Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-05-09
Monday, May 9, 1921.
"ALL MANKiND'S CONCERN"

"In faith and hope the world will
disagree
But all mankinds concern is chart
When Pope wrote those lines he
possessed but a finite imagination
and so could not forsee their ap-
plication to the stupendous and
appalling conditions following the
world war. Indeed no part of the
world is capable as yet of fully COM
pretending, but it is important that
it should. Not that charity may
vaunt itself and be puffcd up but that
it may be inspired and strengthened
at time when depression and dis
couragement must be overcome.
Never before has this country had
such favorable occasion as is now af-
fOrded to impress on the world the
influences of the best in the cixiliza-
ton we have here developed. With
regard to the conditions in China
alone this country is given oppor-
tunity. quoting from. Doctor Ecob's
inspiring letter to the Journal Thurs
day, for speaking straight to the
heart Of one-fourth of the human
race" 1t must make good use of it
that the glorious record may be clear
60,
there are innumerable others.
Now that discordant notes are
heard so frequently it should be of
some advantage to renew confidence
for the future from the accomplish
ments of the past The world is not
worse than it was in 1913, men are
not more greedy than then, joy has
not fled from the face of the earth,
even though its abiding places and
visits may be somewhat changed
True, men are yet selfish, so much so
that occasionally leaders of the peo-
pies do not dare do what they think
right lest the people do not uphold
them. Some are fighting for more
territory and destroying what they
already have to do so. That high re-
solve which famed up in the hearts
of men in the hour of conflict has
died down and scavengers are
trampling among the embers. Yet
while this has been going on a Won
dcrful work is being accomplished, a
work Of charity surprising imagina-
ton, "all mankind's concern" and
reaching to the outermost parts.
An unusual and most hopeful fea-
ture of this is the splendid devotion
and skill, the wisdom and efficiency
displayed in the doing of it, Where
many had come to regard the bestow-
al of charity harmful to the recipient
and profitable alone to the profess
sional distributor they must now
concedc that it may be, has been,
shown to be beneficial all around.
~ impossible he laid the foundation
so deeply and builded so wisely that
the structure of international relief
Is made indestructible. Those receiv-
ing have not been pauperized. On
the contrary they have been encour-
aged and helped to help themselves.
Graft and favoritism were seotched
in the beginning. Not since the dawn
of Christianity has so much been
done in so short time for the relief
and future betterment of mankind.
Sir William Goode, the president
Of the Austrian section of the Repair
alton Commission, who raised twenty
millions in the British empire for the
relief of Belgium, has this to say re-
speeding the application of charity in
Europe:
In Harvesting the humanity of
America in magnificent effort to avert
wholesale sacrifice of child life, Her
bert Hoover, has fulfilled his purpose
In directions which perhaps even he
did not forsee. Every Allied official
VINO has been in Austria knows that
the growing generation and the gen.
erations that are to come will owe
largely to American Relief Associa-
ton such constitutions as they NAV
possess.
But over and above that direct re-
suit OF humanitarian effort, every AL
lied official knows that the A. r
is the one organization which has
taught Austria the practical lesson of
self-help. By compelling the munich
pal and educational authorities
throughout the country to live up to
the best principles of child feeding.
the A r. A. has initiated self-respon-
sibility. In the villages of the Stvri.
an Alps l found proud abbots sitting
on committees with anti-clericaI
butchers and carpenters. They had
been brought together, after centu.
ries of class arrangement only bv
the common cause of saving the chill.
dren and only under pressure of A. r
A, efficiency and self effacement."
Thus is the world being made bet
ter than ever it was before, assuring
generations yet unborn advantages
beyond those the present possesses
In the glad light of this wonderful
achievement the doubts and perplex-