The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1920-01-29
Shan Chaos or Reconstruction
In Europe Follow the Great
World War;
NOW WEAK AND HeARTBROKeN
In Mourning and Poverty She Counts
Her Dead and Looks with Eyes Of
Sadness Toward the Threat
eninp Future.
Article u.
BY FRANK comeRFoRo.


August 1. lgl4. was the day. ON
that lay Germany declared war Oh
Russia. The ire alarm rang around
the world Peasants IN the held
Strengthened their backs, listened and
looked into the sun confused wonder
Ing. Flags were unfurled bands
played. faces were white. tense snd
serious. Men left their work snd
talked 10 groups on the street corners.
Women laid down their brooins put
aside their washing. ind talked In
whispers. sad lights were IN their
eyes Children stopped playing. Some
thing had happened. Evil things were
ahead. August . and 4 FOUND France
and Great Britain mobilizing their
sous. The torch VAS sweeping Eu
rope--the fire OF deeth had started.
For four long years-henrt-s icken-
Ing years-the world ran red. Men
wsded through mud and blood. fought.
suffered. cursed. prayed, while back
home In the manless houses women
and children worked. cried. prayed
Death poisoned every breath the
people breathed
II Is over now. " 10 finished.
stunned. numbed. weak. heartbroken
Europe Is again sitting In the sun Of
peace. Europe Is In dirty black rags
The black Is mourning. the rags are
poverty. Her face IL deeply lined
trenches made by suffering Her eyes
are downcast and dead. Hope fiutters
weakly In her breast; faith has faded
from her soul. He~ home Is house
Of darkness. The fire on the hearth
has turned TO cold gray ashes. The
kettle no longer sings. u means. Her
mind is weary. her body Is wnsted
Hunger has robbed her OF her strength
Her stocklngless. shoeless feet are
blue from the cold. Her lips wear
starvation color. Ice In the winters
wind lashes her shlvering. half-naked
body. She mumbles as she stares VA
cantly into space-she Is tired. so
tired As ] beheld her II seemed to
me that face so troubled and sad
must never have known a smile.
I listened TO her mutterings found
that she was counting. Over and over
again she counted on her thin. tired.
worn hands-she was counting her
dead.
Thinking OF ker Loss.
She was thinking. Her eyes looked
a.. 10 al M
square miles OF war zone slashed
with trenches. pItted and pockmarked
by shells. She sees where they fell
No tears are In her eyes Long az
the hurt had reached the point where
tears dry up. Row upon row. line
upon line. mile upon mile. white
painted wooden cruises mark theiI
graves For the most part they wer'
her youngest born. her most beloved
who dug deep In thu soil TO sleep for
ever In the dark dugouis.
As they fell bleeding from steel an'
lead. choking from gas writing II
agony from fire. they proved In the dy
ing word they spoke that they were
mere boys. as they had shown In thei
lighting that they were brave men. II
the poppies they Entrusted their mes
sage. and the red poppies rememhe
the last word OF Europe's dying sons
who went out into the great beyOn'
with this last word on their lips
"Moiher."
She has finished counting; an ach
/
signs and sobs. "Seven and half mil
lion ~ my sons are dead"
Her thoughts TURN TO the living he
arms open TO receive them. she hold
them 10 her heart. They have come
hut howl
Some with sightless eyes. doomed I
rrope through TIE world in meyer
ending darkness a night without star
or moon sunless black. hopeless days
and these. too. young men In the yer
morning Of theiv day.
Others sentenced to silence-dea
and dumb. Never again will she hea
their voices nor win they hear her
sill others In wheel chairs. dwarfe'
iegless.
More hobblIng on crutches. limpn
on canes.
Some with empty sleeves.
Many with great sears. where one
was a handsome face.
She sees them all. her heart bleeds
the twisted the maneled. the tori
She Is counting them. the i2.6160i'
the wounded Of the war. %
Wars Friohtful Cost.
Her voice IN husky. her hands az
tired. hut she must count on. Six an
q half million Of her sons were marke
"missing and prisoners" In the ofiici'
war score Many Of these have CON
back to her. but she does not questio
them-she dare not. Their faces t.
OF the unspeakahle horrors they 81
dured. She sees In their eyes dept
OF pain that Is unfrthomshle She
n mother-she knows