The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1919-10-24
WAR IN THE RAW

It's author was a private soldier,
He served through the civil war on
the Union side. He told of the hard
ships he had to endure Had it been
written by a Confederate soldier the
sufferings endured could have been
hardly exaggerated.
Those who have seen war at first
hand almost TO man are in favor
OF the league OF nations because they
know something OF the hardships
horrors and brutalities of war by act
ual experience and observation.
Lodge. and Borah, and Norris. and
Johnson. and Reed, who are ranting
/ so much against the ratification Of
the league OF nations have never
smelt gun powder, they have never
looked into lannon's mouth when
| it was belching forth its missiles Of
death.
Did one read the memorial to con
gross adopted BY the Confederate
! Veterans at their late reunion in AT
Ianta? Did one read the memorial
addressed to the same body by the
American Legion at their meeting in
Jacksonville?
Only those who have learned what
war means by seeing with their owl
eyes what war does can favor the
league of nations to the fullest pos
sible degree.
The writer OF these lines has been
there and knows what it is His
father lost his life IN battle and two
of his sons, one in the Spanish-Am
erican war and one in the late war.
wore the uniform.
So he writes feelingly on the sub,
ject
Did one read the plea for the lea
que Of nation made in the final Is
sue OF stars and Stripes" the news
paper issued in France by and for
the American soldiers?
If not. read the annexed copy of
it and act upon it.
One will find it the most eloquent,
the most vivid and the most appeal |
ing that can be put into words.
The article would be almost con
yincing and converting to Senator
Reed if he did not hate Wilson so
for CHASING him among the 'willful
few"
The article was written by one
who had seen war face to face and
is addressed to men who have seen
war face to face.
II you have the slightest doubt
still lingering in your mind about
whether or not we should try the
league OF nations. read this editorial.
1t is the final issue of this soldier
newspaper-its last word to the men
whose voice it had been for nearly
two years.
The editorial is entitled War
AS We Know 1t.
1t is as follows:
The Flag on Ehrenbreitstein may
weather few more summers, but
this summer is the last that the A. /
E. F., as most of US know it, will
sweat through We've finished And
We have the satisfaction of knowing
that we did good job and we're
glad to quit
But can We carry the lesson
home?
Print can't do it,
Photographs can't do it,
Many will come to Bellau Wood, /
people who have read all about the
Great War Already worn paths !.
scar that once painless hell Those
people will see the twisted trees.
But they won't see the sprawling
forms beneath them. They will see
the bullet-bitten rocks. But they can
never visualize the trembling horror
Of lying in those creyices while the
German guns spat their death
, through the grass Here and there
they may pick up an empty she'll
But the fngerless hand protruding
from the rotting khaki blouse has
been graciously buried beneath
neat white cross.
The horror has been hallowed.
The misery has become picturesque,
the murder turned to romance.
And those little villages in the
valleys. Their strange. sad windows
look out across the fresh meadows
now like staring blinded eyes. They
are so still, so deathly still-not a