The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-11-13
ON WHICH SIDE?
The Eternal Question Which Decides Destiny-Why
We Must Fight for Peace

ich Decides Destiny-Why
yht for Peace
of Britain's Foremost Poets
majority of the nations had sided with
Germany in this struggle Imagine the
future of humanity
1t is because men saw that good is
higher than evil, it is because they
acknowledged love to be finer than
hate, it is because they have chosen
sacrifice rather than selfishness, that
the world Is on its way to heaven in
stead Of being on its way to hell. And
30. also. Is 1t because in this struggle
OF the whole world nations have chos-
en- the side Of Freedom rather than
the side Of Despotism that there is
no fear for the future of the world.
Three years of agony and bitter
loss! What is this to pay for the peace
OF mankind, for the salvation of the
human race? For you and for me it
Is the end Of life; we shall never know
again our raptures and intoxications,
our old playfulness. and our old wild
JOY In the beauty Of the earth and the
gladness Of existence, but for the
world it Is salvation. Your son died
Tor something SO great, so vast, so
overwhelming, that he did not see it.
None of US can see 1t. He died for
something which materialistic state
craft could never have decided. He
died for a spiritual decision In his
death humanity made ITS choice. Bet
ter wounds, and agony, and death IT.
self, than the servitude of mans soul
die for this-and die not knowing
whether God lives or whether I shall
see my mothers eyes again; gladly I
die for the Freedom Of the Worlds
Soul"
No Pact With, EvIl
When men say to you. Let, us talk
about peace" do not fly at them with
anger. do not behave as the German
behaves to his Minority Socialists, do
not degrade the cause for which your
son has laid down his life. Listen to
them, and then make your answer.
Between good and evil (this shall
be your answer) there can be no pact
am for war. for the killing Of men,
Just as I. am for the killing of flies,
yermin and disease. In this war am
not killing Germans and Austrians I
am killing evil; am killing the Prus-
SLAMS choice Of evil. And my killing
II
defending those shall never see
the future men and women OF this
world. I am saving tomorrow. am
making the supreme choice of the
human soul. the choice between good
and evil. You, tell me that the Ger
man people are good and virtuous
You tell me this war has been made
by politicians. You say, too, that SOL
diers can never reach a decision. You
say, Why not stop all this slaughter
ing Of youth and talk about peace ?
Three years have gone by, you urge,
and we arc STILL killing. with debt pill
ing up to crush US all to the earth
why 60 on?
there is no hope in fighting. Well.
say to you that / choose my sons
should die. choose my life should be
crushed to the earth by. death; ]
choose these things; they are my
choice; and I will hold to them
though perish. Three years, till the
end Is sure. have not hate in my
heart. i have nothing but reason in
my soul. Let the German people say
as the sinner says before he can be
forgiven. II have sinned," and then ]
will cali off the guns, and talk OF
| peace. Till that hour the world is
L
is more to me than my prosperity OF
my life. I will make no peace with
| evil.
Only One Supreme End :.
| 1t Is our duty to bear every agony
till the foe confesees his guilt. We
should be towards IL we stopped till
then, We should be traitors. betray-
ing humanity. There is one supreme
end to this war, and only ons-the
repentance of Germany. Let the Ger.
man arnnfes confront US unbroken fol
a hundred years, still we must keer
our defence in the field-our defence
against the Prussian choice of evil
We must not yield. The German ma.
ton may long hold out behind theil
armies. but until they yield We mus
confront those armies, Their armies
are only symbol 1t is the will Of
Germany we are fighting. Until Ger.
many chooses freedom and honor anG
Righteousness, until she tears doWr
her altar to despotism and renounce.
her gospel OF might we must refuse
her the hand OF friendship.
Is 1t not clear to US, after these
1 three years of suffering and death
that the human race Ia now deciding
it's destiny? The armies in the fielt
are but the outward and visible sigr
of our inward and spiritual oonriic
in the soul of man, Think of 'tht
sides. Democratic Britain, Republican
France, Republican America, Demo
cratic Italy, Democratic Japan, Free
Russie, and immortal Belgium, i'm
mortal serbiaj against these, the Turi
who massacres women and children
the Austrian who holds millions O.
mankind in slavery, and German!
who says might is right, honor is bu
a scrap of paper, necessity knows NJ
law.
The conscience-of humanity has de
cided.
This war is a struggle of the soul
Spirit is to grip with spirit And /
the good spirit parleys with the evi
spirit. then has the evil spirit tri
umphed. The evil spirit must be cas-
out. 1t must be torn up like fungus
and trodden under mems feet. Ger
many herself may yet tear up ant