THE SINEWS OF WAR

In the fearful cost of modern warfare, those national powers which once insured victory for a people no longer avail. Valor and fortitude, however great, may win unaided skirmishes, but they may not win wars. The fullest resources of the nation in material must be gathered together to arm troops and sustain them during the long havoc-working months in the field. As example of this, if the constantly expected but unlikely sudden breakdown does occur in Germany, it will be not a breakdown of man power, but of material, of money, of national credit whereby individuals will cease to bear arms in defence of a nation which cannot insure their possessions.

Our people has, by some prodding and a great deal of talking, been aroused to a fair and growing knowledge of the part it must accomplish in this agonizing war. Our young men notably have shown themselves eager for service in a manner no less honorable and courageous than in the past. We are preparing to send great armies to Europe of a half-million men of five million men if we need to do so. That is in accord with our strength. Yet five hundred thousand men alone will not turn the tide of war to victory. We need arms, we need ammunition to untold amounts, we need supplies of all kinds, to elevate our troops to the high necessities of continuous and hard battle.

Some of the huge amount of money which we must pay for war may come out of the current generation by taxes. Yet such taxes can both theoretically and actually pay but a small part of the heavy cost. The Government has offered millions of dollars in bonds to be subsidized for by the people. In this way coming generations may help pay for the cost of the war which we wage for the whole future no less than for the present.

The buying of a bond is not a gift; it is not a charity nor an adventure in business. It is a sound way of acquiring good interest on good money under the safest security possible. The nation has been asked to oversubscribe the issue. It cannot fall to do so if it desires to further the cause for which our armies shall fight. The subscription must be undertaken by the whole people. The college man, whatever other service he has undertaken, owes this service no less, to back his nation to the utmost with his resources as he will back it with his strength. No man should fail the lesser service if he will be true to the greater.