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Show - Shall We Send Our Youth to War ? By HERBERT HOOVER I The Former President of ofUnited ofUnited Umted United States Answers a aQuestion aQuestion Question That Is on onEverybody's onEverybody's onEverybodys Everybody's Everybodys ' LipsCondensed Lips < ( Cndenie4 Condense Condensed * " I'rollAaralt ' mm I'roll\ I'roll Iroll r'rorn rrorn ' \ AntBtt Aaralt Aorust r.ne rne Lae I . . n of ( Iho the IhoAmorle.n theAmerlean tirAmerican Amorle.n Amorlen Amerlean . Mufilni lItarallDo Magazine ky by Spodal Special Sp cl l ArraDro Arrange ArraDromODI Arrangewent ArrangeDrat mODI went ) ) T HE American peopleare peopleare people THE T | are today tense wIthanxIety withanxiety with * anxiety lest they be ledinto led ledmto ledinto mto into another great warAnd warAnd war warAnd And some of our people peopleseem peopleseem peopleseem seem to be accepting acceptmg glib glibtalk glibtalk glibtalk talk of war as if it were weresomethmg weresomething weresomething somethmg something more good than thanevll thanevil thanevil evll evil Truly many years have havealready havealready havealready already gone by since smce we weceased weceased weceased ceased to feed boys to the thecannon thecannon thecannon cannon It seems difficult illfficult to tobelieve tobelieve tobelieve believe that only about one- one onethud onethird one-third one third - - thud third of the livmg living American Americanpeople Americanpeople Americanpeople people are old enough to re- re remember re remember . - member the World war wellWe wellWe well wellWe We have urgent need today todayto todayto todayto to recall the realities of mod mod- modern modern modern - ern war And we have des des- desperate desperate desperate - perate need to take into mto our ournational ournational ournational national thinking thmkmg the gigan glgan gigan- gigantic gigantic . - tic bc yet invisible mVlslble forces behmd behind behmdwar behindwar behindwar war which wmch are again agam movmg moving movingin movmgIn In Europe EuropeI I am perhaps one of the thefew thefew thefew few living livmg Americans who whohad whohad whohad had full opportunity opportumty to see m in mtlmately intimately intimately tlmately timately the moving movmg tragedy tragedyof of the World war from Its Itsbegmmngs itsbeginnings itsbeginnings begmmngs beginnings down through the thelong thelong thelong long years which whlCh have not notyet notyet yet et ended I saw it not only onlym onlyin onlyin m in its visible ghastlmess ghastliness , but butI butI butI I lived with the mVlslble invisible mVlslbleforces invisibleforces invisibleforces forces which moved in m 11s its 11scauses itscauses itscauses causes and its 11s consequences consequencesI I am perhaps Just justified ed in m re recallmg recalling recalling callmg calling that experience Before the war I knew knev knell . EuropeRusSia EuropeRussia Europe EuropeRussia -RusSia RusSia - Russia Germany France FranceItaly FranceItaly FranceItaly Italy and England-falr1Y England falr1Y England-fairy fairy England - fairly Inti intl Intimately intlmately intimately mately not as a tourist but as a apart apart apart part of their workaday life hfe hfeI lifeI lifeI I was drafted in 1914 to pre preserve preserve preserve serve the 1.1\ 1.1 lip h\es h es 1.1es . \ \ es of ten millions of ofpeople ofpeople ofpeople people in m Belgium and northern northernFrance northernFrance northernFrance France who had been overrun overrunby overrunby overrunby by the German armies Here Herewas Herewas Herewas was a service that by common commonconsent commonconsent commonconsent consent was a sort ( ) of f semlOfficlal semiofficial semlOfficlalstate semiofficialstate semiofficialstate state It covered not Dot alone food foodbut foodbut foodbut but the economic life Me of these thesepeople thesepeople thesepeople people It operated within Wlthm the thelmes thelines thelines lmes lines of a hostile army and andmoved andmoved andmoved