Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1918-01-17

AZ u utue Junk, ex-
claiming, between sobs, that the U. 8.
A. Is going to the bow-wows.
Let the very young children set
their elders a good example by remain
ing calm but determined.
II you pick up the morning paper
and read that the U-boats bagged IL
ships Instead of the customary 15, and
the Canadians captured only one line
of trenches Instead of two, do not
shake your head and declare that the
Germans never can be licked.
Set good example to your fathers
and mothers and uncles and aunts by
renewing your faith daily, in spite Of
an occasional setback.
Quote 10 them the words of Abra-
ham Lincoln: LET us have faith that
right makes might, and in that faith
let us, to the end, dare to do our duty"
You might remind your grown-up
relatives that all during the Civil war
the Northern states harbored good
many well-meanlng people who went
about moaning that the Union never
could be preserved and we had better
accept peace at any price.
These invertebrates Gan inverte-
brate, children, Is a creature with a
string Of macaroni where the back
bone should be)-these spineless ones
were willing to let certain states Sc
cede. The blacks were to remain In
slavery. Our flag was to be lowered.
Anything to avoid flght TO q finish.
Even after the battle Of Gettysburg
when the fortunes Of war began to fa-
vor the North, just as they are now
favoring the allies every community
had to put up with few Of the whin-
ers and fautfinders who belittled each
victory and magnified each reverse.
Your grandfather can tell you about
these peace lovers who helped to pro-
long the war by falling to give united
and loyal support to the soldiers at the
front If 1t should happen that grand
father was one Of these "peace-at-any-
price" advocates, doubtless he will
change the subject and talk about
something else.
Even If you are less than six years
of age, surely you can understand that
the issues involved in this dreadful
war must be settled and settled right
before the world may hope for abiding
peace.
Therefore, If anyone asks you what
you think about the war, reply as fol-
lows:
president Wilson was right when
he said that the world must be made
safe for democracy. The American
people have no desire to destroy Ger
many or prevent 1t from regaining
commercial Importance. They want
Germany to restore the stolen property
and go home In a chastened mood
They want to jam the knowledge into
every close-cropped Prusslan head that
just because q man owns high
priced automatic gun and has lot of
ammunition and college education,
he has no right to go out and shoot
up his neighbors. The American
people are hoping to make 1t clear to
the kaiser and the crown prince and
the various square jawed Hlndenburgs
that 1t is highly improper to form
partnership with God for purposes Of
murder, and then treat God as silent
partner. AS to the final outcome, the
battle of the Marine was the beginning
of the end. For 200 years all the big
events Of history have marked an ire
sistible advance toward the establish
ment of democracy. When the Ger.
mans failed In their mad rush Of 1914,
1t meant that an All-Wise Providence
and the laws of evolution were not to
be thwarted by military despot with
a brIstling mustache. Germany cannot
win and therefore Germany must lose.
The end of bloodshed and sacrifice and
widespread terror will come as soon
as the United States of America be-
gins 70 strike aggressive blows. The
more men we send to the front the
fewer we will lose. Our greatest ene-
my at present is indecision. Our
strongest ally is speed. Our most
needful watchword is faith. We are
going to end the war and then sit at
the council table to repress greed and
curb injustice"
OF course the foregoing will sound
rather hifaluting to come from six
year-old child, but 1t will be the truth,
and the truth is needed in large doses
at present, especially by people more
than six years old.
That will be all for today, children.
You may run along and play.