The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-05-27


terday morning were of unusual inter
est in this period of the war. The
members of the two G. A. r. posts.
with the women's allied organizations
and the Spanish War Veterans occu-
pied seats in the center of the church.
with a very general attendance.
The church was beautifully decorat-
ed with an abundance of flags, among
them the service flag Of the church
carrying twenty-rour stars represent
ing Westminster men now in the serv-
ice, to which will be added two more
names this week
The service was enjoyable and In
teresting in all it's features. Mrs.
J. Q. Boyd read Parrish's poem. Your
Lad and My Lad" very effectively,
and the music was interesting and ap-
propriate, including the singing OF
Keep the Home Fires Burning" by
Mrs. Sandberg and the congregation.
Plea for Loyalty.
DR.. Newcomb's sermon was a plea
for an unquestionable loyalty to
America and its ideals and obliga-
lions. based on the Masters words in
Matthew 1890, HE that is not with
me is against me-"
He said in substance:
There are times when neutrality is
not only permissible. but commend
able. There come to be times when it
is inadmissible, cowardly, even Grim
ina1 and traitorous. We are in such
a time now, in our relations to the
world-war into which Germany has
compelled us to enter. There can for
an honest man or woman be no middle
ground between disloyalty and loyalty,
between support of our government
and encouragement to the Huns.
For myself, there has never been a
moment of indecision or neutrality
since the war began. From the day
when the first gray-coated German
stepped across the Belgian line and
began to trample that brave little ma
ton in the dust of defeat, from the
moment when the mailed fist first
stained itself in the blood Of innocent
women and children, there has been
no moment when I could be neutral.
Moral Issue at Stake.
For It was not a contest between two
nations, or many nations, simply. 1t
was a contest over great moral Is
sue. And when moral question is
involved, there can be no hesitation
as to which side one shall take When
President Wilson counselled us to be
neutral even in thought" it seemed
to me a counsel of folly. When he
talked Of "peace without victory" he
talked Of the impossible. When he
said we were "too proud to night" he
approved timid Indifference.
I found it very hard to be patient
when our government, in answer to re-
peated violations of our rights and as
saults upon our innocent men and
women, gently slapped Germany's
wrist and said 'Naugh-
ty! Naughty" and nothing more.
But that has changed. Our govern
ment has a different message and a
nobler purpose now. We are deter
mined that we are proud to fight" in
the cause of human freedom. We are
in the war to finish, and with force
without limit, force to the uttermost"
And the individual duty is on each OF
us to stand by the government with
an unwavering loyalty. The man who
is not now definitely pro-American is
definitely pro-Hun.
And such a loyalty will make Ger
tain unacceptable demands on us.
It demands a personal willingness
to make sacrifices. Some are called
to nothing more difficult than the con-
servation Of our food supplies-and
some even complain that they cannot
have the ordinary luxuries OF life, re-
fusing to comply with the request for
the saving of wheat and sugar and
fats for the sake of our armies and
our allies. that the fighting men may
have what they need. Some count
that they have done their duty by the
purchase of liberty bonds or savings
stamps, when all that they have done
is to make for themselves good in
vestment. Others are giving their
sacrifice Of life itself at the battles
front and others are giving the even
more difficult service of sending their
loved ones courageously and cheerful
" into the awful horrors Of the front
Must Give Support.
It demands cordial support of our
in all its plans and pur-
poses. Let there be no factious criti-
cism. Let there be no retelling and
retailing of suspicious. ISLANDERS and
lies-as to greed and graft, as to con-
cealments of the truth about our SOL
diers or sailors and their welfare-as
to the Red Cross and other war agen-
cies. Let there be a loyal backing Of
our fighting men, Do. not discourage
them by doleful or complaining let
tiers; send them the cheering message
that you are proud to have them IN
this great war for humanity. Keep
the home fires burning"
1t demands clear understanding
of the issues involved in the war. 1t
is not primarily battle between gov
ernments and nations It is not a
war between us and our allies and
Germany and her allies chiefly. 1t is
a battle for the preservation Of the
rights of men CT freedom; of the safe
ty Of little children and helpless
women; of the sanctity Of treaties
solemnly entered into; of the preser-
walton of those governments which
care for the development Of individ-
ual and national life along the higher
lines. 1t is battle for the preserva-