moved through the blockade of a ahostile ahostile ahostile hostile navy In that service I Imoved Imoved Imoved moved constantly in and out be behmd behind behind hmd hind the trenches on both Sides Sidesof sidesof sidesof of the conflict confllct I witnessed the thenusery themisery themisery nusery misery and backwash from war warIn warin warin In their most hideous forms My Myduties Myduties : Myduties duties required that I meet con constantly constantly constantly stantly with wlth high hlgh military and andCIVll andcivil andcivil CIVll civil officials in m n England Ger Germany Germany Germany many France and the neutral neutralcountnes neutralcountries neutralcountries countnes countries m In contact with wlth the In Invlslble invisible mvisible vlslble visible forces behind behmd the warWhen warWhen war warWhen When America Amenca coined Jomed 7omed m In the thewar thewar thewar war I was asked by Presldent President PresldentWilson PresidentWilson PresidentWilson Wilson to return to America Amenca to tobecome tobecome tobecome become a member of our Amer AmerIcan Amerwan Amerlean Ican wan war counc council and to admmls admims admmlster admimster admmister ter the food supplies supphes of our coun coup country couptry country try and for our AlliesAt AlliesAt Allies AlliesAt At the Armistice I was drafted draftedback draftedback draftedback back to Europe to direct dlrect activI active activIties activeties activities ties of the Allied andassocIated and assocIatedJovernments associated ! . . .u u . . . . to . defeat . . . unparal . . . . . leled famine famme and pestilence to torestore torestore torestore restore economic economlC life hfe among both boththe boththe boththe the victors and the vanqulshed vanquished vanquishedIn vanqulshedIn In this service I spread an or orgaruzatlon orgamzation orgamzation garuzatlon gamzation of thousands of Amer AmerIcan American American Ican men ard and women over 23 na nabonsmany nationsmany nations bons-many bons many tions-many tions - - many of them boiling bOlhng boring wlth with wlthrevolution withrevolution withrevolution revolution Our Jobwas job was not notalone notalone notalone alone the extension extenslQn of a hand of ofkmdness ofkindness ofkindness kmdness kindness Its purpose was to se secure secure secure cure order out of which peace peacecould peacecould peacecould could be madeConstant made madeConstant Constant dealing with those thosemany thosemany thosemany many peoples and their thelr officials officialsbrought officialsbrought officialsbrought brought a flood fiood of knowledge of ofthe ofthe ofthe the political pol1hcal economic economlC and so soclal socoal social clal coal currents which sprang sprang from warI warI war warI makingthe makmgthe I did dld not participate partlclpate in makmg making the peace I was daily dally called up upon upon upon on for advice and mformatlOn information mformatlOnAnd informationAnd informationAnd And I observed its dlsastrous disastrous dlsastrouscourse disastrouscourse disastrouscourse course Subsequently during durmg a aperlOd aperiod aperiod perlOd period of eight years in m cabmet cabinet cabmetposltlOn cabinetposition cabinetposition posltlOn position I dealt v . with Ith the troubled troubledseas troubledseas troubledseas seas of unceasing unceasmg political pol1tlcal and andeconomIc andeconomic andeconomic economIc storms the world ovelAs ovetAs ovci ovel ovet ovciAs As President I dealt unceasmg unceasing unceasingly unceasmg1y 1y ly to bring brmg about reduction reductlon otarms of ofarms ofarms arms economic economlC readjustment readjustmentand and peaceA peaceA peace peaceA A year ago I spent some somemonths somemonths somemonths months m in Europe Curope : with wlth umque unique umqueopportumty uniqueopportunity uniqueopportunity opportumty opportunity problems probems to discuss its prob ems lems ! with leaders m in 14 natlonsThat nationsThat nations natlons nationsThat opportunityto That is 20 years of opportumty