Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-03-25

but somewhat nearer roar OF guns.
"BrOthers shooting nj brothers"
Duprez continued. do you suppose
those poor devils Of Germans want to
kill us? Do ron suppose this Is their
war? Do you suppose we should ever
have come hunting each other over
these fair hills and valleys II we had
como to know each others thoughts
II we had had the sense and the cour-
age to unite ourselves, to work to-
gether for the cause OF man?
DO you think this sort of thing is
going on forever! Some thought 1t
was geing on forever away back In
1893. In the name Of God. are we go
Ing to lose the gain won by the sacri-
fees OF our ancestors In the cause Of
human freedom? Are we for all time
going to be fooled by the silly shibbo-
leths of country and flag and patriot
ism?
ITO die for three strips of bunting
sewn together: For q boundary line
that hasn't even q river or a range Of
mountains or any other kind OF an ex-
cuse! For a sentiment that enables
your masters, blood-sucking vampires,
to keep you huddled In your pens, to
be plundered and plucked at their
win! II you want to die"
They were all silent now--even
Martineau. as Duprez took another
step toward them, his head lifted high,
his eyes blazing with the fire OF his
spirit. his face grown almost majestic
and Godlike under the Transforming
power OF his idea.
Il have brought you here to pre-
pare you to die for a cause--for the
greatest of all causes---for the cause.
The brotherhood of man! It Is com
Ing. The way Is prepared. But lit
tie while and such war as this will
be impossible.
1.-THE, armed hordes win no longer
move ut the command OF tyrants.
Germans. French, Austrians. Russians,
English--ail alike will refuse to kill
one another at the will of a few
shrewd and self-seeking schemers
who play upon the folly and the Gre
dulity Of the masses. The masses!
The masses shall rule, and the pow
der factories shall be idle, and the
warships shall rot at their piers. and
the bayonets shall be turned into"
He was interrupted for a moment
by the much nearer tumult of the bat
tie that was raging beyond the hill.
But he smiled In kind OF triumph.
"They are dying yonder--for moth
ing-for worse than nothing. tell
you that the world OF men needs only
the inspiring uplift of a great ex-
ample. I have thrown down my rife.
| ask you to throw down yours.
We shall wait for our brothers to
come and find us. We shall not re-
sist. We shall be tried ~ court
martial and shot at dawn, In tho
sight OF the two battalions. who will
see for once what real courage may
achieve,
I'VE shall set our great example
before France and before the world.
If we must die. let US die for some
thing worth our lives. our reason and
our souls. Let US die for the great
cause OF peace and humanity--for
the brotherhood OF man! No more
militarism! No more butchery of
peoples! No more tyranny"
With the last words he drew from
an inside pocket of his coat small
volume. worn and ragged from long
study. turned to well.worn page,
and began to read:
Patriotism is, for the ruling
classes, q sentiment natural and
profitable; for us 1t is fools trap.
The nation is for them kindly moth
er: for us 1t is stepmother,
shrew who detests and persecutes us.
"We are well aware that IL war
should break out between France and
England or Germany, 1t would be but
the capitalists of each country cudgel
Ing each other for the markets OF the
world. II we have to risk our lives,
we should risk them not to defend ma
tionalities, but rather to found the
socialist nation that we already carry
in our brains"
"Herve." cried Tillier, as he raised
his rifle and flung 1t on the ground
The name was repeated here and
there; and another rifie--two. three.
four--slipped from loosened fingers
and dropped into the dust or were
thrown down like Tillier's.
Yes. Herve, our great teacher. our
prophet. Listen!"
And while the roar OF the battle
grew steadily nearer. on the other
side OF the hill, he read:
Flags are only emblems, They
have no value beyond what they seem
to represent. There are thousands OF
flags that no longer stand for any
thing. And countries! What are they.
Every country or nations So called, il
composed Of two groups OF men--the
few seated at the loaded table and the
mob begging for the crumbs. A
country Of the present time Is nothing
but monstrous exploitation Of man
by man. Behold your country that
they wish Us to die for! Behold"
A shell came screaming over the
Hill and exploded so near them that
dust Jew into their faces Duprax
stopped for an instant. and there was
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