The Irish standard., 1917-01-06

Department of Health has said that
with little of the father-spirit in our
life not one of these would have died
or been injured. Go to! We sink a
Lusitania twice a day in cold blood
and think nothing of it,"
incidentally, such industrial massa-
ere is unthinkable in Germany, and
she regards it elsewhere with fierce
disgust.
All, but Rheims? that shrine of
the ages! recall vision of the old
cathedral. 1t was very beautiful-and
an excellent observation post for the
French artillery. And recall another
vision. 1t is bitter November day;
driving rain and a shrill wind make
life burdensome. But am hurrying
along the Thames embankment gai!y
enough, for have seen only Kensing-
ton and the delightful West End. But
what is that approaching? A process
sion? On such day. How strange
it looks, without banners or bands!
Yes, there is bandit is composed
of tin whistles. And there are mount
ed police, squadrons of them, to either
side
Gaunt, chins slumped in breasts, rag
ged, shambling in leaky boots, the
marchers in the strange procession
troop by-blasted temples of the
Spirit, four deep, two miles long and
closely packed. How they SILVER and
hug their necks with their shoulders
as the rain beats up a spray to their
knees! And how the snorting limou-
sines try to break through their ranks
at the cross roads. Milady will be
late for the dansant! One of London S
unemployed parades, 10000 strong!-
common affair, as l later learned
But then it was newly strange and
horrible to me. 1t shook the joy of
London out of me on the spot and for.
ever.
To see England as saw her, clear.
ly and without illusion. is to feel that
perhaps this war has a genuine moral
issue as we'll as deep economic caus.
alton; and that the curse of Europe's
father-state upon diabolism, "Gott
strafe England" is no mere war-spite
but bears a hint of large promise for
the future.
1t is not necessary to idealize Ger.
many One needs only to look with
candor at what she has accomplished
Come they from the four quarters
we shall shock Them" said the Kaiser
on the declaration of war, QUOTING
Germany's favorite dramatist, Shake
speare; and it was not altogether brag
Germany's strength, built up on a
goodly measure of economic justice
and social conscience, has kept world
in arms at bay, and will remain hel
best argument and vindication. 1t is
the strength of national care against
national gross negligence.
A consideration of France and Rus
STA lies apart from the present discus
sion. No one doubts now that the rea
antagonists are England and Germany
the rest of Europe might we'll make
peace tomorrow without breaking the
grapple of these. For here lies thu
main economic cause and moral issue
1t may be we'll to note, however
that France, cleansed of her heredit
airy parasite class, achieved more
equitable distribution of the land thar
any other country in the world, and sc
saved herself from the worst evils OF
capitalism. OF England's diabolism
she never has been guilty since the
Revolution, and of Germany's thor
ough paternalism she has little need
Her national genius is rather towards
the brother-state. Russia has added
the evils of modern industrialism to 6
regime still predominantly feudal, but
her unwarlike, speculative and highly
spiritual Slavic temperament curious
ly ameliorates her economic diabolisn
in a thousand ways. She is the poet
and sage. as Germany is the scientist
England the adventurer and France
the husbandman. of Europe. From he,
much of great human good looms ir
the future.
In the large sense the war is the
logical development of competitive
capitalism-itself begotten of univer
sal land monopoly. And the large
prayer and hope will be for world
wide revolution for access to thu
land and its resources on equal terms
for all"-so removing the war of mar
and sword at blow. But in more
restricted view the war is death
struggle between diabolism leaderet
by England and paternalism leaderet
by Germany; and those who know dia
bolism. and we, of these States, neet
I Mt 40