Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1919-05-29
DEF|ED MORALl
Why Kaiser and His Huns Were
Defeated.
Like Every Thing 81 Evil the Seeds
ef ~ Own Destruction Wers
Born With Autocratic Mad.
nsss, Pastor Deiieves.

A group Of men were standing
round the fireplace at the country
club after their game Of golf. They
were discussing the cause Of Ger.
many's defeat. One laid It to the
food shortage. another to American
forces. another to the diplomacy Of
the allied governments. which had
ranged against Germany virtually the
whole Of the civilized world.
Just at that point. DR.. Edgeworth.
the pastor Of local church. Joined
the group. and they turned to him for
his opinion. The good doctor thought
moment. and then he said slowly,
"You men know me we'll enough, I
think. to feel that / am not so mar
row that every thought l have ends
In church spire. And 80 you won't
think me guilty Of q pious platitude
when ! say that firmly believe that
the determining factor In Germany's
defeat was God.
do you remember" he continued,
what Victor Hugo said about Napo-
Icons defeat at Waterloo? II runs
this way: Was 1t possible for Ma
poleon to win ut Waterloo? We an,
swer, No. Why3 Because Of Wei.
lington? No. Because Of Butcher,
No. Because Of the rain? No. Be-
cause Of God. It was time this vast
man should fall. He had been I'm.
peached before the throne Of the In.
finite. and his fall had been decreed.
And then Victor Hugo adds, 'Napo.
leon bothered God"
'but l don't see how Hugo can
prove It." replied one of the men.
mo. he couldn't prove that the In.
tervention of God defeated Napoleon
at Waterloo" answered the doctor,
mot with mathematical precision. This
sort Of evidence II the most ticklish
In the world. but I heard an officer
from overseas say that he could lay
his finger on no less than three in
stances where nothing hut miracle
saved the allies.
"rhere are certain historical Incl.
dents TINT get written down as bear
Ing marks Of the Intervention Of God.
The storm that defeated the Spanish
armada Is one, and men are begin.
ming to look at the first battle Of the
Marne MS another Competent authort.
ties tells us that the German defeat
cannot be adequately explained on
human grounds. IF II Is true. as Her.
bert Spencer says. that We live In the
80 thN
thing must happen when that order
IL violated. That Germany violated
that. order no one doubts. and when
II did so Il was lighting against the
stars In their courses.
"The text that has been running
through my head ever since Germany
crumpled Is. Not by might. nor by
power. but by my spirit. saith the
Lord Of hosts and ! get lot Of
comfort "a I think Of II. Ours II n
wonderful world. Wonderful for its
chemistry. wonderful for its genmetric
precision. wonderful for its vital proc
esses. hut most wonderful Of NIL for
the moral purpose streaking Il like
veins Of gold. The world Is pitched
tn good It's movement Is that way.
Every evil thing has. therefore, the
seeds Of its own destruction horn with
II. Your Pharaohs. Sennacherihs
Neros. Attilas. M6hammeds. Alvas. Ma.
pcleons and Kaiser wilhelm IIs con.
tinually arise. putting the nations In
fear and threatening to uproot civili
xation itself. But there IL always
some rock on which their armadas
split some Moscow In which their ar
mics perish. Companion.