of the mines *
operating full time. An active mine c
will ordinarily be kept in better t
condition than one operated only 4
part time. i ^
“The remedy, therefore, both for
a sufficient supply of coal and also
reater safety for the men lies in a
continuous steady flow from the
mines, withouth these overstraining
bursts of speed and these part-time
operations that led to a neglect of
the usual precautions in the mine.
Hopeful for New Year
“I am satisfied from what the
industry has done in the past, that
this year, with the bettering of the
conditions over which the operators
have had no control, there will be
a greatly increased production of
coal and without an unusual sac
rifice of life. Given the proper
encouragement and co-operation, the
coal-mining industry will not fail.”
STRAY DOG—Black with white fore
feet. Owner can recover by call
ing on Geo. Herrington and pay
ing chargee. 4-5
OLD PAPERS FOR SALE—Inquire
News Office.
| COLISEUM
TONIGHT
Jesse L. LasKy
PRESENTS BROADWAY S DAINTIEST STAR
INA CLAIRE
IN A PICTURIZATION OF THE MERRY ROMANCE
15he
WILD
GOOSE CHASE
BY WM. C. De MILLE
IN FOUR PARTS
. SHOW STARTS AT 8:00 O’CLOCK
GENERAL ADMISSION 25c
RESERVED SEATS 50c
It
RED CROSS PAYS
SALARIES 10 FEW
OF ITS HELPERS
!
The war council of the American
ted Cross makes public below a
ummary of the salaries paid at na
ional headquarters as of December
irst. On that date, in addition to
'3 officers and clerks who were
;iving their services without cost tn
he Red Cross, there were 486 mem
iers on the staff receiving salaries
)f these 41 were being paid at th i
ate of $2,000 or more a year. Th:
alaries paid were classified as fob
ows: Under $600, 110; $600 but
ess than $1000, 218; $1000 but
ess than $1500, 86; $1500 but less
han $2000, 31; $2000 but less than
12500, 18; $2500 but less than
i3000, 4; $3000 but less than $5000,
6; over $5000, 3.
Compared With Peace Time
In midsummer of 1916, when the
otal membership of the Red Cross
ras slightly more than 200,000, and
ts work was on a peace basis, there
rere 75 paid officers and employees
t national headquarters, of whom
!9 received salaries of from $2,000
o $7,500 per year. The net addi
ion to the paid staff, which handles
he tremendously increased volume
f work at national headquarters
fought about on the entry of the
Jnited States into the war, and the
xpansion of the Red Cross to an
rganization of considerably more
han 4,000,000 members, consists of
11 officers and employees, of
rhom 12 receive salaries of $2000
r more. No salaries in excess of
6000 are paid to any officers serv- ,
ig at national headquarters who
as been appointed since the de- ]
laration of the » ar. The nighest '
ELECTRIC PUMPS i
DECK PUMPS
FORCE PUMPS !;
PITCHER PUMPS jj
WELL POINTS !j
•:
Lang and Toledo |
JUST ARRIVED j
Tanana Sheet Metal Works
OVER THE ICE
GARDEN SEED
l\OW OIN SALE AT
W. A. COGMILL
OPPOSITE COLISEUM.
HIGHEST PRICES RAID FOR FUR
•alary paid at national headquarters,
17,500 a year, was paid when the
Red Cross was on a peace basis.
Employees in France.
The work of the Red Cross in
France is carried on by a staff of
364, according to a report recently
received from Major Grayson M.-P.
Murphy, head of the Red Cross
rommission to France. Five hun
dred and seventeen of these workers
are serving without salary or living
allowance from the Red Cross. The
other 347 are paid salaries or wages
averaging about 3800 per year. The
average salary for the whole staff 1
in France is therefore about 3300
per year.
The Red Cross will shortly pub
lish a complete list of its staff at
national headquarters and abroad,
showing the salary or compensation
paid to each officer and employee.
FOR SALE OR RENT—National
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