Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-14
FRANCE

n VERSEAS today our greeting and our
" wonder and our faith go out to
France. A second time Bastille Day finds
her struggling for her life and for our
faith. second time the fires of war
burn purer and the worlds heart leaps
with an unaccountable joy. France has
held.
1t has been said, with purpose to in.
volve this country in the war, that the
Allied nations are fighting the battle of
democracy. If that is so, it is because
they fight with France. She is the ex-
emplar and the justification of democracy,
the good omen of our own power to hold
when the crisis comes. Baked at every
stride by European militarism and
bureaucracy, she has maintained superbly
the true democracy of her spirit, and she
energies from this war, whatever the out
come. nobler of stature, more grand in
spirit, magnificent and proud, a challenge
and an inspiration to the world.
Perhaps there is not, in all the fine list
of her institutions, anything more SYM
'bolical of France than her military medal.
For the medaille militaire may be won
either by a private or by a general in
command of armies who has already
worn the Grand Cross of the Legion Of
Honor. Joffre. after the battle of the
Marne. rose to the level of the common
soldier when he received the medal. The
poilu. granted the precious medal for
bravery, stands beside the Commander
in-Chief. Last and first, they drink from
the same cup of their common and glori-
fed humanity.
VT7E MUST return. in order to under
w stand what that humanity means to
us. to- the hot sumrper of terrible days
when the war broke out. For days France
knew that war was imminent. Quixotic to
the end while Germany massed her troops
at the border. France ordered her guards
drawn ten miles within her own frontier.
She threw up the earthworks of her faith
before the advancing peril and when
the war came she sent her armies forward
TO fight behind that defense. over it
trampled the greatest army OF modern
times. and the French troops. retreating
through the terrible fields of northern
France, drew closer and closer TO Paris
1n~the five black weeks of that retreat
the world had time to foresee the end. 1t
had time TO realize that democracy was
beaten at last, that free men had proved
themselves incapable of discipline, that
liberty. equality. fraternity had come to
the end Of their long road. France was
hghting with her standing army, but the
world knew that the soldiers who fought
were those who had taken the Bastille,
were the peasants of the Yendee and the
ragged boys Of Valmy. The world knew
that France. dreamer OF a romantic
dream, had come to a narrow place. and
she walls were falling down upon her.
This we saw and trembled. 1t was not
that the same enemy might be moved to
attack US. 1t was not physical fear or
pressing danger. But with the ruin of
France must come the ruin of our faith.
that democracy can survive in the
family of nations. And each day the
gray armies were completing her ruin
But France held. The miracle OF tho
Marne took place. The giant blue wings
Of Foch and Manoury settled slowly down
On the German armies. and as they rose
asain they showed the invaders swept
back to the banks OF the Aisne The
szplanation is easy to give-of strategy.
o Won Kluek's error. Of surprises ana ar
ullery-but the miracle remains. And be
hind Il there is another mystery. more
wonderful still
fT1HAT mystery is the soul OF France
since the war settled down in its dead
lx strip of ths trenches. Many nations are
e paE but apart from the huge and
meaningless tracts Of Russia. the land
q France has suffered most For her
lsfrllofy tbs very soil now ploWed b
ahelIs ana sefn - inErsaebments. has
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