The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-06

neW DERIHIIIIIS
the war did not remedy the ancient
evils which soldiers purposed in their
hearts to end forever. A new ana
worse war seems to loom dark on the
horizon-and another world conflict,
highest European officials have pup
civilization. These are dark and onl-
nous days; and therefore time for
clear and simple and sincere and Tear
less thinking
Things are SO dreadfully adrift with
the nations and with mankind that
So let Us tie to the Babe of Bethie-
hem This means that we must cut
loose from a lot of driftwood and
wreckage, and to1d. discarded stu1r
in international statecraft and phil
osophy. 1t is time for a fresh start.
New and different impulses and
agencies must be brought TO bear in
the present crisis. Decrepit diplo-
macy must go to the graveyard; and
in it's stead we turn to the Manager
and it's Message.
We have tried the war way of man
aging the world, and the imperialist1c
way and the conference way-and
here today we face the worst posi-
bility that history has ever chronicled.
So we may surrender our hope in
cunning expedients and political de-.
vices and inSincere compromises and
begin once more at the bottom. With
the thought of a new generation in
mind, and of q fundamentally trans
formed way of looking at things, we
follow the shepherds even unto Beth,
lehem, with purged hearts and ears,
in hope that we may hear the angel
song. Back to the Babe!' is the
most sensible slogan for the new
craftsmanship.
An Indictment of World Leaders.
Patient peoples have~t tried hard to
keep their confidence in the world S
political leaders. Men want to re-
spect those who occupy high office
and bear great names. Holding fast
desperately to our faith in the per-
lsonalities called statesmen" we have
watched them for eight years past in
Ia succession of follies, fatalities and
utilities. They have posed and pa
raded and pretended. Now we see
them as incompetent performers
whose box of old tricks is known to
the least sophisticated spectator in the
gallery. The diplomacy that per-
mitted the war, prolonged the war.
perverted the peace and prevented
prosperity for all peoples, has now
finished it's course, so far as public
confidence is concerned. We are
ready to chuck the whole lot and
their ways. Democracy is in a good
to deal sternly with these world
1 wreckers.
| Contrast with the noble affirma-
tions which the Babe of Bethlehem
brought, the stupidities and crimes of
these successors of jealous Herod- of
old, who have sacrificed the sublimest
sanctities to personal ambition, to
party expediency and to the service of
heartless commercialism. 1t is not
too much to declare, in sober ar
lraignment, that since the armistice-
1. Politicians have undermined the
good will of the world and createa
III. i
2. Politicians of Christian lands
have betrayed the Christian principles
of civilization.
/ 8. Politicians have repudiated the
lsoldiers' purpose of peace; and have
defeated the victory of the war to
end war.
/ 4. Politicians, in a new crisis, have
no remedy to offer except the old dis
credited and discarded one of more
war, more hate, more bitterness, more
lselfishness.
That sounds harsh; but what OPEN
minded and informed person can say
less as he surveys the whole red hori-
ION of earth? Counsel must be both
courageous and candid today, if
Christian democracy is not to sue
cumb to un-Christian Bolshevism. A
new sort of leadership and a new set
of ideals must be erected in order
to save the world.
, Because the hour makes necessary
this broad and general application o.
the present pertinent and providen.
tia1 Sunday school lesson, I cannot
dwell upon the familiar details of ths
birth and boyhood of Jesus. SIT wouit
be easy and pleasant to recall persona
memories of Syrian shepherds upor
the hills at midnight, during Deem
Der travel in the Holy Land: of my
, own experiences in a native inn
, strangely like unto that of Bethlehem
of old, one Christmas Eve; of Beth
lehem and Nazareth as I know them
: and of childhood in the Syria of today
| Instead. the gravity of the hour il
world affairs constrains me to cleay:
close to the major meaning of it al
for our own time. There was cleal
: purpose in the advent of the Christ
Child. God does nothing meaning
less. He was not staging an entertain
> ment or a miracle play at Bethlehem
2 His great purposes for mankind wer'
' working out.
Surely, the meaning is on the sur
face. The significance of the Brit
$ and the Babe and the Boy is open TO
e even child's understanding. Jesu
Fathers idea of a fresh start for tn
race. Weary of war, the heavens de
I clared for peace when Christ came
t He appeared as a child, to reveal tn
II truth LnaL the WOrlQ must DeSln anew
at the cradle, with a different set o
ideas and purposes. Instead of TIL
e clashing fears and hates and greed
E of a weary worlds ways, there shout,
be a day and kingdom of good vii
and brotherhood and helpfulness; be
cause the Son was to reconcile tn
e other children to the Father. All tn
!. earth is summoned by this Nativit,
y Story to fall into line with the Eter
nal Purpose.
The VIII to Peace.
On a wayside post yesterday I say
+. one of the familiar signs, mo Nor
I War;" which some mischievous per
: son had so altered that it read. Nor
: War" The trifling incident called
: mind what the wags in the world
( chanceneries have done to the sloga
t of the soldiers. NO More War" or
: the men from the trenches state
d craft calmly obliterates the No,