Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-01
Wartime Recollections

To the Editor Of the Euening Public Ledger:
Sir-Four years ago today Philadelphians
were startled. amazed. dumfounded-but in
an academic. impersonal sort of a way-at the
news that Germany had declared war on
Russia. A few weeks earlier we had read in
the newspapers about the assassination of
the Austrian archduke by Serbian youth,
and during the days that followed we read
with more or less interest of the gathering
war clouds over the Balkans" But what
of that? Austria and Serbia were thousands
and thousands of miles away and Philadel-
phians. with the exception of Colonel George
Nox Mccain and a few other local globe
trotters, knew little or nothing about those
distant countries. AS for the war Clouds"
who that had read THE Light That Failed
had not laughed over the war correspond
ents in that story and how they spent
large portion of their lives watching that
selfsame war cloud over the Balkans" or
at least. similar war clouds, always planning
to be first on the scene, but forever doomed
to disappointment. for the ominous war
cloud always dissipated and blown
away at the very moment when 1t seemed
most likely to break into the Great Storm.
What long, long time ago it seems since
the headlines flashed the news of the out
break of the great war across the front pages
of our local papers, and what a lifetime Of
things have happened during those four
years!
During the first week in August four years
ago, when the monstrous gray-green military
maCnlne OF the German empire WAS pluNSii6
its dagger-like battering-ram through Bel
GUM, and France and the vast British en-
pire were plunging into the conflict. do you
remember how everybody in Philadelphia and
way stations was terribly excited and worked
up- - d.
About what? The fate of Belgium or
France? Not at all those concerns came
later. The big sensation of the day, during
that fateful week. in August, 1914. in our
town and other good-sized villages (not
excluding the Island Of Manhattan) was the
CLOSING OF THE STOCK EXCHANGES I!
Think of 1t, folks-the most resounding echo
in our midst in those first days of the war
was the TREMENDOUS news that the Stock
Exchange had been closed, and nobody knew
but that the whole vast temple of finance
might crumbe and fall to earth!
But today, after the events of the last six
teen or seventeen months, and particularly
after the recent happenings along the Marne,
the very recollection seems preposterous. well
nigh unbelievable. For from the southern
most reaches of "The Neck to the ''furthest
north" of Somerton, and from the tip-end of
the longest Delaware avenue pier to the ex-
tremest boundary of Cobbs Creek Park. there
Is hardly home from which relative or a
friend has not gone forth to battle; and there
is not one circle Of friends but feels today
the absence Of one of it's members. =
Not until that June day. more than year
ago, when Secretary Baker, blindfolded.
drew from the big glass bowl down there in
washington "A slip OF paper bearing tne
number "25s"--not until that little slip of
paper was taken from the capsule in which
1t had been contained and the number flashed
by wire and wireless to Philadelphia and to
every other way station on the line-not
until that moment did the war come home
to u.s. For mo. 25S' was not mere num-
ber but human being, human being that
we all ,know--some young fellow between
the ages of twenty-one and thirty-one, who
| had been selected by Uncle Sam to make up
the first overseas contingent of American
troops going to fight in the great war.
From that day on Philadelphia and every
| other city knew that we We're in the war
| Our friends went away In citizens clothes
| as we had always known them. and came
| back In uniform-soldiers Not a street in
| the city but contributed its quota not store,
not a factory, not an office of any size but
| felt that at last the fingers of the great
mailed hand Of Mars had reached out and
| touched u.s.
And SO August /, 1918, finds the River
Marne nearer to US and more significant te
| US than the Schuylkill. Rheims is no Longer
merely the city of a once magnificent cathe
| dral, but a place where Philadelphia boys are
| living, fighting and dying Scissors means
more to us than Norristown, and Chateau.
| Thierry Is nearer to the heart of our city ant
| it's people than Pottstown, Reading, Harris
| burg or any other city. no matter how neal
| geographically. can ever be- s
| Four years ago today finance trembled II
the balance, and Philadelphia and way sta
/ lions closed their Stock Exchanges Today
| finance is forgotten. except as an incidsnta
necessity. For 'ths past and present are !,
deadly srsppls sne tns psoRlss q ths verl;