Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-04
'."CASUALTIES"

1lIiE most unfortunately chosen word
that we use in these days is the word
casualties" Men do not die casually.
They die on purpose.
We note headline which reads, only
nineteen Americans are slain in one month
on our sector" Why only? Man can.
not be measured in numerals We rcmem-
Der when nineteen Americans were slain
At Vera Cruz and the country nearly went
distracted Public funerals were held in
the citits, the President left Sis work and
journe. ed to New York SO that he might
take fun responsibility in the open streets
Tor the national purpose for which he had
put those men into their flag gdraped
cofSns.
Young men come to Us from abroad,
young Newspaper correspondents who have
talked with statesmen and munition work.
ors. and who have returned to get into
the army. rAmerica is winning over the
whole world TO her point of view" they
Z tell us; Eve must preach the American
gospel of freedom. purity, boundless as
piration for the abolition OF Involuntary
poverty. Take anything, rifle, "a foun.
tain pen. Il typewriter. your human voice
ianything that can spread the message"
And they set their fine minds to work to
learn how to handle rife.
IS. "Thas these dead shall not have died
pretend that Christ was casualty, that
the words, Father, if it be possible let
this cup pass from me-" meant a shrinking
from th, idea Of death, instead Of an in
stinctive human shrinking from the agony
Of death. Who would not rather die by
the process of living for forty years
hard life OF plodding up and down ones
I welIioved native land. preaching. warning,
saving, blessing, without a place to lay
ones head, rather than suffer for hours
under the incredible torture of the cross
or Of frozen hole in No Mans Land?
-
held together by the gentemanly willing.
ness to die for the truth Every time a
man takes off his hat in the windy street
while talking to woman he is running
the risk OF catching cold. The principle
must be upheld though the whole city die
df pneumonia. Adventurous daredevil
men, who could be sailing the Pacific today
: un strange romantic quest for some
golden island or floating aloft in an air.
plAne--thst experience so exquisite that,
once tasted. must be sought by some again
and again, though it mean death-are
.igistcrs. Why? For the same reason that
They take their hats Off to women, or let
themselves be bored for hours by an aged
4 aunt who once was good to them, or join
the army.
81 The Hun-he objects TO being called
\ Hun because it seems SO 'unkhd,-the Hun
\ tells us we are fools, to throw away our
lives for the sake Of dreams about a few
: women We never saw and about women
and children of the future whom we shall
never see. lie asks s'if a fine American
man is not as well worth keeping alive
and happy as any woman or child. But
~ shall keep alive. Immortality" sneers
The Hun. OF course. Why should a Hun
2 fcientist want man to be superman and
tqcome greater and greater. infinitely
nfeat. and not want man to be iongerman
1 I've Infinitely long? Why should a
~ be Infinitely broad.llved and not in
|leiy long.lived, Boundless aspiration
knife that CUTS both ways; =
( Zen do not know, what passionate ideal.
shall spring from the hearts OF the
a rytycrs Of these dead" Man will not
X 6 crucined second time-in vain