The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1915-06-26

Great Italian Historian Finds Struggle
For ExtraGance and Pleasures Is
Gone, and lie Confidently Believes II
Will Not Return In at Least Two
Generations.
1 The European war mas demonstrated
that the giving up Of many pleasures,
necessities and comiJv,s that modern
! civilization has created ana established
! is much e2$il. IAiu& tALn any OF
/ thought one year ag3, writes Professor
! Guglie.mO l'errero IN all article on the
| vars effects on future modes OF liV-
! ng.
I Many needs that seemed us iInperi-
/ GUS and tyrannical as Il second nature
we have discovered are hardly eV.n
| necessary TO our bainG, ana Il little
shakeup Hherates us from them as
from dead skin that peeIS and falls OF
Mans nature is much less dependent
on those things that modern civiliza-
ton would have us believe.
| When the danger of Il great war was
spoken Of many said it was not posi-
BILE or would be Of exceedingly short
duration, not more than month or
two at most. because otherwise there
would be revolution. Every one rea-
soned in that fashion. and facts have
shown that they were all wrong.
Europe is all in arms. but in each
country there has never been more
calm tranquility. Almost all Europe
is eating coarse bread that one year ago
country laborcrs complained of so bit
terly when forced to use it.
Everybody Now Resigned.
Up to one Year ago the city streets
were never sufficiently lighted, nor
were trains ever numerous enough or
fast enough. Now the people are still
and resigned.
So if the European war has filled
Europe with horrors. ruin and hate it
has also made men more easily con
tented. In each nation, far away from
the firing lines. men and women are
working with tranquility that has
not been known for some time, aud
they no longer complain OF destiny. al
though that destiny is harder.
That furious desire to possess and
enjoy that made men impossible TO
peared. The French have learned the
virtue of patience, and the Germans
have leaTEG, the virtue Of soDriety.
And who would ever have dared pre-
dict it? The word has changed.
How can this most singular of phe-
nomena be explained? Is it sort Of
miracle? Perhaps hGman n&tCre is
changed. 80: it has rather found it.
self. Many pcen.r 2re today glad to
be freed OF r1any responsibilities an}
Obligations that were forced on them
by an opUlant r2acc-,Clad to be able 10
live simply ~ they ike. earning less.
spending less, - WORKING; lesa
The peGp,e have tIisen all the more
readily 80 this more S.mpe a.d re-
pOseful Efe because tie change has
been universal Unul yeIr ago few,
indeed, were the wise ones with enough
strength 0f i'll not to annoy and tor
nent themselves with The thought that
pSIudI'S CLS-l NGIc IIOg cklJO.' iAlS IHcIIl-
selves as nnach ls their nelshborS.
The war has for cd everybody, or
almost every bol'-. t. 1--we simply so
nobody now wants many things that
year ago sasrined Indispensable TO his
happiness.
Pace, Mental Disease.
Until two fenturies ago all religions
and all PHILOSOPHERS laugh that man
had to- know how to- ho.d his desires
within the bounds OF moderation; that
he should isot presume too TnuCE on
his own power: he should limit his
aSpiratiOnS:, be- sheu!t1 i've simply. con
sumo less. riches. treasure the gifts
that God aud nature had placed at his /
Since science, America steam
and the idem OF Liberty have increased |
mans confidence In his own power ne
has overtl4zown ali these principles
So was born the Strangest, the most
singular mental disease with which /
the world was ever visited. There new
er was = time in history richer, more
knowing OF more powerful than that
In whicd we were born and which last
ed until Aug, :. 1914 "! the most
glorious ages Of the past we're poor,
ignorant and little compared to the
twenty years that preceded the Euro
pean war. We had everything
wealth, knowledge. liberty, peace, safe .
ry, order. We should have been happY.
The European war was needed to
eUre man of this lGalady.
it is not too much TO suppose that the
effects Of this moral and mental revo-
tuition viii lNSt III Europe after the