How Long to Think?

How long must one have to think be- fore acting is a question which occurred to some of us perhaps or reading the communication "Thinking, as Well as Fighting" of Saturday, February 17. For two and a half years Europe has been agonized and is still agonized in the most momentous war of all history and yet we still talk of having time to think out what our individual and our national duty is. It would seem that anyone who has so far risen above his own personal affairs or the seriousness of "America at peace" as to contemplate the great issues of the war, must have come to some conclusion about what course should be taken in a critical moment. We cannot believe that the author or the communication in question means to imply that the men of the Neutrality Union are doing the thinking while the members of the R. O. T. C. have followed the dictates of impulse or of a form of Prussianistic spirit or even of patriotic sentimentalism. It seems quite evident that the very fact the latter have voluntarily sacrificed the time to take up a course which is far from enjoyable, indicates that they have thought carefully and unselfishly; realized their duty and done it. Most of those who have thought realize it is time to put thought into action.

France, the most ideally democratic country in the world today, thought out quickly what she had to do and set about to do it in a way so remarkably effective as to surprise the world. There was no referendum. To be sure, there was the universal service system in France. But that system (which the people as a whole voted for several years ago) in compelling responsibility, made the great mass of men think and fight with a finer spirit than thoughtless men can ever know. It was not referendum that made them think; it was the realization of their individual responsibility in defending their country.

Referendum has not yet proved to be a sure method for discovering what is good for a people. There are too many men who vote by personal preference or prejudice. In this critical moment we must put some trust in the leaders we have chosen and at the same time realize as must of our individual responsibility to our country as we can.  ELMER M. ELLSWORTH '17