davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-12-25
A mafrIr- Ntnlrt pruyrr

A LMIGHTY GOD, Father of all mankind, at
the end of year in which malice has
often thwarted love- we join the prayers of
all Thy children around the world for peace,
the elevation Of justice and of brotherhood.
Thou, Creator, Possessor of all things,
Who didst make the earth for the races of
men and didst set bounds for their habitation,
forgive us our greed as we repent of our sin,
and restore to all hearts the recognition of
the transcendent right of human life to live.
Open our eyes, we beseech Thee, to the
dignity of labor, the sacredness of human
service, and the privileges of production, that
nation may join nation and man may join
justly, in honest work to replenish
devastated earth.
Quicken the sympathy of hearts made
dull by reports and sights of suffering, incom-
prehensible and needless.
Call us again that we may bow before
the eternal laws of creation, putting aside
malice, envy, covetousness and brutality, to
enter into the peace of the sons of the Most
High.
Hasten by Thy gracious providence and
by the consecrated efforts Of Thy children
the coming of Thy worldwide kingdom where
Justice mercy and love shall rule the hearts
and hands of men.
Create in us, o Lord clean hearts, and
renew right spirits for the coming year.
This we ask in the spirit of Jesus Christ,
our only Hope.
Amen.
e e e
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-12-25

m o Mexico City and Montevideo, the prayer vas
cabled for South and Central America To
Shanghai it was also cabled, and from there it was
relayed to Japan, the Philippines Malaysia and
Oceania. From Lahore, India, it was distributed
throughout India and the surrounding countries; to
Recht Persia and to Beirut Syria, for the Levant to
Cairo for the northern stretches of Africa to Boobo
for the darkest places of the Congo to Durham for
South Africa for the Zulu and the Boer. To Uppa-
sala, Sweden; and Zurich, Switzerland, for all the
countries of Europe From each of these mission
it relayed to the out-stations everywhere and
the missionaries will receive it in the language Of the
people of their districts and in every Protestant mis-
sion station, great small, it will be spoken at spe-
cal Night-Watch services on New Years eve
And when merrymakers are throngng through
the Boulevard DIES Italiens Paris streaming along
the Strand pressing along the lighted sidewalks of
Broadway, trudging through the Bund in Shanghai
waiting for the ringing of the New Year in churches
and in chapels of them made of marble ard
some of them made of mud, Christian people of the
will be hearing the prayer that went around the world,
the prayer for guidance to replenish devastated
earth and stay the unrest of perplexed peoples.
- llzzz,KilI|
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-12-25

13H IIH the prayer around the world the New Year
will be usherel in. In thousand tongues it
will be spoken at Watch-N Night services in and els
tant places; in the great cities of the western world
less than in distant villages eastern hills It will
be heard by the kneeling woman in New York pew,
verts with bowed heads by Hindu listening
reverently with their folded crosswse their
breasts by Persian japanese, Syrian, Russ, indeed
by all the peoples Of the world.
From New York. its starting point the prayer has
been around the world by the InterChurch World
Movement of North America, movement to bring
about Protestant cooperation By telegraph it has
been sent the great denominations of this country;
by cable it has gone to every foreign cline. Thus
it has been dispatched to every mission center every
where and from every mission center it has gone
tant mission station near and far.
This prayer is the first to be sent around the
world the first to be translated into thousand
languages and spoken simultaneously in countless
places. With voice, though in many tongues it
calls for the elevation of justice and of brotherhood
and appeals for the Fastening of that Kingdom where
justice mercy and love shall rule the hearts and hands
of men,
yrTy~1 E=r =
New Britain herald., 1919-02-01

had been signed we had exactly six more hours of fighting.
 T had crossed the Piave with my battery Tho orders were to fight on with the maximum intensity. The enemy was retreating in 8 great and disorderly rout. Only here and there an enemy battery or machine-gun nest put up some resistance.
 T had to follow the order and my guns and my men never worked more perfectly. The rapidity of our fire was maddening. The results among the routed enemy, who were grouped by hundreds and thousands along vis- ib1e roads and open fields, were stag gering.
 If I were not wearing a uniform I would have stopped firing. Thousands of atrocious thoughts went through my mind.a In spite of the fact that I had the greatest contempt for thSse beast ly Huns, on account of their unspeak- able crimes against humanity and of all the cruel and outrageous sufferings they had inflicted on our people, it
 
