Williston graphic., 1918-06-27

What word can be given to thu
father or mother who has seen sor
march away to war?
What can be said to the parent who
has tossed open-eyed until dawn, won
dering how it all would end?
What message can go to him or tc
her who has spoken cheerful words
when tears were yelling, who mas
seen the empty chair, who has walk
ed into silence where once there was
q sons voice?
Brave fathers and mothers are they
who have given up million sons to
risk their all in the struggle for world
decency. Uncomplaining they 60 their
way, but in the still of the night there
come thoughts.
In London restaurant young
wife was serving at the tables. A
man in khaki came in-her husband:
He extended hand, and she pressed
it in both of hers.
The husband had offered his SER
vices in the early days of the war,
but was rejected as physically unfit.
But now-now England needs men to
help hold the lines. So, what if this
man has one bad eye? He can level
a gun with the other. What if his
form is no robust? His head has
overcome that before and can again.
There they stood and talked in
hushed voices-husband and wife,
hand in hand, the scene too sacred
for any thought of impatience on the
part of the waiting guests.
Then she kissed him, and patted his
shoulder encouragingly as he left. She
watched him descend the stairs, a
culver coming to her chin and lips.
She asked another maid to take up
the work of serving her tables and
disappeared into a cloak room.
When she came out her eyes were
wet, but her head was erect, her step
firm, her whole bearing one Of resolu-
tion.
And so it is that brave young wives
of America shed their tears in the
secret of their closets as do no less
brave wives of Britain and the equal
ly brave wives of France.
And what can there be in mes
sage for them?
We all love peace, but we are at
war.
Can aught be gained by CLOSING
over war when we are In the con-
flict?
We are not people who must de-
ceive ourselves into the thought that
war is mere game when the instru-
ments of play are rifle and bayonet,
machine gun and bomb.
He is best armed who knows his
task.
Ours is people Of that stern met
tie that can look Grim War straight
in the face and buckle in for that
long, hard winning fight that will beat
him down.
1t must be so for we have entered
and there is no turning back.
Our people may not have been a
unit for entering the war, but we are |
and must continue unit for pushing
it to a right finish and an honorable
peace.
1t must be so for this is more than |
a war for the life of a nation. This
is war for keeping the life blood of |
all nations, which flows in honor
among peoples, in keeping sacred the |
given word, in ending world brigandage
and cheating ruthless military spirit
of its unholy reward.
+ Wars of nations are won by pit
ting men against men-justice of
cause, numbers, equipment, food, skill,
relative position, staying quality, unity
of action, they count.
How stands it, then, with our boys
over seas and those to follow? Which
means, how stands it with our people
as nation? Which means, how
stands it with the stars and stripes
and all they have meant to a free
people? Which means how stands it
with England, proud mistress of the
sea? Which means how stands it
with France and other nations in the
conflict? Which means, how stands
it with world civilization? Shall it's
future be built in the arts of peace,
swayed by the love in the heart, rest
ing its hope in fertile valleys, hum
ming industry, peaceful firesides, or
shall it wear helmet and spur riding
the steed of hatred, pushing its way
with the thrust of the bayonet?
:: How it stands with these depends
largely on how it stands with Amer
: leans at home.
Our people must understand the
enemy they have to fight; they must
understand, too, the strength Of our
allies, and that which we must sup
ply to make the winning sure.
The great conflict centers in the
western front; there RACES the strug-
gle Of peoples who love the arts Of
peace against a people who would
rule by the sword. g.. ~. T. ~
In 1909, when Napoleon Bonaparte
was having things very much his own
way in Europe, he whipped Prussia,
took a large portion of Prussian ter
ritory and about half of Prussian SUBJ
incts awav froy,o +ho pruo o;on onvo,.