Pocahontas star herald., 1915-09-10
The War God
To the Editors

am Ieminded Of the reply made by
a father to his boy who asked, "Pa,
what il the difference between a
civilized man and a harbarisny"
The father answered, "a barbarian
is man who knocks your brains
out with a stub az arms length,
while q civilized man bloNs them
out q mile away"
Theprgseut sitnation IN Europe
demonstrates, il any demonstration
Il needed, that there II no such
thing as civilized warfare. War is
butohery. 1t is Wholesale murder.
II stands for sorrow, suTeling and
death. A. well talk OF q coustruo-
tive tornado a. civilized warfare.
Like some mighty Samson, the
war god seems TO be al work to pull
down the temple Of civilization,
aud turn the clock Of progress back
into Dark Ages. Half OF the world
is conyulsed by the earthquake of
war. The devastations Of fire and
sword go on daily. A continent Is
torn and ruined by this awful No
looh. Through the inventive geni-
us Of man, new aud Tremendous
dangers face the dIsmayed Iuhabl.
tants in the cataclysm OF war. In
terror they must fee from their
homes ia the dead Of the night,
leaving all they have behind, lest
some bomb, spreading RUN and
death, is dropped upou their de-
fenseless heads from the sky,
The nerveracking terror and The
awful catastrophe Of ruin caused by
all that attends a war of such vast
proportions as the present one can
only be realized by those who are
compelled 70 face the situation.
Human suffering is the inevitable
symbol Of war. II is sufficient To
stagger the imagination, and cause
the heart to grow faint. Tens of
thousands of men are but the pawn
in the game of the nations, to be
slaughtered-fed 10 the cannon to
maintain what is called national
honor and commercial supremacy.
Many of the sufferers are the
widows and orphans who are left
70 monrn 10 poverty aud Uuspeak.
able lonliness az victims Of the
great military struggle, Poverty,
ruin, hunger and famine are the
real members Of the alliance.
Then comes the burden Of grind
ing taxation to foot the bills caused
by the enormous expenditure of
funds necessary TO defray the ex-
penses Of the bloody contest. What
the tremendous total will he, no
one can ever guess. If the war Is
much longer continued, IT is sure to
bring financial disaster, resulting in
the ohliLeration Of credit. War
means paralyzed industries and a
staggering debt. After the glory
of victory and the despair Of de-
feat, will come business depression.
And when will war cease? Never
while sin is IN the earth. The pres-
ent death struggle wall doubtless
end sooner or later, when some na.
tlon has won a conclusive victory,
or all have worn themselves out.
But peace will not be permanent or
long continuend. Not tail the
Prince of peace comes, and all the
nations are carried away like chaff
from the tbreshing floor, and the
everlasting kingdom of God is
usbSred in, will there be real peace.
Men may talk of peace, and peace
compacts may he negotiated with
the nations; and all tins is laucsble.
to be sure. But IN the end. the
work will come TO naught. War
will come again. Armageddon Is
ahead of US, a struggle before
which the present contest pales IN
comparison.
The hope of the world is in the
advent of the Prince of peace. And
1t should encourage our hearts
to know that His coming is near,