The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-12-06

leaders of thought for the special glorification of Great Britain. For once in their news spreading lives the papers of the country have called the homeland Britain" by it's proper name which it may be hoped is but the beginning of long needed and a just reform-but that is another story. Why, 1t may be asked, are arrangements being made all over the country to celebrate Britain's Day? And the answer is not far to seek The newspapers for four years have been full of "the why'' lectures of national reputation have been thun- dering from platforms in every town and city of this broad land "the why" returning soldiers and sailors have been telling in various ways 'the | why" special articles in magazines, | and war books, mighty host, have ! been graphically explaining ''the ! why' and yet there are those who for l various reasons are still asking why, 1 and when you come to think of it, the | question is not so blamed easy to | answer after all. There must have 1 been something in the conduct of the 1 mother country to have reused the l profound admiration of the great ! heart of her independent daughter, that che, the daughter sets aside a day out of her busy life to tell her, the mother, of it, to compliment her oD 1t, and to weld another link in the Anglo-Saxon chain that encircles the world.
 The causea of the war and the terms of the Entente Alliance are beside the point here, although many notable Germans have freely admitted Britain's innocence in the former and we have 1t on good authority that one of the points of agreement with France was that in case of war with Germany, Britain was to send the strength of her standing army, 250, ,000 men and her entire navy to the as- sistance of France. It is well to re- member this in considering that Brit ain really did do. For 1t is well known now as a matter of fact that the British have lost by death, or the battlefield alone, over four times the number of men they agreed to put in the field to help France. This does not Include the partially or totally dis abIed which number nearly three
 
 ties which foot up many thousands, but the complete list of which has not yet been made public. These things are common property and are only repeated here to emphasize the point that Britain did not consider any sac rifice too great to block the onslaught of unclaimed savagery. The reverses and successes of British arms have Jn !, ings and sacrifices, Britain alone knows. Well she knew that the great underlying question beneath all po- litical and military camoufage was, Shall Anglo-Sa Eon civilization or Teuton Kultur' reign supreme on the earth?" Fully she realized that the issue had to be met in the cockpit of Europe for If Paris and London were to fall then Gold help New York and the civilization Of the West. We were slow, we were laggard, we perhaps played politics in our high places, but in our heart of hearts we never forgot our Anglo-Saxon heritage. Like mother, like daughter, America fol- lowed for three years the proverbially cautious tactics of Britain. She took three years 10 wake up, to understand that the war was as such a part of her concern, as 1t was that of Great Britain, that Britain threw herself into the breach unprepared and un- trained and stopped the beast at frightful and staggering cost, that she was in short, fighting Americas fight Perhaps it is because we now realize this, that we are a little shame-faced about 1t and willing to give credit where credit is due, and tell oul mother that she is a pretty good sor of old lady after all It is a funny thing, the pulse of the people ant concrete opinion is the expression O 1t, it is not the exclamation of the mob, nor the hysterical ravings of thu rabble, but the quiet force tha n@ulds the thought and action O everyday life and calls for praise O blame from the deeps of great convic ton It is what overthrows king and turns down the aspirations O presidents and decides the fa tes O nations A nation cannot fail who's pulse beats true to the highest mora values of Christianity, and by th same law, no nation can last who's teachers educate it's people that mora values are futile and that the ele ments of success are militarisn ant brute force. Political and militaT leaders may compound all sorts 0 schemes for the so-called progress O the nation, but if the living heart o the people does not beat in uniso with these schemes they will come t naught- Man proposes and Go dispoaes" may be freeely translate or transposed to Modern America "The leader proposes but the will c the people disposes."
 It would not be safe to prophesiz the outcome of the peace congress bU the generous soul of the America
 people does not stop to consider th
 political parleys, nor the fate of dt feated nations. She has awakened 1
 the fact that Britain has done fs
 more than her due share in this wa
 that she has borne the greatest bu1
 dens, that she has made untold sacr
 fees, and come what will, she is
 throw wide her arms on Dec. ar
 will cry across the waters, Come
 my arms Mother, my dear, de;
 mother, for all our squabbling, yc
 have done well, mother and I and IT
 children are proud of you and iapI
 that your clean blood runs in or
 veins.''
 America is just a little bit ashamt
 of being so laggard, she acknowledg
 with admiration the grit and achiev
 ments of Britain and will be forev
 grateful for Britain's sacrifices
 doing her bit' to stop the bea
 from polluting the freedom