The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-03-12
NEW BOOKS AT LIBRARY
Their lnterst and Value Supported BY
M Mrs. Brooks.


to call attention to three books IL
The Bennington I4ibrary-"Und
Fire. by Henri Barbusse, Now II
Can BE Told,Y by sir Philip Gibbs
and the lnterchurch Commissions Re
port on the recent steel strike. | ven
ture this appeal because 1t is evident
these books are not being extensively
read
They may not be as entertaining as
the popular warnovel featuring the
scions of the noblesse", who go to
war far from the bitches Of death
where their cultured senses Will not
be offended by the stencil Of slaugh.
ter, and the piles of corpses, mang-
led to u mush OF flesh and bone /;
elegantly uniformed soldiers parading
along Fifth Ave, or The Strand I;
dainty, white-capped nurses lowering
over smil ng, happy boys who have
had legs or arms torn off, or been
gassed, driven insane, or blinded for
life.
These disagreeable things do not
reach to headquarters where so many
far too many pother and dance,
feed well, smoke, drink and strut in
polished boots, and the insignia of au
thor ty
note that Under Fire. was pre-.
sented by fellow townsman, to
whom tender thanks. These three
books go far in helping to make clear
the sord uncensored facts about
war-military and industrial. To the
end that there may he no more war
let us know the truth. Let US read
and think, and struggle out OF this
haze Of false propaganda, newspaper
Misrepresentation, and the spell that
has been cast over us by harangues,
parades and mart al music, by VIII ch
the peoples of earth have been
worked, -martyred, and burdened
with debt.
especially appeal to woman,
whose privilege It IS to oring back
from the valley Of suffering that won
derful, mysterious .thinga new life
sent from out the vast The mothers
of the race, above all others, should
know how the lives they have nour-
.shed. and with years of selfSacrsice
brought to maturity, are manned and
robbed I'm industry and in the inter
est OF trade. lined up to fight those
with whom they have no quarrel IT,
played as pawns by a handful Of over
lords and war lords, whose souls
know naught but vanity, greed for
gain and lust for conquest.
What use this sacrifice 4 living
souls can be used to further the sell
ash purposes OF crazy egotists, and
Lords OF Lucre? What use to teach
children the love of Christ and the
brotherhood OK man, tie golden rule,
peace-good will on earth, reverence
For all that makes for christianity and
civilizat on, If at the beck OF mli-
tary caste. strutting in their para
phernalia OF war. they must become
the mailed-fst for the plutocrats OF
earth and be initiated into a fratern..
ty OF hate of agony and death?
What use TO teach them love OF the
beautiful Il at word OF command
they can be herded like ferocious
beasts in lousy dugouts, filthy, YER
min infested trenches to operate the
killing.machines invented to keep the
world safe for plutocracy--snooo-
cracy? What use to teach them equal
ty and freedom, II laws can be con
trived to make them industr al slaves
-piling up wealth and luxuries for
few. who have reached out greedy
hands and appropriated the earth and
its fullness? Now that woman has
been recognized as a human be ne
and not a convenience for man, IT Is
for her to act-to say that war shall
be no more-that her husbands sons
and lovers, shall not be sent to the
shambles.
There are many whose egoism
leads them to think that all things
we're created for tho benefit OF raw
cred few-a privileged class, and that
the mass of mankind just happened
for the express purpose of mister.
ing to their we'll groomed bod es and
cultured minds The selfish the mar
row, the creed-bound, the supersti-
tous. have all through the ages, en-
deavored. by war, persecution, ana
torture. to stop the world stock st II
where they thought things were ar
ranged to their own liking. To this
end they have manipulated laws
prost tuted governments and relig'
ions, and invented industrial systems,
Their egotsm m ght suffer down
fall II they would remember that the
past is burial place of mighty en-
pires. and we'll laid schemes for the
subiugation. slavery and eXplo tatlon
of mankind. The tyranny OF the
Car and the Kaiser is but memory
.et the fren2ed ru' 'ers and the greed
crazed profteers take notice that
their last stunt, pulled off in the des-
perate hope Of ridding the world OF
disturbing elements which threaten
ed Their SNUG power and ill-gotten
gains. only resuted in the overthrow
of old orders; and capitalistc govern
ments are more unsafe than ever.
There are indications that unless con
ditions i'm England change al once,
the British Empire VII go the way
of Russia and other European nations,
II the military caste, men'of-affairs,
money changers and munition max
ers want another war let them go to
one of Gods waste places, lay aside
their silk hats and dress coats, and
fight It out like honorable brutes, but
God forgid, that ever again shall such
slush of war propaganda be spewed
out by editors, military officials, old
men. preachers and emotional wo-
men, as shall work to a frenzy the
dlzzy-brained, the feeble.minded, the
savage, and snd young men and
school boys to be slaughtered by the
millions.
II businss IS to be an affair of dog