Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1920-03-19
IMPOSSIBLE?

?
after mile of ouen, easy slopes rising
higher occasionally to command the
smaller slopes dipping deeper occa-
to some tiny stream, where
here and there village stands.
Thanked by the unpenetrable forest
on one side and the unfordable river
on the other, fronted by line upon
line of trenches and endless machine
guns, this area stood during four
years marked upon the war maps of
our Allies impossible.
For nine months before Verdun the
flower of the Prussian arms struggled
with the tireles courage of the French
Yyer fields like these, and at the end
both counted the loss in millions and
the gain as naught.
War in this Argonne-Meuse coun-
try was impossible.
And then the Yanks came, and in
so days drove mile by mile oveE these
hell-swept slopes, plunged through
the impossible forest, bridged the i'm
possible river and won a war.
Is it curious that these same Yanbs
when they ask something of the Gov
e,n;nent viii not accept the answer:
ct is imp ossible"? The language ct
politics and craftsmanship is not within
their ken. They do not understand
impossible.
Use your imagination, gentlemen OF
the Congress, and talk to those who
nave achieved the impossible in Ian
guage which, they can understand.
Stars and Stripes.
= The above contains forceful re-
buke to pessimism, and it is reproduc
ed here not specially in the interest
of the soldiers bonus, but in order
that our readers may profit by it.
Al this season of the year it s..iald
that the thaughts of young man turn
to Love, and it is equally true that
those of the older man frequently
turn to pessimism, unless he guards
against it. And it must be admitted
that the fellow inclined to grow pes
simistic has much to aggravate the
malady this spring, and it is time
when the-heroic spirit referred to in
the copied paragraph is needed. The
victim of this malady is really dan
gerous man in the community. 1t
never proves fatal, but it is both con
tagious and infectious, and he may
not only prove a killjoy but real
detriment and obstruction.
The burden of complaint this
spring is the condition of the roads
land the. almost impossible task of get
ting. supplies in from the railroads.
!. It is to be admitted that there is much
to discourage. Highland, with all her
vision of better roads and her pipe
dreams issuing from Washington and
/ Richmond, has never been in worse
plight as to road conditions. 1t is fire
quently asserted: Il am heartily dis
courage and never expect to see a
highway in my day; we. have all the
turnpike l ever expect to see, 'etc etc.
Is that the spirit of the true cit
iZen and soldier? If we suspicion trick
cry, an enemy in the camp, and a
plan to defer. our interests indefinite
ly or pull our road in another direc-
ton, should we give up? To our mind
it only calls far more determined ac-
ton and greater vigilence, and to fol-
low the military figure introduced in
the opening paragraphs, prime our
guns, get the necessary reinforcement
and make drive before which polit-
ical pulls and selfish interests will
have to yield.
Personally we take little stock in
the conjectures that our promised Fed
eral aid is to be diverted, and that
some of-our trusted friends are incin-
cere and treacherous, but admitting
such a possibility, it is unworthy of
our manhood to submit to such treat
ment and calmly surrender. Under the
classification made-and an effort to
change this has failed-our road can
not and MUST not be relegated to
second or third place, and if We take
that stand and fight for it, we Will
get cur apportionfnent and square
de; |.
Laboreous and almost impossible
travel, the wear and destruction nf
machines all tend to chrystalize pub
lie sentiment, and every trip made in
March, every sugarless cup of coffee,
ever pig-squeal for want of feod,
counts as so n1ny ballots in & bond
isssue-if such contingency should
arise. Certainly they are telling
factors in creating and welding Sell
timent. Il
Read again the opening paragraphs
ard then determine your course. The
spirit of determination, hope and
courage is the winning mood; dis
enlargement, pessimism, gloom spell
surrender and defeat. ~