The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-07-20
HOW WE MAY PAY OUR DEBT.
By Gertrude Anterior of The vigilantes.

While it is, Of course, historical fact
that we went to war with Germany to
save our own republic from extinction
for there are only two sides to any war,
offensive and defensive-yet we accepted
the inevitable with an enthusiasm, partly
spiritual, partly romantic, which nlum.-
mated what otherwise might have been
the usual sullen determination which
characterizes a peace-loving country
forced into war. We were able at last to
60 us a nation to the aid of France In
yidually hundreds of devoted American
men and women were serving her. Not
few had already died in her cause Mil
lions of money had been raised by popu-
mr subscription to relieve the sufferings
of her civilians and her wounded soldiers.
She was to us the heroine of the war,
Joan of Are epitomized.
But it was beginning to look as if, like
her national martyr, she was doomed to
burn at the stake She is greater mill
tary country than Germany, otherwise
she would have been conquered long since,
and she had great wealth and the MIN
blest wits of all the nations. 1t would be
unfair to insist that her people are the
brSTest and the most patriotic Of all the
belllgerents, for the towards in warfare
are negligible, and all countries are patri-
otto when fully reused. But there is
passion and an exaltation about the pa.
triotism of the French that lifts them to
plane of their own and is an even more
formidable force for the brutal material
ism Of Germany TO reckon with than the
strategy of Foch. la Patrie" expresses
a religious fervor that would be fanatical
were the French not the sarast ef all
peoples. "Fatherland' and Deutschland
Euber Allies" express the sentimentality
and insineerity of race that has not
CLEAN of spirituality of honest sen.
timent, for that matter.
Therefore, although it never will be
possible to force an entire republic, at
least, to submit to the horrors and suf-
ferings and priyations of war for altruis-
tic reasons only, we nevertheless were
oyerjoyed when the day came that per-
mitted us to fight for France as well as
for cur own persistence a-sa republic
1t is safe to say that every intelligent
young American who shouldered his rifle
whether enlisted or drafted, that is to
say, who knew the history Of his country
and had followed the present war from
its outbreak in 1914, felt something Of
the exaltation Of the crusader. He was to
fight on French soil, not only for the
freedom of the United States and the
life OF democracy, but for the France that
fought on our revolutionary soil and was
the determining factor in our struggle
for independence. Without Rochambeau
and his 5000 troops when our fortunes
were at their lowest ebb, we should no
doubt be a colony Of Great Britain to.
day; and Lafayette has been az great
hero to the American sehoolboy as Wash.
ington himself.
II is to be hoped that the exigencies Of
war will permit our men to restore, alone
and unaided, Alsace- Lorraine to France
| happen to know that this ambition pos
sesses the minds of thousands of our
young officers and soldiers, and when our
army is once more unit, perhaps Gen.
eral Foch win withdraw his own troops
from the southeast anf enable us Co paw
our everlasting debt to France. Not even
the inevitable victory over Germany for
which our millions in men and our bill.
lions in money are indispensable, would
give the enlightened portion Of this repub.
Lie such profound and spiritual satisfac-
tion as the established fact that Ameri-
can troops alone had driven the Hun
from the soil of Al~ace- Lorraine, made
Alsace-L Lorraine the special gift of the
United States to France.
In course OF time. if the war goes on
long enough-for our once indifferent
people now think and talk of little else
than the war-this passionate wish viii
possess the United States from end to
snd and If we failed or were not per.
mitted to pay our great historic debt in
this concrete fashion to the nation whose
brave and ardent soldiers came to our
rescue in our darkest hour, we should
feel in our new hour of victory that the
best was lacking War il a gross bust
ness. Let us put soul into it if we can.