Evening journal., 1921-05-30
Church HONORS
NATIONS DEAD
Bishop Cooks Says A. E. F.
Fought to Win Despite
Suffering
GOSPEL MUST
CARRY ON WORK

the pulpits of Wilmington yesterday.
Most OF the preachers insisted that
the war was fought for broad ideals
and not merely to save America from
peril.
Probably the most impressive
ceremony OF the day was held in st.
Johns Church. where Bishop Philip
Cook addressed a joint service Of
the Veterans Of Foreign Wars from
this city and Newark. and the local
Spanish War Veterans. The three
posts attended in a body, the Newark
men in full uniform.
The Newark post OF the Veterans
Of Foreign Wars is composed en-
urely of men attending the rehabili-
tation school at the University OF
Delaware. Twenty-Five Of them at
tended the services and wore the
gold wound stripe on their right
sleeves. They entered the church
leading the little procession Of men
who have fought in the country's
foreign wars. At their head color
guard carried their newly acquired
set Of standards. A sailor carried
the national flag. while a marine
bore the emblem OF their post. The
men comprising the color guard
were infantrymen, each wearing a
wound stripe.
Like Spirit of st. Paul.
In addressing the Veterans. Bishop
Cook said: Anyone who came into
contact with the American army in
France. must have found among them
the same kind Of a spirit as actuated
St Paul when he said. For ! reckon
that the sunerings Of this present
time are not worthy TO be compared
with the glory which shall be re-
vealed in us.
Il do not say that as an army they
were actuated by the same religious
motive-though many OF them were
deeply religious. At best it is diff
cult to distinguish between a strict
ly religious motive. and the patrio-
tic. or any other. that demands COM
plete self sacrihce-even to the lay
ing down Of life.
what I do affirm IS that one
found among these men, whether
privates or officers a spirit Of de-
termination that would not yield
until the task was done and victory
achieved. Among them there was
no disposition TO minimize their
present sufferings They were fully
conscious Of them talked about
them. complained Of them. They
liked no more than anyone else the
hideous discomforts they faced day
after day-the long night marches
in the rain: the dirt and the disease;
the bombing raid the crash Of shells.
the machine gun fire. the gas. the
wounds. the bloody dressing stations.
They knew them all, experienced
them all. despised them all. They
were normal men under abnormal
conditions-they hated them just as
an normal men would hate them.
But they had calculated the cost.
and felt that the result was worth
the expenditure. They too reckoned
that their present suffering was not
worthy to be compared TO the glory
OF a free people and a free world.
They were confident that new
glory for America was to be re-
vealed in them; and they reckoned
that the present suffering was not
TO be compared to that glory.
1T sums up the spirit OF the
army in France-of the American
army in other contests. for in others
as we'll as in this late war the
American army has always fought
for a principle.
They all hoped to come back.
but many did not come back OF
the nearly four million America had
under arms. more than half Of whom
crossed the sea. almost sixty thou.
sand won the distinction Of the
Wooden Cross
These are they who are numbered
with the others Of former conflict,
whose memory we keep on Memoria
Day.
cites Own Experience.
Bishop Cook then told of severa
incidents In the history of a unit tC
which he was attached 10 trave
across France which brought vividly
to mind the horrors Of the war. es
pecially in the Vesle valley.
zone looked" he said. land one
felt the incredible horrors Of war
One understood at once why tn,
men who have come back have 81
little to say. Il is so perfectly i'm
possible TO make those who have no
seen understand. 1t is useless to try
Better be still.
But one felt also and at the SAM
time a number Of questions tina
such a scene suggests. Where ar
the forces Of civilization that ough
10 make such a stupid Moloch sac
rihce. not only unnecessary but i'm
possible?
Where is education that teache
men that the principles OF justice
not big explosives nor machine guns
ought to settle the affairs Of men
Where is Christianity with it
lessons Of the Fatherhood Of Co
and the brotherhood Of man?
"The sight Of the battlefield di
not have the effect Of making m
hate the Germans more. They ha
suffered as much-there they ha
suffered more than the America
force. The effect was to make m
hate war-war with all its stupidit
and it's cruelty. 1 was not and
am not a pacifst
There Is nothing we can do to
much to honor the deeds Of thos
men. They constitute a new nobil
ity-the only kind Of a nobility
democracy can recognize-the nobil
ity Of those who gave life itself 10
country. There is nothing we ca
do for them-nor for those other
who have come back with maine
limbs, sightless oyes or disease
bodies. nothing too fine or too ger
erous In recognition Of their service
T1TPKTSH AND RUSSIAN