 them the last moment of the war.
 God! shall never be able to forget those six hours. I would be the hap piest man on earth if I could erase that experience off my mind. It was right, it was justice. From whatever angle you look at it they deserved all they got; but oh, what pains went through my heart.
 When l was a boy in the Abruzzi stepped once unknowingly on worm. When I observed the one half of it which had not been crushed suffering and struggling against death, l cried bitterly.
 This absolute aversion to destroying life. which is so strong in my nature, became more intense after learning that we had only a few more hours of fighting. and I must admit that it was very hard to keep my tears in check.
 Every few minutes I looked at my
New Britain herald., 1919-02-01

wouldn't kill rabbit if they paid me a thousand lire. I wouldn't kill even fly. It's terrible. If dogs were good to eat, maybe they would shoot my poor little Fedele''
 That was the last time I saw Mario until the spring of 1916, at 8 training camp in a mountain town not very far away from Rome. He recognized me first. If he hadn't told me who he was I would never have known him. He was a second lieutenant in the artll- lery and his speech and manners were those of a perfect gentleman. He had also grown up to be a strong. robust and very good-looking youth.
 Goodness" said, how long have you been in the army?"
 Seven months" he replied; "six months at the military school in Turin, where I got my commission, and one month here"
 'Why, thought you were too young to be called to the colors," l re- marked.
 1T wasn't called, sir: I volunteered
 LOU VOlunLSSFeQ! | Sa1C WILL SoAIA0 astonishment, recalling the last con- versation I had had with him eight years before, 1T thought you said once you wouldn't kill a fly. What do you expect to do when you go up to the front?"
 He gave me a severe military look, mixed with a significant smile. You must not judge me by what I said when was a, boy" he declared, T am a man now. I have changed. When l go up I expect to kill as many dirty Huns as possible"
 Our conversation at this point was interrupted by the appearance on the scene of the colonel in charge of the camp, whom had gone to see on military errand I returned to Rome that same day and heard nothing of Mario until the month of February of last year, when read his name in the list of those honored for distinguished
New Britain herald., 1919-02-01
Thl Gentleman From Pdris-U. l1

mer. Among other Representatives from other States he was not known at all. But he promptly told the House all about "a tilar miCrometer.'
 "A filar micrometer is an instru- ment that is attached to the eye end of the telescope, which has the spider lines running across it, the same as in a surveyors instrument, and by the use of these lines, which are illumi. mated at night by electrical lamps. the use of which has been greatly i'm proved in the instruments, they can get their ohservations of the stars and the heavenly bodies more accurately, In fact, without their use, the right ascension and declination of stars and heavenly bodies--"
 In this fashion he continued untn the chairman reminded him that his five minutes had expired, whereupon a member of the House asked "that the gentIeman's time be extended five minutes" which was done to the sat isfaction of the august representatives of the people. When the money finally was voted the naval observatory, not a, man there but knew the importance and function of a fiar micrometer.
 The incident may appear trivial, but ii was the first time the world had ever heard from this particular gen tleman from Ohio. It served to give him place" Since that day in 1910, when he was a freshman in the House, the gentleman from Ohio has come forward by leaps and bounds. Although a Democrat the Ohioan was figuratively taken to the bosom of the Hon. James Robert Mann. the Repub- lican "whip'' of the House, and the two became cronies. So close were they that when Democratic President Wilson appointed the Democratic Ohio astronomer as ambassador to France in the summer of 1914 the same Republican Mann delivered himself of this warm panegyric:
 "We know that the country will be represented at it's fullest height abroad while the gentleman from Ohio represents us as ambassador to France"
 Probably the Hon. Jim" Mann wove a subtle double meaning into that eulogy of an Ohio astronomer representing his country "at it's full est height abroad" but there can be no gainsaying the fact that the gentle man in question has beyond all per adventure proved himself a star of the first magnitude in the diplomatic Armament. For he is none other than the Hon. William Graves Sharp, the United States ambassador to France
New Britain herald., 1919-02-01