opportunity to observe : European Curopean peoples and andtheIr andtheir andtheir theIr leaders with all the forces forcesof forcesof forcesof of theylive good and evil in which they lIve and to relate them to our ourAmenco.n ourAmerican ourAmerican Amenco.n Amencon American . scene The search searchlIght searchlight searchlight lIght of this experience expenence can well wellbe wellbe wellbe be turned tumed upon some phases of ofthe ofthe ofthepiesent the pI puesentscene esent sceneWhat scene sceneWhat puesentsceneWhat What Whatar \\ar ar liar \ \ \ Really IsFirst IsFirst Is IsFirst somethingfrom First let me say somethIng from this thlS experience of what war warreally warreally warreally really reallylS reallyis is lS Those who lived hved in m it t ; > o os ' s + A \ $ h w t ' # f t r tg ' 1Iz ' g 1 1n n d Iz rS rSY rSg Y f > h k kf ka f a e r rK rr K r kt ktx x 4 3 9 s + ' a aI au I u c ca a , c ca4l i a4l \ 1 \ 1i 1brwlt h i brwlt i iF , . F y .Y Y . \ , . , i \ . t < \ < " \ 1 < - ; , Y it ) ) \ I " t x ' ) / ' \ 1 1k 1i , i s 9 O . , " S \ k ' . . . . _ . . . . . " .e e ) " ' mo ' u " " ' 's s ' ' w wHERBERT HERBERT HOO ' ER ERFrom From ( ( From the drawmg drawing by Clarence l\Iattel l Iattel Mattel \ ) and our American Amencan boys who whofought whofought whofought fought m in it dislike dlsl1ke to recall Its Itsternbleness itsterribleness itsternbleness ternbleness terribleness We dwell today todayupon todayupon todayupon upon its glones-the glones the glories-the glories glories - the courage the theherOIsm theheroism theheroism herOIsm the greatness of spiritin splntIn splnt spirit In men I myself should like to toforget toforget toforget forget all else But today wlth with wlththe withthe withthe the world driving dnvmg recklessly mto into mtoIt intoit intoit It again agam there is much we must mustnot mustnot mustnot not forget Amid the afterglow afterglowof of glory and legend we forget forgetthe forgetthe forgetthe the filth the stench the death deathof deathof deathof of the trenches We forget the thedumb thedumb thedumb dumb grief of mothers wives and andchildren andchildren andchildren children We forget the unend unendmg unending unending mg ing bbght blIght cast upon the v w . , orld by bythe bythe bythe the sacrifice sacnfice of the flower of ofevery ofevery ofevery every raceI race raceI I was one of but few clvll1answho civilianswho civilians clvll1ans who saw something somethmg of the Battle Battleof Battleof Battleof of the Somme In the distant distantvIew distantview distantview vIew v vt . , ere the unending unendmg trenC'hes trenChes trenC'hesfilled trenchesfilled trenchesfilled ' filled filledwIth with a million mllhon and a half halfmen halfmen halfmen men Here and there like hke ants antsthey antsthey antsthey they advanced under the thunder thunderand thunderand thunderand and belching belchmg volcanoes from 10 10000 000 guns Their lives hves were werethrown werethrown werethrown thrown away until half a m million millionhad millionhad l10n l10nhad had died Passing Passmg close by were wereunendmg wereunending wereunending unendmg unending lines Imes of men ploddmg plodding ploddmgalong ploddingalong ploddingalong along the right side slde of the road roadto roadto roadto to the front notVlth not \ with \Vlth Vlth drums and andbands andbands bands but with saddened reslg resig reslgnatlOn resignation resignation natlOn nation Down the left side came camethe camethe camethe the unending unendmg lines of wounded woundedmen woundedmen woundedmen men staggering staggenng among unendmg unending unendmgstretchers unendingstretchers unendingstretchers stretchers and ambulances Do Doyou Doyou Doyou you think thmk one can forget that that7And ? And it was but one battle of a ahundred ahundred ahundred hundred Ten m million hon men died or were weremalmed weremaimed weremaimed malmed maimed for life hfe in that war warThere warThere warThere There were millions mllhons who dIed dIedunknown diedunknown diedunknown