Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1917-12-14
A WAR REVIEW.
Interesting Sidclghts by DR.. Newell
Dwi.c Hills, the Famous Preacher.


Dwi.c Hills, the Famous Preacher.
We take the following from n re-
cent issue of the Roanoke World
News:
A friend OF The World-Ncws gave
us Il copy yesterday of Il sermon
preached several Sundays ago by DR..
Newell Dwight Hills, pastor Of Ply
mouth Church. Brooklyn. on GLOW
Goes the Battle?-An Outlook Upon
the Present State of the World Con-
nict."
In DR.. Hills analysis Of the war
situation as set forth in Ills sermon
OF GLOW Goes the Battle?" we are
brought face to face wit every phase
of the titanic struggle ard made to
realize the lIerculcan task confront
ing us.
Although space does not permit our
printing the entire sermon by Dr.
Hills the following excerpts are cx-
trcmcly pertinent in regard to the
recent Italian rcvcrscs:
During Il critical moment fer his
country, Edmund Burke once ex-
claimed; What fear for my coun-
Try is not day of Judgment, but Il
day Of no Judgment The great states
man understood the danger of natin-
al shipwrcck when the course was
laid by an inexperienced captain. His
tory tells us thhat national failures
and defeats come through ignorance
and lack of vision, and national pros
perity is the result of statesmen who
understand. Uniformed optimism is
therefore II peril Of our day and land
On every side, public men, orators
editors, reformcrs, meet the new cri-
Sis by the pious exclamation: We'll,
we must all hope for the beat' But
the bOatman who drifts about in the
Niagara river until he finds himself
caught in the rapids has forfeited
all right to hope for the best. The
staggering news that comes from It.
ally is Il striking illustration of the
penalty of indccision, incompetence,
and uniformed optimism. Ten weeks
ago Italy sent word to France, Brit
ain, and America that Cardona was
without munitions, and ltuly's king
announced that her munition facto-
rics would have to shut down unless
coal could be obtained Immediately.
During more htan Il generation Italy
has dcpneded for her coal upon 9TH
preme victory Cardona had to "dig
in" and wait for shells. Meanwhile
German spies notified Berlin of the
Italian crisis, and Berlin banked up
on delay and indcciGion upon the part
OF the allies. When the German rtoops
arrived, therefore last week, the Ital-
ians had to meet bayoncts with bare
hands, and bombshels with raked
breasts. Unarmcd, with no cartridges
for their guns rctl eat was inevitable
The brave Italians who died to win
the victory in July and August died
in vain. Twenty ships l2den with
American coal would have rcopened
italy's munition factories, equipped
Cardona with shells, but new us a
penalty the cost may be u second
American army to be sent to Italy,
hundreds of ships loaded with Amer
lean coal, and untold American lives,
to recover ground thrown away.
Doubtless France had troubles of
her own. and England lad to .hink
of General lIaig, ard tic United
States was busy thinking that she
was thinking, but II battle ms impor
tant us Waterloo was not lost-it
was simply thrown away. Many OK
cuses can he offered, many cXplana-
tons formulated. but history will ac-
cept no excuse. AS to the men III
charge IN the three countries, the ver-
diet will be this: "Thcy Numbered
and were unequal to their task" 1t
is Tie story of The dixie l., Holland
over again, but in more tragic form.
The Waterman warned the city faith
crs that there was Il break IS large
as Il mans wrist, but the hour was
late, all were overworkcd and the al
.,cn went home to sleep. But af-
ter three days the northwest wind
eliminated at midnight and while men
slept the dyke gave away and when
the storm was over only the tops of
the stecples stood above the water.
Grievous is the penalty CT careless
ness and INDIGESTION for States not
less than for cities and individuals y
Referring to The food situation in
America DR. Hills said:
SIN this crisis there wculd seem to
he ut least one solution of the food
question. In order to win this war,
we must find million men that will
take the place Of the million young
farmers soon to be withdrawn from
the fields; and since within ninety
days the land in the Southwest must
be plowcd and by February much of
the grain be shown, there is not u
minute to spare We do not want to
impress slaves, hut, fortunately, our
government can, if it desires, enact
law that viii enable the president
to contract with China for one or two
million men to come 10 orr Western
farms and remain there Until six
months after the waF. These men can
oonEpa tbam Salves IN fpodinp The DcO-