The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-08-20
"THE PATHOs OF DISTANCE,

In England and France / have seen
things which l wish could be burned
into the conscience of every business
man in the United States. have seen
factories in ruins, office buildings
blown to bits, commercial districts,
miles in extent, lying deserted and
silent, grass growing in the streets
like places of the dead-everything
that years perhaps hundreds of years
of patient industry had built up and
passed on as a heritage from father
to son-all vanished
We in America have known nothing
like this. We can know nothing like
it. Thanks to our Allies these expert
ences will be kept from us. That
factory of yours in New England, that
nine of your neighbours in Michigan
that farm own in Iowa-they are be-
ing protected today by the untold sac
rifices of the soldiers. the business
men, the women of England and
France. Why then should we COM
plain? Why should we be wall less
ened profits? Why should we rage
at the disaster, Inconvenience, hard
conditions? Our business! Let me
tell you something more of what "our
business" means in England and
Francois | have seen it. l talked
with business executives past their
prime, men so old and weary that
they would be glad to stop a bit and
rest before they die. Yet they carry
on. They battle with conditions which
in month, week, a day may sweep
everything out of existence. : talked
to barber-the sole survivor of four
brothers. | was chartered by a one
time British capitalist was his own
car--Sand one of his legs, a soldiers
reward, was made in the United
States.
These business men overseas, our
Allies are war weary. The strain is
great, the enemy strong. Bitter is
their lot, But do they protest? Do
they despair? No! Grimly they car
ny on. Again and again they send
their sons to the battle front. Their
! daughters-they see them rise at six
| in the morning to search the casualty
lists for the name of a brother or
sweetheart, then depart for a long
days wor kin factory, field or Office.
| They themselves-eyen their nights
are not given them for rest. When
evening comes they report for special
duties. In the British capital thirty
thousand of them-bankers, lawyers
lords and sirs, the shop-keeper OF
London, men too old too crippled, toe
sick TO serve at the front-police the
darkened city streets.
1t was in London when sons OF
these men gave their lives to plug VI
the neck of Zeebrugge Harbor. fel
liiChs hIO" llO"s lhal ny Una
heroic deeds, they defended not only
\ the Thames and coast of Kent, but the
harbors of Boston, New York, Char
lesion. Those lads over there stanC
on guard before our mills, our stores
our homes. Their spirit-their will t.
win at any COSTS emulated by theil
business elders at home.
Our business? Our profits? Oul
lives? Good God, will we ever opei
our eyes to see the truth? Can W.
ever repay the debt we owe? TIT
time has come for us, the commercial
men of this country to relieve oui
French and British Allies overseas o
their appalling burden. Their sol
diers are now our soldiers, as truly al
if they wore our uniform; and ou
boys are theirs. Business over there
too is American business. 1t is fight
ing the battle that will save us, alont
with the people of England ant
France, from destruction. A British
or French plant wiped out in al
American plant wiped out. A Frencl
town bombed is an American tow
bombed. Blood drawn there W,
bleed also. We are one allied peopl
in this fight. And united we stand
ON both sides of the sea!
E. T. MEREDITH.
Member American Mission to Grea
Britain and France.