Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-01-04
HAPPY NEW YEAR

~ 6AppT NEW YEAR
r. fFrom Mondays Daily!
Tonight, Is the old year slips INTO
tie past and the new is welcomed,
there win be less of the fanfare and
noisy demonstration which have made
ether New Years ewes notorious.
1hefe wfll be gAyety, to be sure, put
beneath It VIII be the serious Thoughts
e q peoples composite mind to which
the world CRISIS has brought realixa'
lion that tho year opening before US
= 70 be IN many respects the most
mpoetant IN the history OF the world:
Time u counted from the birth OF
Christ The centuries that had clap
~ before that event were RELOCATED
% the past and new era was or
dained. Today, after almost two thou
sand years, the faith Of Christianity
. threatened by q despot who, claim
tn4 inspiration from and partnership
With the Creator, sets his commands
It naught aud leads . maddened race
IN . desperate assault on Christen-
dom. its laws, its peoples. its insti-
tatinns and tho nations it has seen
created.
We hope this now year may be the
year of delivery, Of victory for right
over might, OF Christianity over bar
barism and blasphemy. We hope this
nay be the happiest year the world
has known since the dawn of the faith
tupon which modern governments
found their most solemn institutions.
SWe know this year must mark the be-
ginning of the end Of the war which
greed, hate, insane egotism and heath
enish inhumanity have brought upon
the world, and we know, as well, that
on the individual determination and
strength of each of Us there rests the
unacceptable responsibility for the
fInal outcome Of the struggle In which
Christendom is arrayed to defend IT.
self against assault
For that Is what the war has come
to mean. There are the scores OF
issues peculiar to nations, states and
Individuals; there are questions OF ter
ritory and Of trade: there are points
Of national honor and Of politics and
policies. But behind and beyond them
Oil there Is the war Of Prussianism.
despodsm, inhunanity, might and ter
riblA wrong against the laws of Chris
sdanity and right
The year that is closing was marked
By the entrance of America into the
war. Patience and forbearance hav-
ling been tried to the ultimate limit,
our government at last accepted the
challenge that had been hurled and
repeated through all the months that
had seen Europe af1ame. Slow to
anger, America is deliberate, too, in
The metamorphosis from nation Of
$,eace into q messenger Of vengeance.
The year which is opening before
- brings to all Of us and each of us
the opportunity to prove that the faith
which Christendom reposes In our
strength and courage is not an idle,
kroundless faith. Ours is the duty to
meet the supreme test OF those prin-
ciples of government and conduct
which were laid down as fundamentals
Of democracy by the trainers of the
our Constitution.
Happy New Year is not merely
10 salutation and the expression of
food will. 1t is clarion call to duty.
yline months have elapsed since the
QDeion Of America brought plaudits
rom all the Christian world. Our en-
rance into the war was hailed as the
ltep which made certain the defeat
of Prussianism. We joined the list
of the kaiser's enemies, proclaiming
the highest Of ideals. The exhausted
A,eoples of western Europe took new
courage from our assurance Of assist.
Ence. They measured our resources
sind counted them on their side, ap-
9praising them at their fullest ehici.
sency.
We have done much by way Of pre-.
paYation for the battle. but We have
dallied grievously. We have delayed
the equipping and training of our
army; We have continued our peace
time frivolities. blind to the serious.
mess of the world crisis which Is our
crisis: We have shirked. Only few,
IOut Of all the millions of Americans,
have given their whole strength to
ME- cause of their country. Those few
lave Get the example all Of US should
Tnulate. But We find that the war.
fLme efficiency of America is reduced
mot only by failure to realize the Sc
f3oaDness of the crisis, but by deliber.
ata, disloyal efforts to obstruct the
goveenment and block the progress of
it, preparation for fighting.
P1cifists, socialists. anarchists,
bafeauerats, profiteers, selfish politt
IclanD-these are our enemies at home.
THESE must be counted out as we est.
mate Americas war strength, and the
loyal service they should give must be
given BY those who already are doing
their shares.
Doing our bit is not enough. Each
OF Us, to be loyal in truth and to meas
ufe up to the hopes and expectations
which our declaration Of war raised
IN the stricken countries Of our allies,
must do, not his bit merely, but his all
This Is our duty, then, In the year
that b ut hand. The New Years reso-
luton for the patriot must be: II
consecrate my energies, my mind, my
wealth. my hopes for the future-my
ilfe-to The war in which my country
= sengaged."
II win b happy year inded, that
yuor which We win welcome within .