Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-11

Local pride gives history its SAVIOR.
AS patriotism Is the salt that keeps
sweet the deeds OF men, SO pride Of
place and ancestry gives to these deed :
special tang. Although the poet
truly says. The great deed lives for
ever. not the great name" yet men do
not soon forget the local names made
famous by deeds OF hcroIsn. We re-
member Plataea that scnt the thousan J
men to help Athens against the Per.
Sims. just ms we remember our own
Concord. "whorc once the cmbattlcd
For'ocrs stood" When mention is mado
"f "Thc Three Hundrcd' we recognIza
Thcrsnopylne. and 1.-THE Six Hundred"
mcHrr Balaclova. and Just rs the
former name conno'es Sparta. so the
later connotes England. We want to
krNw not only what the great deed was
AND who're 1t was done, but also what
race and place bred the men that did
thr decd. We Anglo SaXons will nevar
hn cosmopolitans- 10 the extent of being
Impartial in our interest in world
happenings. for II Is our own parish
and our own neighbors that most in
tricuc us. This localism is part If
our very nature II Is not selhshnees
nor eCot!sm that leads the American
TO read rc-shinc's casualty lists before
he reads The other allied losses. or that
causes the NirGinian to seek the Vir-
cinia names in the dispatches. Rathc-
j: - the laudablc desire TO know what
part our own country. our own State.
our own town or county. has had n
IN" colossal drama on the European
stage. And this local flavor is Of tn,
vc"y essence OF a sturdy and robust pa
triotism, for there must be suitable
soil for the growth Of the seed OF pm
t"iot'sl0, just as there must be n fitting
environment for It's full burgeoning
The Patriot Is not born. but made,
ND : to MT nf H.. n
.hunity and Of the home TO engender
and 10 foster patriotism. The text
books OF sociology are silent on this
point. for the reason that their aim
is TO train man as n social being rathe-
than as n patriot. In like manner. the
than jealous patriots. Hence II Is le:t
for the community and the home 10
supplement the work of the State and
of the social theorists by making
adequate provision for the training %
patriots. Love OF country must be in
stilled in the home. in the church. Ia
the local schools. In the communi.y
gatherings. IL IL is to have the sanction
and the inbred grace that makes IL Tia"
hiEhcat quality Of the citizen. These
must be inculcat!on and example u
pa triotism /. real love OF country is TO
live, and such training must be given
in the mass as well as 10 the Individual
.cE tHeTc Is q spirit anu an inspiration
that can be found "a; its highest and
best only in the gathering of COM
'nuUity in an outburst OF devotion and
conservation.
IN the maelstrom OF tho great CON
hici, local or even national organlza-
tons are incXtricabiy mingled In the
vortex OF war. and even the plan OF
orEaniza don OF our National Army IA,
made Impossible the oid-tiine certainty
thA- the men Of certain vicinity
would night shoulder TO shoulder. II -
only in their native county. In tn.
hearts OF their fellows, in tho local an
La.s. and III the service dag that the
so."lors as body have local ident!ly
or corporate existence. The scrviC.
'iag is our only remedy against the
scattering prO:css OF our army plan
Tue ma zion has recognized this. and all
o.e: the country, in homes. In schools
in churches. and In communities. the
aelp OF the service nag Is being in
vohed to show the local spirit and to
honor the local record.
IL is especially Of Virginia that
am thinking. and am especially
anxious, even jealous, that the old
Mother OF States shall keep clear AMI
bright the record OF her sons In the
world war. To this end. l venture to
propose to-day plan for war or
ganization TO be known as the Virginia
Symmachy. Symmachy is new word
times OF Greece, and II has the ad-
implications. Symnachy means n