Who arrived home few days ago on brief visit from Paris after repre- senting this Government so adequately and efficiently during the whole of the world war in the court of our great ally, France.
 History will allot him a great place. He went to Paris in the fitful sum- shine of that summer of 1914, just before the horizon was clouded by the approach of the impending war. He was in Paris when the blow struck home: he stuck to his post while Won Kluck and the right wing of the Ger man hosts swept up to the very gates of the French capital. Through all the trying days for France and Eng land that followed he upheld the dig nifty of the Stars and Stripes, at the same time serving as the intermediary Tor Germany and Austria. With the release of 'frigntfulness'' and unre- strfcted submarine warfare Mr. Sharp still chung to his country's patient tenets of neutrality until that day in April nearly two years ago when the
New Britain herald., 1919-02-01

human beings, hurt my very soul Duty to the country, to our great cause and to humanity made me re- solve to take the step I took when volunteered. That same duty made me act as a soldier should act when in battle. l want to say, however, that l felt, all the time l was in service, like lamb in arrnor. I wager that nine hundred and ninety-nine soldiers out of thousand in this war felt the same as I did with the exception of the Teutons, who have differ ont na- ture, different ideas and different bringing up.
 We read and hear so much of the expression "A born soldier.' I do not think that is a, compliment nor do I think that it can be applied to many Italian or Allied soldiers. AS for me, I'd much rather be called an artificial soldier
 'I shot thousands of shells while up there, and I can tell you that not many of them went astray. But l am not ashamed to confess that each shot o~AA| AASN~A thought Of its effect.
 This was my feeling from the begin ming to the very end. This same feel ing almost cost me my life, but I am not sorry, especially because it turned out as it did.
 'The last few hours of battle were for me the most stirring, the most un- forgettable and the most painful of all my life. I do not mean painful to the body, because I am not referring to the wound I received on my shoulder just two minutes before the fighting ceased. The wound, to be sure, was much more severe than the other three I had received at different periods in the last two and a haIf years was at the front, but the bodily pain was nothing compared with the pain I experienced in my heart and soul.
 When l heard that the armlsuce
New Britain herald., 1919-02-01

services in battle. The following was the citation from the Supreme Com mand:
 "sublieutenant Mario Portinari bronze medal and promotion to full lieutenancy. On January 15, entirely of his own will and at the risk of losing his life, he rescued 25O horses from an inclosure which was being heavily bombarded by the enemy"
 The next time I heard from him was also through citation in a newspaper, which read:
 Captain Mario Portinari, silver medal. During the retreat from the Tagliamento the battery in his charge was overtaken by an enemy patrol. He and his men fought desperately, ami lMlating the enemy, which was four times superior in number, and saving their gun.''
 wrote him, congratulating him on his exploits and honors, but did not receive a reply until a few days ago.
 The following is, in part, the letter he wrote:
 q have been in a hospital here in Rome for about a week. had to undergo a severe operation in my left shoulder, from which several pieces of metal were extracted. Although not yet strong enough to exercise myself I am writing to you, for I am in reminiscent mood.
 Looking over some papers I came across the letter you wrote me in March of this year. This letter brought back to my memory that beautiful summer of long, long ago, when we first met in the Abruzzi and also, very vividly, the brief talk we had at Camp - early in 1916.
 T told you then that had changed and that I intended to kill as many Huns as could. Well, vva.>4 con- fess, now that the whole thing is over. that I was just talking. I had not changed at all. The mere thought of killing any living thing, and especially
New Britain herald., 1919-02-01

- liay the role of peacenaa EfrG, as the representative Of fcu tral Government, he dared not intis mate the possibility of military ir- tervention, but it was in his mind all the time. Then when we went in at last the ambassador to France was free to speak his mind.
 "AIl the Allied Governments, as we11 as those of the neutrals," he said, are looking to us to lead the way in war as in the peace to follow. The part which the United States should play and is expected to play in the worlds terrible crisis Is large and command ing one; it will be great and benefcent only in the proportion that it reflects the degree of united purpose of the American people,
 Nothing could have been better said by any American any time anywhere than Ambassador Sharp's laconic, ''T know of no higher honor or title than to be an American citizen"
New Britain herald., 1919-02-01

