The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1918-11-16
An incident To Stir
The Imagination and FEELING

Small though its power and slight
it's possible efforts, in comparison
with the whole of the operations of
the war, the little army of Belgian
has been wonderful, and, on the twen-
ty odd miles of the west front which
it has held, has been effective, too,
says the Casket.
And it is with great pleasure that
we have read that, in the march for
ward last week into Belgian territory.
a mixed army Of Belgians, British and
French was led by King Albert. It
was an incident to stir the imagina-
ton; for to the credit of human ma
ture be it said, it is human and nat
ural to rejoice when the man unjustly
despoiled gets back his own.
Belgium has taught the world hero
ism. OF the brave lads who lie in
FLANDERS Fields" mourned in Brit.
ish and French and Colonial homes,
how many thousands, and thousands
upon thousands, were stirred to the
sacrifice by the thought of Belgian
wrongs and Belgian heroism!
Yes, and the thought of Belgian
honesty; for, thank God, with all the
loose and idle talk about religion and
morals with which the world is filled,
the pledged word we'll kept still wins
the worlds respect. And Belgium
kept her word; and in the keeping of
it she was brought into violent and
never-to.be-forgotten contrast with
Germany, who broke hers in that same
moment.
1t was only newspaper picture,
one of many thousands Of war pic
lures; but we hope someone will see
that it is rescued from oblivion; and
put on canvas for the perpetuation of
a great moral lesson. The Kaiser and
King Albert stand together looking at
ruined Belgium. And the Kaiser says
to the King, well, you have lost
everything" And the young King an.
SWerS: mot my soul"
No words spoken or written in all
the millions and billions of the last
four years, contain moro truth than
these three words. And never did
three words cut deeper into the arti-
ficiality and pride Of mighty nation.
"Not my SOUL" And the question in
spired of God remains to be answered.:
What shall it profit a man to gain
the whole world and lose his own
soul?"
That contrast will live as long as
the human race exists. Generations
yet unborn will be taught to keep the
given word, by force of that most
dramatic of modern illustrations; the
shame and the glory of that fourth day
Of August, in the year 1914, when the
mightiest nation in the world cast her
honor in fragments at her feet, whilst
one Of the weakest held hers at the
point Of her slender sword.
1t is good to see them going back.
They are an unconquerable race.
Julius Caesar found them so before
the time of Christ. He forced them
to bend, but could not break them.
And he who would be the Caesar of
our times has found them still the
| same; an uncomfortable race; and,
better than that, race not to be Sc
duced from the obligations of honor.
When we read Of their return into
their own land, we thought of their
other great leader; of him who shares
the love they give their King and has
in their hearts a place which no King,
however beloved, can ever have; of
the great Cardinal Archbishop of Ma
lines, the noble MERCER. Great as is
the Joy he finds, it is not so great as
the millions who love and honor him
would wish him to find, in the brighter
day now dawning on his native land.
He has won the hearts and the
minds Of the people Of a score of
nations. He is hero to four con-
tinents. It would be easy to write
pages about this champion of his
country; champion not only Of her
rights. but champion of and spokes-
man for all that is best in her ma
tional life and in her people; but it
would not be easy to write of him
that which would do him anything
even remotely resembling Justice.
Once more, what a contrast! Out
against the dark background of Ger
man materialismm, German unbelief,
German perfdy, stands the gigantic
figure Of the great churchman, the
man Of honor, of faith, of piety. And
again it is true to the honor Of the
human race that it is not the spec.
tacle of material might, of blonde
beast strength, of unwavering asser-
tion of 'the will to power" that has
captured the imagination of mankind: