The Delta independent., 1918-03-01

| II requires Is helping to end the war.
The conservation of food is no theory
of some remote government official.
which We are at liberty to accept or
refuse. according TO our whims. Play
ing tricks with it. trifling with it as
though one person did not matter.
neglecting its opportunities. all such
conduct prolongs the war.
Eager retailing of gossip and criti-
cism of conditions surrounding camps
and official bodies does not help. but
hinders. Not at all that such mat
tiers are above criticism. but that the
critics ought to be people whose
| judgment is worth having and whose
opinions are constructive. Most citi-
Zens who claim the right to criticize
are merely calling for the right to
/ free use OF their vocal chords and
such use cannot be proved to hasten
Z the ending Of the war In the same
Z way the prompt accurate and rsdi-
/ eally honest return Of income tax
: schedules. the voluntary acceptance
I Of mora than the assigned share OF
the burden at every point. the steady
cheering Of men who take the more
visible positions in the war-every
such service helps to answer our
question about ending the war.
The spirit of citizens today should
[ be threefold-a spirit of service of
sacrifice and of hopefulness- There
are people with a blind side to op-
portunities for service in such a
crisis They ask what they can do
to help while other people arriving
later than themselves are already
overburdened with tasks. Meanwhile
il might be urged on them that in
time like this every common task
can be lifted into the new relation
| ship Mrs. Ruggles told her children
that what counts is not so much what
/ you say as how you say it. It might
/ be said TO all of US that it is not SO
much what we Go in these days as
that We shall do everything in full
view OF the fact that if well done, 1t
is genuine war service Being a
good clerk or good sGenographer. OF
good pastor is helping to end the
war
To replace the spirit of get
ting with the spirit of helping
is preeminent patr iotism The
flee is coming from every side. The
call for sacrifice is coming from
every side. In his New Years mes
sage Premier Lloyd George said this
war could be won if We work hard.
practice economy. save money. buy
war bonds" Captain Andre Tardieu.
French high commissioner to the
/ United States. returning to America
on New Years day. gave out as his
first message the statement that the
war could be decided in six months.
If we pull together This scheme
CT pulling together is very simple
merely continued sacrifice on the
par1 Of everybody He said: The bat
tie is not only on the battlefield. I
have told TO the French with com
pleie frankness what America ex-
poets from them in the way of re-
, strictions and new sacrifices. 7 am
coming back To explain here the nee
essary sacrifices that France and her
allies are expecting from America for
victory Six months Of this he thinks.
viii win the war Prophecies of
dates are OF little value. but any
body viii agree that the war could
not be ended in six years without vol
nntsry sacrifices.
The spirit of hopefulness viii not
end the war If it is cheaply based
Prating about the impossibility Of
Americas being defeated because II
never has been defeated has no valne
Z The superiority of American inven-
( tiveness is real: the practical nature
OF the American mind. the dashins
( enthusiasm OF the American soldser
and many more such facts are en-
eouraging. but TO expect them to enf
the war speedily is to minimize the
forces against which we battle and
the forces which have been engaged
heretofore among our allies. The
broad. safe foundation for hope IS
that this is moral universe in which
moral issues need only be SHARPLY
Joined TO determine the result;
+ The stars in their courses rgh,
wren starlise purposes are involved
That God has been invoked In IN nn
sodly cause does net mean TIA, Co
IS no; tn he invoked = we keen on-
purpose high and fire. II we ara bat
Ting for humanity. for the ultimate
cord rf our ioes. II rhe issue Is p
moral one end not political or e1pe
7ie7t- then we can keep cheerful
he7ri- Discourage ment lene-heus he
war. Fesrfulness cuts thu nerve Of
action We are saved by hope The
i Continent