§ 239 The Unaccommodating Kansan
Our country was enjoying one of its regular Japanese war-scares. I forget, now, whether it was the fifteenth or the sixteenth Japanese war-scare. A Congressman, representing a Kansas district, felt that a crisis impended.
On the floor of the House he made a speech pointing out the need of preparedness, and having done this, he took the train for his district with a view to sounding out his constituents upon the advisability and wisdom of the measures he so strenuously had advocated.
However, upon his arrival home, he was pained to note that the voters seemed strangely apathetic as regarded the prospect of an invasion by the Mikado’s armed forces. By a personal campaign the Representative undertook to arouse his people to the seriousness of the situation.
The first prospective convert he encountered was an elderly farmer, who listened as the statesman expounded his views and then slowly shook his head, in seeming dissent.
“But look here, John,” protested the Congressman. “If this war comes it may be necessary to call every able-bodied man in America to arms. You even may be called. Wouldn’t you fight the Japs if they set foot on the soil of this country?”
“I reckon I wouldn’t do that,” said the farmer. “From what I kin understand, most every Japanese is what they call a fatalist.”
“What has their fatalism got to do with your duty as a patriot?” asked the Congressman.
“Well,” said the honest Kansan, “it looks to me like I couldn’t derive much nourishment from fightin’ with a lot of fellows that think you’re doing ’em a personal favor every time you kill one of ’em.”