The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-11-14

prevent II a repetition might occur.
How much confidence is to be placed
! in the professed socialists who are
now In the saddle in Germany!
They were large party in the reich
stag before the war and they voted
for war measures and supported the
war with influence. money and men.
Now that the whole scheme has col
lapsed they seek to feather their own
nests and pose as democrats. They
do not know what democracy Is.
! Probably the gravest problem OF
the future is that OF anarchy. X Is
rampant In Russia. Bulgaria. Rou-
mania, Austria and Germany. The
Bolsheviki are as much to be dreaded
now as autocracy was four years ago.
Those people are drunk with the new
wine of freedom. They are incom-
petent to govern themselves and In
all probability hundreds of thousands
Of allied soldiers will be required to
keep order and preserve property for
months to come. Our form of gov
eminent Is a growth and after nearly
a century and a half of experimental
ton is not without serious defects.
President Wilson is a postmaster In
setting forth ideals in choicest Eng
fish. From a literary viewpoint his
state papers rank with those OF Pitt
and Jefferson: though he is not the
ed the expression safe for democ-
racy." and the peoples OF Europe
have seized on this phrase. In his
mind It means one thing, IN their
minds another. 1t Is equally as i'm
portant to have a democracy that Is
safe for the world as 1t is to have
world that is safe for democracy"
Americas Task.
The biggest immediate task for
America Is to feed the starving peo-
pies Of Europe. The war has ended.
but suffering continues. The cold
months will make 1t more aggravat-
ing The people are saying, I'VE
don't care anything about war or
peace give us something to eat
When men are hungry they are law
less and unless fed they starve. In
great spirit of humanitarianism. yes.
in the spirit of Christ. who said, IF
thine enemy hunger feed him." we
should mobilize all our forces and
utilize all our resources to prevent
starvation in Europe and Asia. This
is a work In which every sex and
every age can have a part.
Keeping ever before us these tasks
does not necessarily mitigate the JOY
that thrills our hearts in the great
victory which has been won over mill
tarism. The little boys who blew
their horns and rang their bells last
Monday will talk about that day of
Victory when they are old men. Two
hundred years from now the period
through which we are passing will be
| the most important epoch In human
history. AS the school children study
this epoch the crimes committed by
/ the Germans will seem as far away
Il and as incomprehensible as the scalp
ing of the early settlers by the In
dams seem to our children in the
present-day schools The darkest
blot on the pages of history is, the
blot of German crimes. She cannot
wipe 1t out, nor can we. nor can God.
How glad we are that the heartless
power is broken,
/ With all our hearts we may say:
Ring out, We bells, Proclaim to all
the earth
That Tyranny is dead! Ring out the
birth
OF endless peace. Clasp hands across
the sea,
England America. Let unity
/ And love eternal tell
| That all is well.
Ring out, ye bells OF France and Italy.
Shout with your brazen tongues: The
world Is free!"
Great is the price you paid; great the
reward.
your valiant sword.
Let fruitful vineyards tell
| That all Is well.
10 murdered Belgian bells. your
tongues are mute.
But high your hearts. your spirit
resolute.
Call forth your trembling children
from their caves.
Show where their dauntleSs banner
| ever waves
Triumphant. Let II tell
That all Is well.
Sweet poppy bells that guard the
tired dead,
Wave gently where those buried
| heroes bled.
Nay. wake them not. they are asleep
with God,
But whisper kindly through the shell
tering sod:
Sleep, sleep. for all is we'll,
All all is we'll