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Show RIGHTEOUS CLAIMS. Claims against tho central powers to the aniouut of $750,000,000 have been ! presented hy American citizens. The ' total amount will reach a much larger i figure when the claims are all in. Some of them are on account of the ruthless i submarine warfare conducted by the Huns, while 'others are on account of j property destroyed 'or damaged in 'other ways. Thero is no doubt as to the lia-I lia-I , bility of the central powers, and they j should be made to pay to the last cent. I They took the chance when they began ', Making ships indiscriminately, so they i have no cause for. complaint, now that j they have been defeated. The United i States does not seek territorial aggrau-! aggrau-! dizemert. Neither does it propose to fine the beaten nations because it has I the power to collect. Nevertheless, it I is no more than right that American I citizens who suffered harm by reason j of tho1 lawless methods employed by tho German high command should be J amply compensated. Unless we are i much mistaken, the peace treaty will i carry a clause for this very purpose. ' Germany is not in position to settle j all the demands that will be made upon I her on call. It ia to be expected also i that the devastated countries will have j the first chance at whatever cash is j obtainable, because their needs are in-1 in-1 finitely greater than ours. But we do I not overlook the fact that this country j holds several hundred millions of dol-j dol-j Lars' worth of enemy alien property which can be retained as part payment i of the German account, the former owners own-ers being compelled to look to their homo couutry for reimbursement. Such a courso would not be unfair. Tho Germans Ger-mans came over hero to squeoze the life out of American business, aud it was only recently that the people of the United-States became aware of the fact. They were carrying out the world eon-quest eon-quest plaus of the autocratic Borlin government. They bought German machinery ma-chinery and employed German work-i work-i men in many great industries, and the profits went over tho ocean to the detriment det-riment of American business and financial finan-cial interests. Some of the physical properties have been sold. Tho money : obtained for them remains in the hands of the United States government. Let it be applied in tho settlement of just American claims. COXEY AGAIN. "General" Jacob S. Coxey, the Ohio man who, some five-and-twenty years ago, headed his petition in boots in an overland tramp to Washington, there to be told to keep off the capitol grass, now announces bis purpose to lead another an-other "army" to the federal capital in protest against national prohibition. There will be this difference, however, the "general" tells us: Whereas the "army" of Grover Cleveland's time traveled on the bumpers of freight trains, when, indeed, it did not trudge on foot, the legion to swarm into Washington Wash-ington to denounce federal interference with the right of an American citizen to drink what he wants when he wants it will ride in touring ears or automobiles, automo-biles, all at the expense of "General" Coxey, who, being a wealthy man, may mean what he says when he adds that he will foot the traveling bills of his 1919 army. Coxey wag a manufacturer in Mas-sillon, Mas-sillon, Ohio, known to his neighbors as radical in his political views, when the hard times following the second inauguration inaugu-ration of President Cleveland gave rise to numerous symptoms of social unrest. Coxey conceived the idea of heading an army to present popular grievances to congress in person. Straightway the idea blossomed and a motley following converged to a common meeting point from all quarters of the country, chiefly chief-ly from the western states. Most of the traveling was done by stolen freight car rides until western Pennsylvania was reached, from which region the real tramp afoot began. It was a spectacle which caused amusement and thus helped to tide over 'the genuinely trying days of that .panic period. The people were able to laugh, aud when people can laugh things are not as desperato as they appear. At any rate, Coxey and his army reached Washington, aud at tho capitol grounds . they encountered tho police. If any petition was presented to congress his- t tory has lost sight of it. It was a fiasco at which the country laughed again. Much more serious than the march of j Coxey 's army were tho irruptions of I Debs and others, culminating in tho ' (great strike of railway employees aud the prompt and effective methods taken ' by President Cleveland to reassert the public order. i When Coxey 's army traveled to Wash- ington it was noted that its'"general" , always rode in a buggy. There were ! no automobiles then, now so common. And he always stopped at a first-class hotel. His announcement of a purpose to head another army comes while the "general" is a guest of one of New York's most expensive caravansaries. This time his soldiers are assured that coaches and touring cats will bo pro- vifled for their comfort. i There may be a hidden dosign in this announcement. When Coxey and his ! cohorts swept into Washington in the early nineties they presented anything but a fastidious appearance. They were unkempt, unshaven, semi-shod and dusty. And they were thrown off the i grass. Now the doughty general will ' assemble his legions aud proceed to l Washingtou by comfortable rnilroad ; coaches and smart appearing touring ; cars. They will look the. part of men . of consequence. The capitol police may jhc duly impressed to think twice before 'they function. Finally, since there is 'I an election in tho offing, congressmen may deign to listen to the, general iu-'jslead iu-'jslead of guffawing at him. Chief interest in the new army, how- ever, centers in the fact that it is going i to Washington to protest against prohibition. pro-hibition. If every man with a thirst i and a dread of the days iu prospect offers of-fers himself as a recruit to this Coxey ilegion, large sections of the country I are likely to be temporarily depopulated. |
