Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-01
Freedom Through Sacrifice


NNE year ago to-day Germany declared
~ war on Russia. France ordered the mo-
bilization of her forces, and little Montenegro,
following the lead Of Serbia, declared war on
Austria. The powder train. lighted at Sara
jevo. famed into flame by Hapsburg ulti-
matum and the intransigent utterances
of the Hohenzoern, was sweeping with
fiery speed across all Europe soon to set
abaze the whole fair land
On August 2, 1914, Germany invaded Lux
embuTg, and on the following day, Belgium,
and on August England proclaimed war
against the Kaiser Thereafter the chancel-
leres Of the nations became what German
writer recently has called that Of his own en-
pire-departments of incoming and outgoing
declarations of war.
For year now the blood Of Europe has
been spilled over hundred fields--in France
and Belgium, Alsace- Lorraine and East Prus-
STA, Poland and Galica, the heights Of the
Caucasus and the passes Of the Carpathians,
in Gallipoli and Egypt, the deserts and junges
of Africa and the plains of China. Islands
OF the tropic seas have been the scene of
miniature battles, bitterly contested, but
scarce heard of beside the titanic conflicts Of
the principal theaters of war.
On the water the combat has been waged
with a fury no less passionate and relentless
Brave men who go down to the sea in ships
have played with death for glory, and won
ana lOSt III q single instant OF immortal time.
How stands the balance after this year of
unprecedented and almost incalculable de-
structiveness, between war and humanity?
On the debit side Of the ledger the items ar
rest the eye-hundreds of thousands of mon
slain; other hundreds Of thousands manned
for life; treasure poured out in an unceasing
golden stream on the affairs OF the war god;
the masterpieces of genius looted by soldiery
drunk with victory crumpled to dust by
explosive ct ctoto
and desolate; towns and villages burned
alike by invader and retreating defender;
peaceful vocations deserted for the manufac-
ture Of implements of death; constructive in
dustry shackled; Europe become an armed
camp; good men become beasts and satyrs,
and over all the waiting of women and little
children.
The showing horrines and appalls, but out
Of the wreck and ruin energies at least one
consolation for humanity's grief-racked heart
Man has not degenerated with the passage of
time; civilization has refined, but it has not
enervated; In the presence of death that has
attained new frightfuness-that Is no longer
human, even, but thing of science and the
elements, Of darkness and mystery--man is
yet the captain of his SOUL
Belgium is an inspiration to the race.
Writing Of his country in French review,
Maurice Maeterlinck says that Ito have saved
its life, 1t had but to yield to the enemy; 1t
naQ nOtnlnS TO rear but shame" The hero
ism Belgium displayed, he says, was not the
final stand of despair" but "a heroism freely
assumed wiled, proclaimed, unanimous;
heroism for an idea and for sentiment; that
is, heroism in Its purest. most virgin form, an
unmixed sacrifice without backward glance"
And the Belgian patriot and poet, inspired by
this example OF race yirility and it's counter
parts among other nations now at war CON
tnucs thus:
Have not the right. then to con-
clude that civili"a tlon-contrary to what
we had feared--far from enervatng man,
from depraving, enfeebling, diminishing
and abasing him, really elevatcs, pur-
fes. strengthens and ennobles him rem
oerng him capable OF unknown acts of
sacrihce. Of generosity and II courage?
. II Is because civilization, even when IT
seems to corrupt, adds the intell-
gence-and Intelligence. in the day OF
trial. is potential pride. nobility and
heroism Here is the unlocked for and
consoling revelation of this frightful
war: We can definitely count upon man
can have full confidence in him. and no
Longer fear that in leaving primitive
brutality behind him he will lose his
virile virtues.
SO, because man has justified himself
shown himself willing to die for a sentiment
we are led firmly to believe that in this war
at least right will triumph and freedom