Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1918-02-23

Is a bitter subject and the French peo-
pie like any other people, do not care
to expose their deepest emotions TO
strangers.
In this family, however. we inadver-
tently touched the spark.
There was an instantaneous change In
all OF them. as Andre placed The
knuckles Of his well hand on the table,
/ and leaning down face which was
suddenly dark and hard. gave US. In a
voice which thrilled with suppressed
| passion, his views Of peace as expressed
above.
He means IT, because in two weeks
| his arm will be well and ne is going
/ back 10 the war, where lie DOES NOT
/ INTEND TO TAKE ANY PRISONERS.
/ lie would feel humiliated and dis
graced II any peace which il would be
possible TO arrange now should pre-
vent him from going back into tho
| ilght In which he has been twice wOun-
/ ded.
Toe face Of his plump and motherly
wife had become sci like wax, and her
arcPed eyebrows had jumped into a
straight line.
Tho hollow-chesled woman, Renee,
stood rlgidly, and we have never be-
fore seen a tint of actual green spread
! beneath clear skin as 10 did beneath
the skin Of her face; and her wide eyes
/ widened, and the lines deepened in her
! forehead, and the tightly compressed
/ lips became cOlorless.
The dull young woman came In with
the coffee cups in time to hear.
She held the cups mOtionlessly for
moment. then set them down and went
out, duly, heavily. without having
looked up
The young woman had been one Of
| the daughters in that iS months Of Ger
man occupation, and the hollow
I checked Renee is her mother. the sister
Of Andre
She had not been a heavy woman IN
the fl"st place, not even what might be
called plump one. but she had lost
80 pounds Of weight in that year and
/ half Of agonizing slavery
The other daughter died since their
release. died OF her abuse and her deg
radiation.
10 is rather shocking TO see a . one
eyed man cry Andre has q brother,
Michel who was prisoner Of the Ger
mans. and who escaped after untold
suffering and prlvation; and Michel,
who might as we'll have died for all
the use he will be in the world from
now on. cannot properly tell about the
hideous permanent injuries he received
or the unbellevably inhuman treatment
which he endured, because HIS
/ TONGUE WAS CUT OUT.
They did this TO him because he
asked for a drink Of water in French, in
place Of German
There Is no willingness in this fam
lily TO conclude a useless peace. and live
placldly In q world where the prussian
may prepare again 10 do his CHASTITY
will.
There Is no possibility In this family
OF a broad and generous charity which
Z can acknowledge "a brotherhood Of hui
J maulty with the Hun after the war
They hate. and they win hate as lone
as they live, and they have a right %
hate.
No. more than right, a duty.
As you look into the faces Of these
people who have gone through such
awful horror as You meet one after
the other OF them. and acquire an actual
knowledge Of what the B0che has meant
by his boldly proclaimed intention Of
Pan-Germanizing The world. something
more. than mere logical KNOWLEDGE
that such things must not he permitted
surges up In you, and grips tho heart,
and sends the darker blood tingllng IN
the cheeks and into the eyes
Passion comes. as 10 must comet
We Of America went into this war as
a matter Of principle: ITO make the
world safe for democracy we said.
It was like following a precept from a
COPY book, such as Now Is the time
for all good men TO come TO the aid Of
the party" or ITO the stars through
labor" or Virtue is is own reward.
or some other high sounding Spencerian
principle.
We have met hundreds Of fine, good
American soldiers, volunteers, who have
explained as their reason for coming
into the war that they did so because
every man should be willing TO offer his
life to preserve liberty and freedom" or
because Prussian miliiarism threat
ened the world
Il is rather miraculous that we have
done so much inspired by cold ethics,
and II Is O tremendous tribute 20 the
high morality Of the American char
acter that this is so.
Here is big and q worthy thing Ia
be accomplished, YOU have said, and
everybody must help; so you at home
almost unanimously, save your food
and buy liberty bonds and send your
sons far across the sea. 10 fight for the
cause of Justice.
There is something maie-tic in that
something ecstatically uplifting In the
spectacle Of great nation, far from the
scene OF this colossal. emotional trag-
edv, rising en- masse in response TO the
sacred call Of duty. answering an ap-
peal to the highest and best promptings
Of the human soul
But by and by, when che facts that
YOU know with your mind become
truths burned on your heart when you
learn more and more through the loved
ones whom you have sent here TO rep
resent YOU in this titanic struggle be
tween the God Of right and the Devil
Of might. when they tell you OF the
awful things, the impossible things, the
atrocious, unhuman. british things OF
which the hell-spawned Hun IS capable
YOU will have something deeper than
duty in your mora and more passionate
support Of our boys in France.
You viii have hatred. and 1t will be
Just hatred
You will understand why the French
nation. enduring so much with a calm
and steadfast courage which has been
the marvel OF the world, keeps its facs
turned sternly toward the west and It's
termination set on but one end 10
this demoniac struggle; that end, q