unknown and unmarked Yet Yetthere Yetthere Yetthere there are miles of unendmg unending unendmgcrosses unendingcrosses unendingcrosses crosses m in a thousand cemetenes cemeteries cemetenesThe cemeteriesThe cemeteriesThe The great monument to the dead deadat deadat deadat at Ypres carries carnes the names of of150 150 000 Englishmen Engl1shmen who died on onbut onbut onbut but a small segment of the front frontThelrs frontTheirs frontTheirs Thelrs Theirs was an inspiring msplrmg herOIsm herOIsmfor heroismfor heroismfor for all time But how much muchgreater muchgreater muchgreater greater a world it would be to today today today day if that heroism and that thatcharacter thatcharacter thatcharacter character could have livedhumanity lived livedHumanity Humanity Humamty Suffers SutIers And there was another side slde no noless noless noless less dreadful I hesitate hesltate to re- re recall recall re recall - - calleven call even to my own mind mmd the themghtmares thenightmares thenightmares mghtmares nightmares of roads filled for forlong forlong forlong long miles mlles mules wlthold withold with wlth old men young youngwomen youngwomen youngwomen women and little children chlldren drop droppmg dropping dropping pmg ping of fatigue fatlgue and hunger as asthey asthey asthey they fledm fledin fled in m terror from burmng burning burmngvillages burningvillages burningvillages villages and oncoming oncommg armies armiesAnd armiesAnd armiesAnd And over Europe these were not notJust notjust notust Just ] a few thousands but over overthe overthe overthe the long years that scene wasenacted was wasenacted wasenacted enacted in mullionsAnd millions mllhons mullions millionsAnd And there was the ruthless kill killmg killmg killing mg of civilians executed by fir firmg firing firing mg ing squads who justified Justlfied thelr their thelracts theiracts theiracts justicebut Jusbcebut acts not by processes of Jusbce justice but on mere suspicion of trans transgresslOn transgression transgression I . gresslOn gression of the laws of war Sbll Stull Sbllworse Stullworse Stillworse worse was the killing klll1ng of men menwomen menwomen menwomen women and even ch children dren to toproject toproject toproject project terror and cringing crmgmg sub submlSSlon submission submission mlSSlon mission To the winds wmds went wentevery wentevery wentevery every sense of justice To the thewmds thewinds thewinds wmds winds went every sense of de decency decency decency cency To the winds wmds went every everysense everysense everysense sense of tolerance To the wmds winds windswent windswent went every sense of mercy The Thepurpose Thepurpose Thepurpose purpose of every army is 15 to wm win wmThey winThey winThey They are not put together for forafternoon forafternoon forafternoon afternoon teas They are not notmade notmade notmade made up to bring brmg good cheer or justice or tolerance They are aremade aremade aremade made up of men sent out to kill killor killor killor or be killed Whatever the the- the theory theory the theory - - ory the act that wins wms is Jusb juste Jusbtied justefled justified tied fled in warAnd war warAnd And there were the terrors of ofthe ofthe ofthe the air In a score of air raids I Isaw Isaw Isaw saw the terror of women and andchl1dren andchildren andchildren chl1dren children flocking fiockmg to the cellars cellarsfrantically cellarsfrantically cellarsfrantically frantically to escape from an anunseen anunseen , unseen enemyStarving enemy enemyStarving Starving Starvmg ; Women and ChildrenIn Children Cluldren ChildrenIn In another even more dreadfulsense dreadful dreadfulsense dreadfulsense sense I saw inhuman policies pol1cles of ofwar ofwar ofwar war That was the determma determina determmabon determination determmation bon tion on both sides to bring brmg sub subJectlon subjection sublection Jectlon jection by stan start star\ation star ation \ atlon ation The food foodI foodblockade foodblockade foodblockade I blockade by the |