The Coconino sun., 1917-06-08

the law IS permanent. Thus our home: and our educational institutions con, stitute the corner stones of the Re. public. If they are destroyed, the superstructure must fall
 Our country has been drawn into the maelstrom of the most colossal war in the history of all time. It was not of our choosing. It was inevit- able. Our nation submitted to re. peated insults; stood aside and saw our men, women and children murder. ed on the high seas, without warning Saw that the rights of man were be- | ing jeoperdized and our national ex- istence threatened. Then President Wilson, truly representing the Amer ican peoplpe, and voicing their con science, stepped forward and solemnly announced to waiting world: God helping me, can do no other!"
 This human and atruistic step taken, the President issued clarion call to the nation, the key note of which is personal service and individ- ual loyalty and sacrifice. Each one of us is called upon to do a snare, to pull his or her own weight, at least. If we cannot be Nathan Hale, or a Barbara Fritchie, or a Clara Barton or a Paul Revere, we can cultivate a garden, raise potatoes and beans and intelligently economize in the home, without making life harder for it's occupants. This is loyalty. This is doing commonplace duties well. This is true service, in time of need.
 This note of personal service is beautifully and impressively emphas- ized, by the story of one of Bohemia's ancient kings. Something like seven centuries ago this blind, palsied and helpless old monarch, compelled his trusted servants to lead him into his last battle; so that he might fall on the beloved soil, which he could no longer defend. His invincible oppon- ent was the Black Prince, whose sword carved England's name high among those of the mighty war nations of the world. One of the Princes men brought the dead kings shield to his master, that he might read thereon the sign of royalty, to verify the pass ing of a mighty foe. But it bore no pomp of heraldry, befitting the state of warrior-reward in the days of chivalry! It contained instead, three snowy white plumes, encircled by a band of iron and underneath all, was the single motto: 'Tch Dien"-I serve. Several centuries have passed since then, and still the single symbol of the blind king adorns the arms of Eng lands princely house. The three white plumes still wave before the eyes of men and the brief motto still rever- borates' in their ears-now grown to the proportions of great and eterna! truth: q serve!"
 1 Such was the glory of Bohemia's warrior-king, and such has become the faint or fond ideal of the best part of humanity. He never knew how well he served--this dauntless leader of a dauntless people-who served not alone his own people, but the the people of an entire world, through many generations, past and yet to come, in thus fixing upon their hearts his emblem of triple purity in body, mind and spirit, and his proudly humble claim to service.
 For we have come to know at last, that he who serves best, is greatest among us, and that who ever serves we'll, shall be well served indeed in his own soul.
 Duty, like guilt, is personal. This inspiring call of our President is to our whole country and all its people. Our young men are today, as in the days of dominant Rome, the most valuable asset of the nation, especial ly when her life is threatened. Every American citizen is potential soldier No citizen soldiery in all history eveJ made the record of our citizen soldiers of the American Republic. They have the spirit and soon become enured tc the desperate strife. We are natior of home owning and home loving peo pipe. Did you ever hear of mar shouldering a gun in defense of boarding house? Our feet are plant ed in the American soil, where libert! is autochthonus,-spirng out of thu very earth, as it were.
 Once I stood below the bronz statue of Henry M. Grady, in Atlanta Georgia, at sunset. As gazed upol , those classical features, it became fit hour, in which to recall his wor picture, defining the real strength 0
 this republic. He said he stood o Capitol Hill in the city of Washingto