Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1918-06-28

Gertrude Anterior. The in CT t
would not be
worth mentioning If 1t were not for the
reflection that the American race
worShips Success. For generations it
has toadied~to wealth, no matter how
ill-gotten, and every man who achieves
power, by whatever devious ways, is
secretly envied and openly courted.
The majority Of Americans are easy
going, Indifferent, unidealistic and not
very clever. They are also intensely
personal and only ask to be let alone.
It Is possible that the mass, there
fore, unless 1t has a real awakening,
would, provided the Germans, in the
remote event of victory, were adroit
enough to leave them large amount
Of individual liberty. shrug their Shout
ders ard say: well, guess they must
he right or they couldn't win out.
Nothing to do but come round. Times
change anyhow"
"Abominable Prospect"
This is an ahcmlnahle prospect, but
1t is TO be faced Dur world, over here,
in the event of German domination,
would be divided into two classes
mean converts and proud Irreconcia-
blcs-fOr even In this new and COM
poste country there are enough men
and women with high ideals and In
violate souls to despise a race With
out a CLEAN Of spirituality, of sports
manshlp, Of decency and good man.
ners, In whom cunning has taken the
place Of intelligence, and that wins
only by driving its millions OF cowed
subordinates to mathematical slaugh-
ter One cannot even respect such a
race enough to hate 1t. 1t is rs If one
had been attacked by herd OF wild
animals from the jungle. These that
escape being devoured may at least
withdraw as far as possible, not re-
mould themselves into a scmblance Of
Wild beasts with a lust for human flesh.
"Cock-Sureness a Bluff"
have not the faintest notion that
the Germans will win. All the proba-
bilities are against 1t. Moreover, If
one projects his mind forward 1t Is In
conceivable that history can read that
way. The general conditions of the
world are not what they were in the
Fifth Century-that is to say, unless
the idea grew insidiously that 1t was
the destiny of the Germanic race to
win and rule the earth In other words,
that it was the destiny Of Earth to re-
vert to the Fifth Century and begin
over again. 1t Is incredible that such
a thought should take possession OF
any educated mans mind, but the
trouble is that our famous tand Often
sive) cock-sureness Is only bluff. As
a race we are not really sure Of our
selves. We prove that by blindly &C
cepting the European-made reputation
and hesitating to create and come out
boldly for our own. Those Of us that
think and have the power to visualize
the future must be on the alert every
moment to counte-act this tendency
Of an uncrystallized race to accept the
success of might as q matter of course
and unconsciously adapt Itself to the
INEVITABLE" We must be known as
the IRRECONCILABLES, and If we
take a definite uncompromislng stand
there will be only one result-the men
of real courage who might otherwise
look upon a new future philosophical
ly" will not only wake up under the
direct example, but will be ashamed
to be reckoned as mere numbers In
the great mass of sheep or convicts.
There is no such insidious lowering of
morale threatened as this, because 1t
is not of German, Pacifist or Socialist
origin. 1t is born Of common human
weakness and national snobbery. The
result will be a vast. mass Of inertia,
and only a party of sleepless lrrecon-
cilables will combat and diminish 1t.