New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1916-10-06

(By William Roscoe lhayer.)
For the second time since the afro
cious war began, the president OF the
United States calls upon us Amerl-
cans to observe a day OF thanksgiv-
my, on which we shall express graft
tudc Tor the manifold blessings Prov
idcncc has showered upon us.
Our harvcsts have surpassed all
bounds. Our industries, under the
unhealthy stimulus OF war, have rails
ed the wages Of millions OF laborers.
Like the Phariscc We can thank God
that we are not like our n%eighbors
they are at war, we are at peace.
a year ago, President Wilson babe
us hold 4 similar thanksgiving; and
those who have the catchwords OF
religion on their lips, but iniidellty
in their hearts, might infcr-from
our increased prosperity-that our
prayers and thank-offerings were
acceptable, and have been rewarded
in overlooking measure.
But those are not gods OF the spir-
it who substitute gifts OF corn and
copper and iron and gasoline for the
spiritual gifts. for lack of which our
souls perish. In this crisis a true
prophc OF the soul would call us not
to Thanksgiving but to humiliation
the humiliation that every heart, in
to which the %iaintest instinct Of not
blcncss has glimmered, must feel
when it recognizes that II has be-
travcd the very law OF its being.
During fourteen months the mem
orv of our dark shortcoming. of our
great refusal. has lain like a mildew
on our American conscience. Some
of us, singly, have ~repudiated the
shame; but even if every American
had made his private disavowal, we
should not have been freed from our
obligation. 1t was for the
president of the United States, sit
ting in the chair where Washington
and Lincoln have sat, the guardian
for the time being of the principles
on which this republic was founded
principles which have upheld it
for one hundred and forty years, the
principles which alone justify its
istence and its perpetuation-it was
for President Wilson, speaking for
this nation, to utter the word Of re-
pudiation which could have absolved
us from guilt of allowing Belgium to
be violated without our protest.
He kept silent.
Day after day brought news of
fresh atrocities committed by the
Germans in Belgium. What might
have been regarded at first as a few
sporadic cases of such cruelty as Of
ten accompanies war, proved o be
in truth only the beginning Of the
enforcement of a system of fright
fitness, deliberately planned years
before in the bureau of the Prussian
general staff, unhesitatingly ap-
approved by the German emperor.
and now carried out with diabolical
precision. Very soon the weight of
testimony became overwhelming, bull
still President Wilson was silent.
Considerations of policy, doubts as
expediency, fitted between him
and his conscience. Perhaps the re-
denominations were not true
it was the duty of the president of
the United States to suspend judr-
until he had heard all the evil
dence from every side: if he protest
ed against the German acts, he
be accused of denying the neu-
which he had officially set
up to guide this country throughout
the war; the etiquette Of diplomacy
regard such a protest as not
only out of order, but as unmannerly
worse still. a moral protest not back
ed up by physical force would be flu