New-York tribune., 1911-12-24
''PEACE" IS Mr.. MARTINS
MESSAGE IN VERSE
Inspiration Came to Him When
War Talk Was Rife in
London, He Says.
GIVES HOLIDAY TO CHARITY
Will Supervise Distribution of
Toys and Food and Make Ad-
dress-Rich and Poor Aid
in His Work.

a CHRISTMAS MESSAGE.
1911 A Il
Peace on Earth
Good viii 10 Man
Sublime message of Jesus
For nearly two thousand years
This glorious message is passed
From generation TO generation,
And yet a civilization
Based upon exploitation,
Maintained by armaments.
When humanity dethrones tyranny
In politics and industry.
When Labor reaps its true reward
All the products Of its toll
When every man. woman and child
Enjoys every human right,
When humanity the world over,
Practises what Jesus teaches.
Then instead Of a world
Splashed with blood,
Wet with the tears of grief.
Made sad by the piteous wall OF want,
Where manned and withered bodies crawl,
Peace shall reign over all!
Not peace In oppression!
Not peace In chains.
But perfect peace!
Peace that will fill the cruel eyes Of hate
with the light Of love
Peace that will fill every heart with unut-
terable ecstasy-the joy OF love.
Peace that will nj the Wor,d WI with meio'
Peace that will encrcle the world with
rIppling rivers Of laughter-the soul OF
love. 80.
When the dreams 81 Jesus are practically
realized, -,
When humanity shall really celebrate tbs
r-rt,l then 70 the glorious cause LET us az
dedicate our lives.
FREDERICK TOWNSEND MARTIN.
Mr.. Martin consented TO see a repre-
sentative Of The Tribune at the Plaza
last night. He said OF his poem:
This message Of peace TO the world
have had in my mind 10 write good
many years. l wrote It with the feeling
Of love that must revolutionize the
world. War is barbaric. After twenty
centuries we are further than ever from
' a realization Of the saying Of our Lord
Peace on earth good will to men
! This inspira ton came 10 me when
/ was in London at the time that England
was on the verge Of war with Germany
I realized then wha, an awful slaugh-
ter. what untold misery and destruction
that would mean, and through all the
roar and talk Of war there rang in my
ears the words Of Christ, Peace on
earth, good will 70 men >"
| In reply 70 the question how he would
spend Christmas and how he thought
| Christmas should be spent. Mr.. Martin
said.
| Lady Henry. whose husband, Sir
| Charles Henry, is a prominent English
| Liberal, has been doing a great work In
bringing sunshine into the lives of poor
people She is here in the city now
and tomorrow Mr. and Mrs. Ormond
Smith will give luncheon for her and
for me After luncheon we shall ali 90
10 the seth Regiment armory. where
shall supervise the distribution OF toys
and Christmas things TO $1,000 or 5000
homeless and poor little children and see
them made happy
Constantly people have said 10 me:
Mr Martin. don't you ever get tired OF
the work. But. then, the thought OF
those poor little ones enters my mind
a. banishes fatigue. Mr.. Pierpont
Morgan sent me a note inclosing a check
for $500, and the next note l got was
fror, q widow inclosing 81, all she could
give. Beautiful tributes like that help
me
"To.roorrow evening Lewis Nixon is 20
give : dinner for Lady Henry and my
self. and then we are to go down 10 the
old historic Bowery Mission. which they
are threatening 70 tear down, and there
am 10 give myself a Christmas pres
ent. Ny friends have asked me # they
couldn't share in il, but l have told
them No. feel that / owe this thing tc
rvself' II will be the pleasure Of feed
ing five hundred or a thousand poor
miserable men and watching them enjoy
the food. Then am going 10 make my
address 10 them
Nov. I ask the public, What can
do better for Christmas2 l have given
I'D a family party on Long Island;
have denied myself this and that. de-
o,,,ino oil SORTS OF attractive invitations
Can : do any more? have spent days
and DAYS experimenting the puylng OF
TOYS for poor children with the money
which my friends have so generously
sent e. me for the purpose. Why. | ever
received check from the grandson o.
Frederick w. Whitridge-you know, the
receiver Of the Third Avenue Railroad
Yes. I received a check for SO from John
Wbitridge Greenough. jr, who is just a
,,oor old and his father wrote and said
it was the first contribution 10 chari''
his son had made.
ANY friend who is interested IN tht
hroLer- hearted people of the Bowery
ebau be glad TO have present at the
,9~,,,ar,, Mission tomorrow night to hear
my speech