And what is this funny one l1ere?" he asked.
 "Psychic?" I said, ''that's-'
 How do you pronounce it?" he in terrupted.
 I repeated it and tried to explain its meaning. He laughed heartily, as he made repeated attempts at pro- nouncing the word, which in Italian is "psichico" and 1t read "pseekeeco." There seemed to be something in the phonology of this term which actually tickled him.
 As for animals, he loved them all, but was especially fond of an old and extremely ugly dog of mixed breed, with whom he shared his scanty meals. Whenever I teased him about the un- slightly thing he first used to argue that Fedele, as he called him, was not at all ugly and then would begin to rave about his exploits and faithful ness.
 One day had been hunting and was returning home with a rabbit hang ing at the end of my gun. Under a shady fig tree, just outside of the town. I saw Mario sitting in the grass with a dilapidated looking book in his hands and his faithful dog sleeping at his side. It was 2 o'clock in the aft ernoon and he was enjoying his siesta.
 What are you reading?" I asked.
 "A third-grade reader which I bor- rowed from Father Raffaele," he said He is a good old priest and gives me books that are really interesting"
 noticed that as he spoke his eyes were fixed upon the dead rabbit l was carrying home. A cloud of sadness appeared on his somewhat soiled but handsome face. His large, black eyes showed something that was between horror and anger. After moment of deep thinking he exclaimed, How could you kill that poor little rao' bitT'
 Why, that's good to eat" sad.
 T don't care" he retorted,
New Britain herald., 1919-02-01

IF YOU ps pet hobby, indulge It to the |it; it may lift you from the obscuF ana colnmonplace '' '' position 4 world influence and use fIlness. may enable you eventually to perfoT some great Sei 'lO0
 Inapkind.g
 There ps once a busy Ohio manu- facturer tho developed in recreatiVe hours afking for astronomy. lie spent 1ae hours at his office toilink with h,Saess problems, seeking the best uoi markets and sending forth his ara ot statesmen. success dllu money anne his way and he iouii" leisureyme to indulge his fancies, One of thes was a study of the stars. It becanta fad with him. Upon the su- poture of his home he placed an okerVatory. From the corners of the eth he brought together the best telesspic lenses procurable. Then he savsllinself over to a study of the hea7ns-just for the pure love of it, andtn his own quiet world. He had no ambitions to become greater tla-Galileo.
 tventually, however, the world soght him out--or rather his neigh bes-and sent him to the Congress of tb United States as a representative fom the Commonwealth of Ohio. To Washington he went, virtually an un- Nlown: and an unknown he remained $irann ire %11oY 'ressman has gone to the national apital and done his bit without ex- citing any political stampedes or presl- deptial booms. But with the gentle man from Ohio it was different May be- in his studies of the stars back in Ohio he had read his own horoscope and glimpsed the future in store for him.
 One day the House of Representa- tives had before it an appropriation bill including among it's provisions an item of $2500 for a new filar microm- eter for the United States Naval Ob' servatory. No one seemed to know anything about a micrometer. The conscientious Congress seemed bent on determining the full details of the proposed appropriation before putting on their o. R. What is a microme- ter?" the question was raised, and they were thinking of sending out for a Government scientist to solve the riddle
 At this 1uncture the gentleman from Ohio took the floor. He was known among his associates from the Buckeye State as a lawyer, a manu, facturer of wood byproducts and char, coal pig iron, but not as an astrono'
New Britain herald., 1919-02-01

