Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1919-07-14

round Of applause. DR.. Mcdbury is a
very pleasing speaker, but the charm
last night lay more in the impaSsioned
| reasoning Of the address than in its
forms of Oratory. Thought struck fire
on the anvil of reason, and the great
audience was literally held breathless
with an array of fact and persuasion
that both charmed and convinced.
The appeal was especially to the
young. The signing Of the treaty of
Versailles June 2Sth of this year added
a new living day to the calendar of
the world. DR.. Medbury gave close
up" Of rehabilitation at Camp Dodge
and touched the heart of his audience
with graphic picture Of the pathOs of
the boys saying good bye to each other
as they separate at the depot homeward
bound. There was generous and happy
tribute to the vast army of American
boys who did not get the glory and
distinction of going to France but who
nevertheless, were an integral part
of the force that brought Germany to
her knees.
The lecture pointed out that the war
has not Of itself settled any Of the vast
problems Of our civilization. Not only
is everything now not over but every
thing has, but just begun. Having won
the great war all the vast world-prOb-
lens are set forth in the worldwide
restlessneSs which afflicts all the ends
of the earth. DR.. Medbury was ire
mendously earnest in his assertion that
the world-prOblems will only be solved
by the same spirit of sacrifice and CO.
operation that won the war, and his
plea was that Americans should not
slip back to the old inane forms of
social and business life but should stay
in the harness and keep company with
the twenty million wounded who can
not slip back hut must live out the
sacrifice to the very day Of their death.
Besides beating Germany to her
knees the great war, Dr. Medbury de-
clared, had won six great victories III
the realm Of American ideals. First |
the war had demonstrated that in
democracy was both character and
power. From the days of the Amer |
lean Revolution to the time America |
entered the world war Europe was
skeptical about democracy and
did not believe that it had either char
acter or power. The war gave us a
chance to demonstrate that democracy
can organize so as to eventually beat
the best trained troops of Germany.
Democracy Is Force.
In these days of stress it has been
proven that democracy is an efficient
workable form of political OrganiZa-
ton. Our organization has surpassed
and beaten the boosted efficiency OF
Germany. In this connection DIR.
Medbury took time to criticise the cur
rent disposition in certain quarters to
criticise and investigate everything
with the war. He said that
doubtless mistakes had been made, but
that they had been the mistakes that
were natural to novices learning how
to get at world tasks.
The. war had also completely killed
the idea of force as an ultimate power
In the worlds life. the address declar-
ed. The kaiser was the synonym of
force, and Dr. Medbury quoted with
scorn the kaiser's imperial blaSphemy.
1t all seems grOtesque now, but it is.
triumphant democracy that has robbed
the kaiser's force of its power for
harm.
We have also demonstrated to the
world that real civilization is based on
the ethics Of the NaZarene The lectur-
ar showed this by reminding his audi
ance of the character and quality OF
The great questions now challenging
the attention of mankind The current
problems that grip the international
mind, as well as the public mind in
America, are: The question Of human
the vital interest of per-
sonal purity. public sObriety, the vari-
1us problems of social justice. world
peace, human brotherhood and the very
operations afoot looking to-
ward the evangeliZatiOn Of the whole
world. These vital problems all center
in religion, and the lecture last night
Iuoted Alfred Moves. Lloyd George,
John Il. Mott, General Pershing and
Marshal FOch to show that religion is
FRANKLIN l. DRAKE