New-York tribune., 1919-12-25
Following the Star

1ty or InlS year NlliSeliao' IL
lacks the enthusiasm of last years
return of visible peace Oil earth. 1t
is many, many miles beneath the
solemn exaltation of the war Christ
masses, t.agic and terrible as they
were. There is a muddle of return
ing sel6shnesses, of returning parti-
sanships. more or less subdued in the
war. There is no singleness of aim,
or outlook, or eadership--in Amer
ica, at any rate Every one is vast
ing, and struggling, and spending.
Reaction is heavy upon US all.
Yet if Christmas finds US thus en-
veloped it is all the more welcome
and should be all the more signiti-
cant. 1t can give us season of
good will and friendliness, brief as it
is, and it can set before US once
again the old moral and lesson and
example that the day holds.
The truce of go,53 will is the more
obvious side of the day. There is
much of it in the air. Seldom if
ever has there been a Christmas Of
such spending and extravaganza and
luxury Everything has sold, the
more costly the more readily. Pres
ents never cost so much or were
passed about so abundantly. There
is no bread line at the lodging house.
Every one has job Wages were
never so high. The pinch of the
salaried classes is the one dark spot
on the gay horizon. OF superficial
gayety and good viii there is a
plenty.
But that is the least Of Christmas,
or should be the least Of Christmas.
As a period of organized selhshness
it has deserved all the blame it has
from time to time received at the
hands Of critics IF the day means
anything it is day Of rebirth and
rededicatlon to nothing less than
service and sacrifice Perhaps it is
because the idea of sacrifice is so far
from peoples minds at the moment
that the day is so largely incon-
gruous with the spirit of the hour.
The world seems much like a very
young Sunday school class that
has it's eyes fixed on the presents at
the foot Of the tree and misses the
star at the top altogether
The mood Will pass, and Christmas
will help it to pass. For the beauty
of the day is inescapable. What
ever ones faith, the facts of the day
its rich and ancient lore it's clear,
ringing JOY for the only ones that
matter, our children, for whom we
are preparing the world as best we
can-erip the dourest heart and
smooth out the most wrinkled front.
The plain friendliness Of the day is
infinitely precious. For it is largely
from a decline Of friendliness, the
increased distance that has grown
between humans, between employer
and employee, that we are suffering.
Man to man is the truest clew to in
dustrial convalescence. And it is
the spirit of Christmas incarnate.
We shall never get out of our
slough of discomfort and unrest and
ill feeling by any laws or get-well-
quick remedies. Yet how quickly
the whole face of the problem would
be changed and peace on earth be re-
stored If the fund of generosity and
good will and self-sacrihce In the
world could be increased by very
small fractionl That should and
can be the exact service of Christ
mas to the world and to US all. 1t Is
a simple formula, as clear and COM
pelling as child's affection. There
is no one who can resist good will
1t can be applied in every household,
in every Office, in every business, in
every factory, by every employer, by
every frada Y1nion hv ovorv ON.