The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-11-11

WYE " AtUbHefS WHO SofEOW, 20 W10-
ows and children who mourn. that no
such sacrifice shall be asked again.
1t was my fortune recently to see
. demonstration Of modern warfare.
It IS no longer conflict in ehivaIry,
no more test of militant manhood.
1t il only cruel, deliberate, scientific
destruction There was no contending
enemy, only the theoretical defense
of hypothetie objective. But the at
tack was made with all the relentless
methods of modern destruction. There
was the ruin from the aircraft. the
thunder Of artillery, followed by the
unspeakable devastation wrought by
bursting shells; there were mortars
belching their bombs of desolation;
machine guns concentrating their
leaden storms; there was the infan-
try, advancing. firing and falling
like men with souls sacrificing for the
decision. The flying missiles were re-
yealed by Illuminating tracers, SO that
we could note their fight and appraise
their deadliness. The air was streak
ed with tiny flames marking the flight
of massed destruction; while the eff
fectiveness of the theoretical defense
was impressed by the stimulation of
dead and wounded among those going
forward, undaunted and unheeding.
AS this panorama of unutterabIe de-
struction visualized the horrors of
modern conflict, there grew on me the
sense of the failure of civilization
which can leave its problems to such
cruel arbitrament. Surely no one in
authority, with human attributes and
full appraisal of the patriotic loyal
ty of his countrymen, could ask the
manhood of kingdom, empire or re-
public to make such sacrifice until all
reason had failed, until appeal to jus
tice through understanding had been
denied, until every effort of love and
consideration for fellow men had been
exhausted, until freedom itself and in
violate honor had been brutality
Threatened.
| speak not as paeifist fearing
war, but as one who loves justice and
hates war. speak as one who believes
the highest function of government is
to give its citizens the security of
peace, the opportunity to achieve, and
the pursuit of happiness.
| The Hottest tribute we can bestow
today-the heroically earned tribute
fashioned in deliberate conviction, out
of unclouded thought, neither shadow
ed by remorse nor made vain by
fancies, is the commitment of this re-
public to an advancement never made
before. If American achievement is
a cherished pride at home, if our un-
selfshness among nations is all we
wish it to be, and ours is a helpful
Iexample in the world, then let us
give of our influence and strength
Yea, of our aspirations and convic-
tions, to put mankind on little high
Ter plane, exulting and exalting, with
wars distressing and depressing trag-
edies barred from the stage of right
eous civilization.
i There have been a thousand de.
lfenses justly and periodically made;
Ia thousand offenses which reason and
| righteousness ought to have stayed
Let US beseech all men to join us in
seeking the rule under which reason
and righteousness shall prevail.
/ Standing today on hallowed ground
CONSCIOUS that all America has halted
to share in the tribute of heart anC
mind and soul to this fellow Ameri.
can, and knowing that the world i:
noting this expression of the repub.
lies mindfulness, it is fitting to say
that his sacrifice, and that of the mill.
ions dead, shall not be in vain. There
must be. there shall be, the command
ing voice of a conscious civilization
against armed warfare.
AS we return this poor clay to it.
mother soil, garlanded by love ant
covered with the decorations that only
nations can bestow, can sense tn,
prayers of our people, of all people
that this Armistice Day shall mari
the beginning of a new and lasting
era of peace on earth, good will amons
men. Let me join in that prayer.
Our Father which art in heaven
hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom
Icome, Thy will be done on earth, a!
it is in heaven. Give US this day oul
daily bread, and forgive US our tres
passes as we forgive those who tres
pass against US. And lead us not int,
temptation, but deliver US from evil
for Thine is the kingdom, and tn
Il power, and the glory, forever Amen