Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-09
WAR HAS SET SPIRITUAL
LEAVEN AT WORK IN FRANCE
Evidence Of It's Effects Disclosed in Great
Novel and in Book of Essays Remi-
niscent of Bacon

Is AND still books about tho war!"
Aexclaimed Doctor McTabre, as
he saw them piled on my table.
YES" I admitted. There is no
phase of tho fighting which has not
been written about. and no angle of ap.
effects of tho war from which some
writer has not begun his discussion"
How many war books have APP
peared?" owen wanted to know.
Nobody knows" said I. 81 was look
Ing over tho list Of one American
publisher yesterday and found nifty
seven separate titles. And this pub
Usher has not made n speciality of
war books. They have como from
tho presses of England and France
by the hundred, and the German pub.
fishers, and the Austrian and the
Italian publishers, TO say nothing OF
the Russians, have been providing for
their public all that they will read.
The total number Of titles will run
into the thousands"
Most OF tho books will be forgotten
in year or two" said Doctor Nc
Fabre without suggestion of doubt.
Most likely" I agreed. But
have been reading four war books
by French writer's this week, two Of
which, and possibly all four, l am
confident will live after the peace
treaties nro signed. l. have little
doubt about two of them, for they
impress me ns literature Of the kind
that lasts"
owen picked up Comrades In Cou.
rage" by Lieutenant Antoine Redicr,
on the paper wrapper of which he
read that 1t was "one of the three
truly great books that tho war has
brought forth In France"
This must he one of the two" he
remarked.
1.-THE boy guessed right the very
first time" | quoted. THE French
title, 'Meditations dams Ii Tranchcc,
describes it better than the title un-
der which It has been published here
/
Is philosopher. lie has written
tho kind OF essays Lord Ncrulam
might have written II he had been
brought face to face with large masses
Of men confronting death and had OBJ
/ served the effects of this great OK
/ perience Tho subjects he writes about
/ remind one OF Bacon: Duty, liberty,
| glory, strength, bravery, the God
/ of the armies, intelligence and honor.
/ A man sitting In his library and spin.
ming phrases out of his inner con
scioueness can write Interestingly of
/ these subjects. But man surround
/ ed by soldiers and equipped with n
mind which can analy2e the motives
, as manifested by the conduct and
! the remarks OF the men, can write
| something a thousand times more
worth while. This is what Lieutenant
| Reder has done. Take, for example,
/ his disucssion Of liberty. He begins
/ it by an allusion to some soldiers
who were restive under military dis.
clpline. They want to be free to do
as they please. Let me read what
he says about it:
They want the right to say every
thing. TO do anything, to overturn
everything. Personally. 7 want more
and less than that in order that my
soul may remain free.
Wise people have known for n long
time, and the masses have learned
1ihartN---tbat
Is to say true freedom of the will
does not exist. What exists is servi-
tude; all men, all beings, even the
most powerful have to submit to that
law.
At the present time we have the
choice between French discipline and
Germany tyranny, The only liberty
we can enjoy Is the preference of one
to the other Once the decision is
made, nobility consists In trying to
serve tho good cause without abase-
ment.
The important thing Is to dis
tinguish between good and evil
obedience and TO recognize among the
primary laws those 10 which, on ac-
count of his nature. man must sub
init.
But which are these necessary
laws?
In the material order Of things we
are beginning To recognize them.
Investigators and scientists
devote their attention TO finding them;
and when they have been formulated
business people apply them. That is
called progress and proves that as
regards matter the last word of prog
ress is not liberty" but the in
telligent obedience Of mankind to the
the laws Of the universe.
1t Is just the same In the spiritual
order of things.
Does not that impress you, doctor,
as n telling way of putting an old
TRUTH" l asked.
IL never saw it better put" said