Sharpe, the father of the ambassador.
 At Mount Gilead, O., the future afn- bassador was born in 1859. After spending his boyhood days in that place he moved to Elyria with his grandparents. graduated from the pub lie schools there and then from the University of Michigan. In 1881 he was admitted to the bar in Ohio and three years later began his public life as prosecuting attorney in Lorain County. In 1892 he was a presidential elector Politics, however, was not yet his line. He engaged in the manufac- ture of pig iron and chemicals and developed it so that for the next twenty years, until he retired from active business, it became the largest of it's kind in the country.
 His rea~ political life began under those circumstances that sometimes discourage men. Named as a candi- date for Congress in 1902, although
New Britain herald., 1919-02-01

watch. I never saw the hours drag so. How I prayed that the time might fly fast! God, Lord of Heavens, rush these hours!' These were the unspoken words that came to my lips hundreds of times.
 Fifteen minutes before the time to cease I spied from my observation point an enemy medium-caliber gun firing in our direction from five miles away By the time we found the right range on it ten minutes went by. We had only five more minutes. I was about to give the signal to fire when I observed a large number of enemy soldiers gathering around the gun on which l had trained mine. They evf- dently rushed to the gun in their mad desire to find shelter from our ma. chine-gun patrols, who were pursuing them.
 T could not tell you all the thoughts that went through my mind at that moment. I can tell you only what I did. l set my watch forward five min utes and cried out to my men, Cease fret
 T was dizzy from the noise and from the tragedy ill my heart which had lasted for six hours I remained at my observation post, as in a daxe. for moment looking in the direction of the enemy gun which had discov- cred few minutes before. All of a sudden l heard a familiar sinister sound through the air. looked and saw a big shell travelling from the gun I should have put out of action. toward my post
 That was the last thing remena. Der of this great war we have fought. When I recovered my senses I found myself in a field hospital AS soon as could speak inquired whether any of my men had been injured by the same shell.
 Hearing that I wAR the only one hurt by it, thanked God that had not fired my last shot"
New Britain herald., 1919-02-01

You may not agree with Mario Portinari's point of view but you will concede that when 1t came to fighting the "blond beast' the Italian had hard time living up to his con- vctions.
 On the day the armistice was signed Portinari sighted over his battery piece di- rectly upon a German artillery post where many Germans were congregating The range was easy; the gun was working fine and shot honeywell, twenty or more dead Huns But five minutes remained until the armistice would go into effect At this juncture the most extraordinary thing hap pened to the Italian officer. This story brings you to the startling climax
New Britain herald., 1919-02-01
By Tirscenzo de Sos1to

MARIO PoRT1NARI was an ap- AVA prentice boy at blacksmith shop in a small town of the Abruzzi the first time I met hinf-about eight years ago. He was then only twelve and was beloved by all the townfolks. es- pecially on account of his eagerness to learn things and his kind-hearted- ness.
 His great hobbies at that time were books and animals. He had gone through only the first few grades of the elementary school, but somehow or other he had developed an intense fondness for any kind of printed mat ter. He was too poor to buy books, so he used to borrow them from any one who would lend them. And, in justice to the town, I must say that there were many persons in it who were anxious to help him along.
 I was spending my vacation there that year and at times I amused my self in lending him books that knew were beyond his age and education. After week or so he would return them with a disappointed look on his face.
 One day when he brought back a little manual of philosophy I asked him, Did you read it?"
 Yes" was his rather gloomy an wwer.
 What did you learn from ft?" I inquired, feeling quite certain that he had not understood word of it.
 "j don't know" he replied, but please .ell me just what philosophy means. and treatise and ethics and
 He kept me busy for two hours an swersng questions. He was about to go when he took the book In his hand, opened l. toward the end and pointed his index finger at a word which had evidently struck both his curiosity and Ssnse of humol
New Britain herald., 1919-02-01
HE LAS7 SOT-Whdt Would You Done Case Like This

DO SOLDIERS like to kill each other? Is
 there any personal satisfaction in jab- ping bayonet through the breast of an enemy or in dropping a shell plumb in an enemy trench? Or do men fight from sheer patriotic motives for the honor of their coun- try and countenance the killing involved simply because it is part of the game" of war?
 Ask any returning soldier. In this case read the answer of an Italian officer, whose story is vouched for by no less an authority than Professor Vincenzo de Santo, specialist in philosophy and formerly member of the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania