The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-07-28
Periodicals, Stationery, Blank Books


At one time there was strong
barrier on the Scottish border. It
was built up of race, of speech and
custom, of prejudice; of rule, and
Scottish and English va1our often met
in conflict on that ancient barricade.
Differences of race, speech, and Gus
tom remain, but the barrier is broken
down. Scotland and England still
feel that they are separate nations.
But they are nations which have
Joined hands. On either side of the
old border-line waves the British
flag.
There was a time when between us
and France there was another bar
rier than the sea. You know the
tale! There is much glory. in it
both for France and u.s. However
much We hated the French, we al
ways knew that they were bonny
fighters and fought fair. eve Scots
sometimes like to remember that
France and Scotland are ancient
friends.) Anyhow, the barrier is gone.
The feeling or nationality remains as
strong as ever; but the nations have
Joined hands. Over the armies at
the front wave the flags of the great
Alliance against the Huns.
Then can we not down with that
last barrier? Can we not make
friends with the Hun? No! A thous-
and times no. 1t took time for us to
forget our quarrel with France we
can never forget our quarrel with
Germany.
We quarreled with the French 7 >
cause we did not understand them.
We have quarrled with the Germans
because we understand them at last
The barrier between us has only come
above ground in wartime, but it's
foundations were dug and Fashioned
in peace, join hands over the wreck
age, go away and sing songs of Peace,
and in the nighttime the Hun will
come and build that barrier up again.
Root it out! There lis no other way.
Or say there is barrier across the
seas! The enemy tells you it is gone.
You look, and there is no barrier to
be seen. The sky is blue, the sea is
calm. You put out in your ships
confidently And your ships strike
the sunken barrier-the barrier-reef.
Blast it out! Sledge it out! Let no one
stone remain on another! Let the sea
deal with the wreckage. wash it,
break it, and polish it, until those for
n1idable stones are cast up as harm
less, shining pebbles among the other
pebbles on the beach. That is Ger
many's place in the sun
AS long as there is evil in the
world barriers of sort there must
always be. i suppose most of you
lock and bar your doors at night be-
fore taking the candle up to bed.
And the doors of Britain must be al
ways locked and barred when Bri-
tain sleeps.
I grant you that up in Scotland I
never bar my door. I go to rest each
night without fear. And that's a
wonderful thing. It's fine to be sure
that no burglar will be among your
trtnkets while you're snoring. I know
and trust all the folks of the coun-
tryside. and metropolitan experts
have never visited me as yet
Doubtless where there is much
treasure the thieves will break
through and steal And he would he
a fool who should ask us to leave
open all the treasures of the Empire
to the hand of the spoiler. Besides.
even up in Scotland we have q. no.
liceman, and. thank God. round these
islands we have the fleet-and the
sea.
| But, leaving the Hun out of ac-
count, as he must be left, having all
the rest of the world out of account.
this is the day of the breaking of
barriers. There were barriers between
| US and the Dominions They are
gone There were barriers between
us and America. They are gone. Ma
| tionality remains as strong as, if not
stronger than ever. But the nations
join hands Thus greatly has civiIi
zation's response to the challenge of
the Hun helped on the cause of
peacel
There is one more barrier which I
trust will shortly go-the barrier he
tween US and the Irish nation. Tt Is
as useless to deny the existence of
the barrier as to ignore the harm that
1t does am not a politician. and
in the Irish controversy II do NOT take
sides. But I do sincerely pray that
soon all the nations of the Rritish
Isles may work as harmoniouslv to.
gether as out here in France the
brave Irish lads, the brave EnArlish
lads, the brave Welsh lads. the brave
I lads from the Dominions, and INV
own bonny Scottish lads march and
fight and die side by side.
Set them doom before the fac
An shouther to shouther ava they
gael
"Booml Boom! Boomm It is the
sound of the heavies, and an officer
has just come to invite me to the
dance.