Smyrna times., 1918-05-22
CONVENTION
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without saying. (For example, we
need no reminder of our duty to help
in the Red Cross drive this week. To
help the Red Cross is as much matter
of course as breathing. The more we
have done already, the more we must
still do, to live up to our own good
standards.) We must insist on main
tanning among ourselves the same
morale that we know to be necessary,
for our soldiers. That means that
we must address ourselves to work to
be done without mawkish sentiment,
without shuddering at pain, with
readiness to back leaders and workers,
with good -humored co operation with
others, with alertness to detect and
suppress traitors. There is something
wrong about US if we are bewailing
the fact that our boys have to go to
fight. The fight has to be fought and
won; Of course the boys have to go.
The only pity is that we are not all
boys to go, too. Many will be killed;
more will be wounded; all of them
will suffer. That is their glorious
privilege. Quite apart from that
spiritual consideration that nothing
is more worthy of the highest hu-
manity, nothing more truly divine,
than to share in great struggles and
sacrifices, there is the common-sense
view that it is better and more eco
nomical that some die now that the
Germans be beaten than that quite as
many should die later and all of US be
degraded by letting them win. What
would life be worth in a world ruled
by Germans as they are now? We
wish to keep our boys and girls. What
Joy could we have in our boys and
girls if the Germans were their
masters? If that could be possible,
the sooner they die, the better. The
victory of the Germans would give
peoples like our own nothing to live
for; the defeat of the Germans gives
them something very we'll worth dying
for. Most of us are old enough to
know that life here is very short, that
a few years more or less makes little
difference, that what counts is living
well, contributing to something worth
while, rather than living long and do
ing nothing now we have a chance TO
| fling ourselves and all we have into
the accomplishing of a great task for
the nation and for mankind.
Special Concentration of Energy
The compactness of Delaware makes
possible a special concentration OF
energy; and our diminutive common.
wealth has been making this posi-
/ bility actual. Delaware headed the
States in It's proportion at work fol
the Red Cross last June, in its work
for the Librety Loan in more recent
months. This was due not only tt
the special generosity of some of oul
rich men and the unusual activity o.
our civic leaders. These put US owe
the top in an aerOplane; but evel
without their aid the people of tn
State still went over the top, we'll il
advance of most others. This wa
due to our taking advantage of a com
paratively small area and small numb
ers to get all our people into action
State pride and local rivalries ha
something to do with it. 'These ar
not the highest motives; but the
need not be disparsged, if they kee
alive ambition for the best things
We cannot think too much of tryin
to add to the diamond lustre of ths
first star in the upper left hand cornt
of the flag; it is quite Legitimate fC
Smyrna to be determined not to |
outdnne by Middletown. and for Kel
and Sussex to be defantly resolut
that all chief honors shall not go
New Castle. There must be som,
thing more than this; but let Us n
hesitate to enlist local pride in a got
cauae. Delaware has done vel
= That we have perfect right to r
member. But we must also remer
ber that Delaware has special oppo
tunities for doing well and possibiliti
Of doing better. Past achievement
are no excuse for slackening of effol
merely an incentive to unbendii
energy and persistent work. In vs
ious ways we have good reputati
to live up to; let US better it. L
Us waste no time in complacent boa!
ing over past achievements either o
own or of those whose labors we ha
entered. Let US keep our eyes fix
on things ahead, intent always on t
duty of sober, irresistible advanC
We must be alive and alert, align
with the hosts of God against t
! - x,rv,,; ;dOy,o IF tho novil fOlIOmipo r