The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1917-10-12

Need We recan tne HtahS scf-~~-
,eveIed against Francef' fnse
the visionary. the dreamer. the sruse.
too scrupuIousiy meticuious IN her
,,,etbods of work? We have been ae-
cused Of living deliberately behind the
t,nes and of deiighting in sweety
old-fashioned atmosphere Of out-moe-
ed processes; of refusing systemhu-
cs,,y 10 adopt the methods Of our com
netitors; of remaining enthusiastic De
levers in handicraft while all about
ms the world was resoundtng with tne
throb of machinery and the whirr OF
y,otors- We have been reproacheo
with loving the permanent in NE.
above all, with knowing how to love
n. how TO linger over the SAVIOR OF It's
most delicate nuances-when. we were
told. II is enough simply to live, with
ont troubling 10 discover any special
flavor in living
These have been the criticisms OF
our enemies and Of those who. indif-
ferent to us, were admirers Of our enc
,nles. We agree that from a strictly
practical point of view we have been
very much at fault. And today we
are not averse TO inquiring into the
relative values of the materialisuc
and the spiritual points Of view.
virtues of the Modern Life.
Our ideal is to ally with the ancient
and lasting qualities OF our race-the
qualities Of humanity itself. the orr
gins of which too many people are apt
10 forget-the virtues. perhaps austere
but henceforth necessary, OF modern
life"
We. too, shall make improvements.
and shall bring to the light Of day all
the possibilities lying hidden in our
land. Our countryside. until now
hardly touched. shall be SCARED by a
network Of electric wires, which shall
carry everywhere a blind force. exact.
hostile and rigid. Flanking our slen-
der poplsrs shall rise forests of stone
the chimneys Of those factories into
which shall be thrust our artisans.
who, isolated before and working here
and there. piled up little heaps OF
little masterpieces. Our care-free
laughter win no longer have the same
clear ring; three years Of war will
have destroyed its resonance, and the
new life win be unable to restore II.
In brief, we are determined TO enroll
ourselves among the immense CON-
pany of workers who bend over raw
material. forcing 1t and squeezing il
like a sponge to the last drop. Such Is
the law Of modern times.
Do you realize, o Modern Man. that
in the dizzy race which you. the con-
querors . . the Germans and tho
admirers OF German might-propost
4ko r.St 1f he daN
will come-and It Is already dawning-
when. bent over your self-driying ma
chimes, your figures and your products
you will no longer have time to see
the sky, to listen to the sounds Of the
forest. to feel the breathing Of the
earth you have denied7
CalIban Enthroned-
But who. then, was the first to lay
out the barren path Of such a course
We answer: Germany. Germany has
twisted the meaning of life, with q
right that We shall not deny. but
which we can only call brutality. She
it is who for long. particularly since
1870, has led this at first rapid. then
accelerated. finally vertiginous pace
dragging along all those who have
tried to follow her in a wild race
where all gasped for breath. having no
longer time even to look at the fiyins
landscape. Germany has straddled
science like a horse. flashing IL anc
forcing 1t to give up its maximum pos
sibiiities-and harder and harder sh,
has struck the tanks OF the exhausted
beast that today's race may be swift
er than yesterdays.
How many are the peoples who have
followed her in this wild gallop, anC
who suddenly find themselves in q
desert country without poetry, a king
dom of machines, of belts, Of motors
Of figures; where the earth is made Of
iron. where the sounds are sirer
whistles. and where even the sky il,
self no longer exists. cut OF by the
heavy smoke which rises. denser anc
denser. as IL II were the breath OF al
the companions OF the modern Driver
Yonder sits Caliban enthroned in tri.
umph on a mountain Of coal - ugly
clothed in steel with evil-smellins
breath and with both feet planted in
matter-so powerful that he has
drawn to him more and still more
men. No one Is any longer allowed &c
remain behind. lingering, like our poor
France, to mirror her face in the
charming country streams, TO sur.
prise there the image Of Ariel reflected
back to her.
When was in school-and I sup.
pose you have all made the same OBJ,
servaton-we always had in oui