The Washington herald., 1915-11-25

war has value through the effectiveness OF its
appeal to the understanding. We Mortified by
news OF carnage, millions of men. all justified from
their point of view. devoting themselves to
Strengthening one another But this kind of conf
petition. remember, is only expression of the
competing spirit that makes our slums, pris-
ons, insane asylums, and muti-million-
aires Just SO long as this frantic traffic goes on
we must have wars. The traffic itself is
Usually it tries to disguise itself in fine appearances
and in noble phrases; but stripped of its pre-
the ruthlessness of Costly ornaments are
lenses it shows itself in its real nature The ruth
lessness of peace keeps the world in practice for
only kind of preparation. There are other
kinds much costly. much more devastating
both physically and morally
How then can we be thankful today? Well,
We can be thankful that beginning to
And we can be thankful that have the privilege
of speaking out. Once, on this most vital OF all
things, we could not have been frank. We should
have been obliged to dssemble and to hedge. And
we can be thankful that each year more people
seeing. or course, they don't always live by
what they know. Theory and practice, this
so pitifully demonstrates, often far apart But
theory, where it is sound, paves the way. Once
established in the consciousness of mankind, it is
sure ultimately 10 work out in action.
To say that this is likely to be the last
is equivalent to saying that the disease it berays
will not be allowed to take this particular symp-
tom. But if it is not it will go taking other
symptoms till the disease is attacked, not from the
outside, but from within, from the place where
il starts.
If we cared sincerely and deeply we could not
rejoice this Thanksgiving Day or any other
Thanks giving Day. We should all be out, trying
to help the wounded the battlefield, not the
battlefield thousands of miles away but the battle
field at our doors. The trouble is we don't care
enough! But are learning to care. We are
finding out why we ought to care. We are fixing
the responsibility where it belongs, on ourselves.
So perhaps without seeming to be cruel, we can
rejoice that our eyes are open.
AS we look back on the history of this coun-
try for the past few years we should see many
peril that have escaped, and few temptations
that did not yield to. They include treat
ment OF Cuba. Suppose We had yielded to the
might now have ulcer in our life poisoning our
whole national system. With Cuba in mind we
may we'll be thankful that we have had sense
enough to want to give the Fiipinos the freedom
that we are always asserting right. The
time is surely coming when shall that the
generous policy always pays, that the mean. trat-
sseg 81 ssss h5s e
war luTk the shames OF past generations, thrilled
into terrible activity, turning human beings into
monsters OF inhumanty. Let us be thankful, not
for the CHASTITY spectacle but for the warning that
goes with it, for the inspiration it offers in the
direction of sound living
For long time the world has known that there
is no effect without its cause. But it has a weak
ness for paying attention to the immediate cause,
which may not be the real cause at all, but may
merely cover up multitude OF causes Many able
minds are trying to fasten the responsibility
for the war here and there this nation that,
for the war. The task is dverting and interesting
and improbable.
There are those who say that the glory of
the twentieth century lies in the awakening of
sympathy. But that awakening is only sign of
a much larger and greater awakening, the dawning
of the social era, which, IN spite of SO many
denials, is surely here with its promises that the
common human rights shall find recognition and
protection and that some day the world shall be
able TO unite in general Thanksgiving
Never before in this country have we had more
reason to congratulate ourselves on living in a
democracy. But we are learning that democracy is
not mere matter of governmental form. II must