Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-15


IL matter of physical courage-something
which YOU probably know already but
which needs repeating. Physical courage
is about the cheapest, most widely dis
tributed virtue which the world has in it's
arsenal-not that it isn't fine and thrill
ing and admirable. 1t Is all that and L
have seen enough of it to redeem. my falth
in mankind. But it is not exceptional
Lord the average human being Is mag
nifcent in extremity and for that let us
be thankful.
ITO PUT it differently, I once heard
L Major Rockwell, first-rate surgeon
who recruited the Columbia Ambulance
Company in which I enlisted, say that one
man is about as brave as another, and that
the two things that count are brains ana
endurance. Not that there aren't genuine
ambusques (slackers), some intelligent, eou-
Gated ones, too, who haven't room IN thelr
narrow hearts for the greatest emo'loh
that has ever swept over this earth. Not
that there aren't worms who shoot them
calves in the foot rather than 90 into
the trenches-very low and rare mental
It ia chiefly the lower types whose de-
velopment can be furthered by pelng maze
to pass through the ordeal by fire.
DUT no really first-class person needs
ID to pass through this ordeal-needs to
nrove his courage Courage, both moral
and physical is the inalienable possession
of every first-class person. Chances are
he never had to win it himself-his an
cestors settled that for him two or three
generations before. But he's got It, and
when he runs away from serious respon-
sibilities in order to prove something which
is already self-evident. he is merely in
dulging in romantic folly.
T BELIEVE that this war. and Americas
l. entrance into the war, are the greatest
events in the history of the world, and that
compacted in all the suffering and tragedy
and heartbreakng trifiing and boredom
there is the most glorious hope that ever
came into mems hearts-the most stu
pendous vindication of the divinity OF man.
The health of the world, the sane,
courageous youth of the world, the i'm
mortal distractions Of truth and decency,
armed and fighting, are going to kick the
| whole paraphernalia Of medievalism into
| the dustheap; armies and ornaments and
| military castles and military science-all
on the junk pile like used tin soldiers.
| The child is growing up and wants other
! toys) A lot of false religion is going A
| lot of narrow and unenlightened patriotism
| is going. A lot of vicious and antisocial
| commercialism is going. All these things
are going to happen-not all at once. but
swept along in the rush of this vast tide. of
! creative energy which the breaking up of
the Old World has set loose.
TT IS good to remind oneself of this. q
| i am afraid put 1t little too rhetor-
icaliy1 1t saves one from doing frivolous
things. The world can't be saved by the
fine gesture of the young man who dies
hehting bravely for his country. That Is
| part of it. of course. but the present
emergency" as the enlistment papers call
It, is bigger than that. The world will be
| saved by the men who come over here and
| fight the Germans; by the Germans like
! IAebknecht and Lebedour and Scheide-