The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-03-29
BE CALM

is not even the time to become dc
pressed,
A frightful concentration OF Ger.
man fighting men has pierced line
thought impregnablo. Paris has been
bombarded by a diebolral super
cannon. The greatest war In the
history of mankind has developed In.
to what may be the final struggle for
the preservation Of civilization or the
yielding to the terrible Thing which
Germany has become Let us be
brave! Let US not lose the vitality
important battle ut home!
Americans have o charge to answer
instability Of mind, One moment
they arc flushed with cuthusasm
The next they arc In The slough of
despond and then they arc rcanimat-
cd and rcasgured, only TO be plunged
once moro into the abyss of doubt
and despair They lack war poisc, u
prerequisite TO success on the field
Kaiser Wilhelm has been forced In.
10 a final, reckless blow and has per
Bonally taken command Of his troops
that he may be given space IN his.
tory equal to that allowed Alexander
Frederick the Great or Napoleon His
all Is hoaved with abandon into the
present terrible battle His mental
attitude ig that Of leader who re.
allies it 10 his final chance and, II go
down he must, it Is worth tho risk
to throw into the scales everything
at hand If il continues in its feroc.
ity, this present battle will be the Ar.
mngeddon OF the wat
With nearly hundred divisions
employed in his final effort, the kai8.
cr has not achieved the success that
should be his up to the time of this
writing. His piercing of the British
line, although unexpected, was not a
disaster. II was at one small point
and the entire defensive system there
has yet 10 be broken down.
TO Offset this temporary advantage,
the German ca8ualticg must be ap
palling, outgtripping even the terrible
carnage OF Ncrdun. AS yet, there has
been no estimate OF these. As yet
there has been no count of the NUN
ber Of Germans captured by the
British. As yet, allied Countcrat-
tacks have not developed In force. AS
yet, there have boon no countoras.
gault8 by the allies on other portions
of the battle line.
Untll ono or all OF these occur, a
fair gauge Of this battle is impossible,
But there are people In this country.
and many OF them, who throw up
their hands hopelesgly with the first
bit OF adverse news and silently tell
Themselves that all Is lost These
people must cultivate suspended
judgment lhoy must walt This Is
the secret Of morale
What rs transpirng now on the
western front 10 a rcoccurrcucc of
what has happened before IN this
very war, save that the magnitude of
the present effort ia unsurpassed.
Both British aud French have fallen
back IN previous great battle3--Ver
dun aud at Mung Moreover IN this
new attack, there has never been the
slightest ycstigc Of rout Gcrman
power need not bo und,rappraiacd
for there h. ever the possibility that
It may triumph There Is nothing
however TO point - such an cyontu
allty in the present situation,
Dark days may be ahead for the
alice but surely they win not be 90
dark p9 tncso Of the early days of the
wal When the Germans were pound
Ing at the gate1 Of Paris and all
seemed lost the crisis was weather
I'd by confidence and determination
Arc We IN America to he in the eyes
of tho French apinclcss, fceblc poo
pie, waited about aB q feather in the
current Of war reports? Are We +,
yield TO thH war muodiucs5, to be-
come tempcromcutM uB far ag the
struggle 10 concerned Or are We I,
settle down 60 the task ahead, TO re-
fuse 10 be gVoryed AN cll FROM tn,
path TO victory aud TO baunh forever
this emotional, eA,table aud lrauti'
mode Of viewing the struggle?
Our cause IS lust aud right mus
prevail The ultimate outcome of th'
war can be but one thing, even II I
takes years tu accomplish the -
tnction oC Prussiun militarism. Bu
we are Fastening slowly towards thi
end. Let an adverse war repor
spur not retard us! Let our mora!