The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-01-11
KAISER COMPARED
TO MAD INCENDIARY
WHO HAS SET FIRE TO
CIVILIZATIONS HOUSE

by Meredith Nicholson:
Civilization may be likened to a
house where family lives in COM
fort and ease and the enjoyment of
the privileges and security that rep
resent thousands of years of labor
When house is on fire it becomes
the instant duty of the neighbors
and of the government Immediately
responsible for the protection of the
householder to render aid-not to-
day or tomorrow, but the moment
the flames become visible and il
is known that the home and its in
mates are threatened.
House on fire! We hear cries in
the street, the rattle and jar of the
engines and hose carts as they hurry
to the scene of conflagration. The
fire is spreading; not one but a
hundred homes are threatened!
Torch to Civilizations House
When the Kaiser began his war
for world domination he applied a
torch to that House of Civilization
| have visualied as a home, the
repository of every good and perfect
gift that has been won for hu-
mainly, the very freedom that is
its foundation, and the peace that
is its corner stone.
The Kaiser is mad incendiary.
He stole upon the House of Civiliza-
ton in the night and tossed burn
ing brand through an open window.
Like thief who applies a match to
the rear of house to stampede the
inmates and distract their attention
while he plumbers, the Kaiser ex-
pected to SATISFY -pondered
scheme of robbery and conuest Civil
lization slept the sleep of peace to
awake in terror.
The kaiser's army, perfected
through years of stern training to
aid the pyromaniac lord of the Ho-
henzollerns in his malign purposes,
has resorted to every conceivable
atrocity to terrorize civilization
not merely to destroy its house but
to murder the inmates or reserve
them for more hideous fate than
death.
When we say that this is a war
to make the world a safe place for
democracy, we mean that it is to
preserve that House of Civilization
in which democracy is the altar and
sanctuary.
House on fire! 1t is not for YOU
and me to stand outside and say
that 1t is only a neighbours house
that is menaced The first German
soldier who set foot on Belgian soil
threatened your home and mine. He
flourished his brand at the house of
civilization in which you and | live.
he attacked law, liberty, mercy, JUS
tice - everything that strengthens
and adorns that proud house in
which we of America have lived in
contentment and peace.
There are things in the humblest
home that the owner would not
lose without struggle. When the
house gets afire the inmates spring
to protect and save those things.
We of America are in this war to
protect and save the house of civil
cation and the proud trophies that
represent not only our own strug-
giles and sacrifices but those we in
herited from sires who shed their
blood for them
Put Out the Fire Quickly"
Put out the fire. The more quickly
we realize that it is our house that
Is burning, the more quickly we shall
be free to cut away the blackened
walls and make the house habitable
and secure. We want to see the
firemen dispense, the police hustle
the incendiary to the lookup. and
the adJusters come in and settle the
damages.
The way to hasten this consumma-
ton is by aiding our firemen-our
Army and Navy-in every possible
way. If we can't carry water or
WELD the ak on burning timbers,
we can stand back of the men who
are doing the work-our work. YOURS
and mine. We can pour out orr
dollars to help them. We can see
that the fire fighters are fed and
clothed while they are on the lob:
we can take care of them when thew
fall injured in our cause.
House on fire! Civilization on firel
The man who says this is not
Americas war is asleep in a burning
house and does not deserve to be
saved by the splendid valorous fire
men who are fighting to rescue him
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