The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-10-16

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We shall not sleep, though poppies
grow
In Flanders feds
- However beautiful may be the eX-
preston in this poem, it seems sub
ordinate to the thought, and need not
detain us here. The dead speak in
these lines, and we who live must
heed.
There can be no question as to the
outcome Of this war. The spiritually
and intellectually civilized part of the
world has resolved that the portion
Intellectually civilized only must be
suhdued If this portion had kept
the peace it would have been left to
breed and barter in its own material
isra; but it broke the peace and came
rayening out. of its jungle
The Germans know that they are
going to be beaten, as well as the AL
lies know it. For months, however,
Germany has hoped, and she still
hopes, that; by some chance she may
make q. peace which will favor her
greater or less degree. Germany
knows that the spiritually civilized
world did not want war and long ago
!. came to hate this war forced upon
{ it. IT is here that we must heed the
voice of those who lie in Flanders
fields. "If We break faith!
The creatures called, for want OF a
more precise term, 'paciflsts. have
grown constantly less numerous. Noise
rather than numbers distinguished
them even from the first. But to
millions Of our people there comes
sometimes the temptation to long for
peace, even though it falls short Of
victory. Has not the torch been car
ried almost far enough? Even if
taken up, may it not be held a little
less high?
These millions of our people" are
made up of the fathers and mothers
of the soldiers who have gone to the
front: we are thinking particularly OF
the. mothers.
You are the mother Of the son with
our forces overseas. A whisper comes
to you that the Germans are ready for
Just peace This whisper may come
from a neighbor, or it may come IN
print, or in some other way. The
eneighbor, or the author of the lines
in print, may be only foolish, or he
may be synlpathizer with Germany
Your son is. beyond the Flanders
crosses, row on row, along the dan
ger line, facing the exploding shells
and poison gas Of the Implying enc
: my. Other men in his company have
been killed. Perhaps you would be
more than human If you did not al
least listen to these whispers. Per
haps 1t is not strange if you are
tempted to believe, and to say, "We
must make the just peace the Ger
mans are willing to accept No'
strange!-with peace your boy come:
home, without It he stays to face the
exploding shells and the poison.
But what of the son of anothe1
mother, who sleeps in Flanders
fields? owe are the dead If h
eo,1fd speak, would he say, Let then
haye their peace? The answer ha
been made by one now himself .
their company:
.If We break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though popple
grow
In Flanders fields"
That your son may know imme
date safety it must not be that thos
ether women's sons died in vain. The
have given the "last full measure
devotion and they. more than W
Who have given almost nothing, ar
emitted to speak. Take up GU
Quarrel with the foe" 1t must no
b., that their deah was fruitless. no
n,ust the son of your son be force
to go through this same ordeal
ouarter-century from now.
For Of course the point is here
The Germans do not want Jus
peace. A just peace means the wlpln
out of their whole military macEln
and most of their dangerous feuds
system Of government. A just peac
means the hanging of a considerabi bi
n,,noher CT Germans Of high ran