Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-11
THE WAR AGAINST WAR
DID NOT WHOLLY FAIL
To-day 1t Is Worth Remembering That
Jingoism at Least Was Banished
From the Face of the Earth

'iNGo,' some one said not long ago.
lis fellow who always is ready and
eager to lay down your life for his coun.
Try" 1t might be more properly said that
jingo mds that sort OF lavish person. For
1t IL worth remembering that iingoes and
jingoism ancient Affections of our civiliza-
tion. passed forever from power and au.
thorlty when the armistice was signed.
\ few blithe and bloodt hirsty lady writer's
Of what is supposed TO be heroic verse still
persist in the effort to keep alive the ro-
mantle and story book conceptions of war.
II is odd 10 hear women talking fight. They
do it, perhaps. because no Que ha, been
going about Offering to lay down their lives
for one reason or another. If In some ter
ribIe and far future they are sent ont TO
kill each other by machinery. II viii b. the
fault of their own poets. For any one but
certain kinds Of poets can see thar the war
10 end war was not lost by the men who
fought It and that great ends were sought
hv the armies In France and actually
achieved.
Their guns awakened the world They
bansh"d from all the seats Of civilized
pcrlalism. They banish-d II In England and
'h"y bnnished it In France And they ban
ish'd II in the Congress Of the United States,
which was almost ready to believe that there
would have TO be war on Mexico and n
disruption of the Americas that wonld have
set up on this continent n train Of evils
hardly less appalling than that which de-
scended IN Europe after the peace.
The minds Of the peoples everywhere in
the Western world are taking holl Of truths
which our own and other soldiers In the
war against Germany died TO find They
a." cropping aud stumbling toward new prn-
cples Of civilization that will be satisfactory
not only 10 theorists and statesmen but
TO the nnchdngi"g conscience Of munkind.
In this quest they are often driving their
leaders before them. as amy one may see
who reads beiweens ~he lines Of the news
from England ayi' France.
II was not soften years ago. 1t was not
so in 1914 Dr. even in 1915. 'rh" desire of
peoples now is not for conQnes,s and the
demonstrations Of power and pride. II is
for IA way Of life that will be satisfactory
MIR only in the present. but in that future
10 which all enlightened peoples owe great
measure Of poltica! and moral RESPONSE
bilty. That fact towers and shines.
Our own men who did not come home or
who returned broken or blind were not mar
tyred to the pride Of nations alone. They
were sacrificed to human vanity. human
prrjudices and t" the latent spirit Of bar
barism which still tries to teach us that war
is pretty and uplifting. War never uplified
anything that peace couldn't have nplifted
to far greuter heights That is what the
armies in France found out and proved at
last and forever. Therein was one Of their
ma. .or victories and the one that w; will
mean most to all the races Of the earth.
Natunaiism will remain after the work
which is celebrated on Arms'ice bay is
compee ed. But it will not be the national
ism that in the past presumed to be higher
than the laws Of right and more sucr"d than
Justice. Flags will remain and they will be
dpnrer to the hearts Of nations berausa they
will be symbols not of power and pride
alone. bur of Justice nobly done and univer.
sally assured.
80 rne HW"iIcuN huTOiu. WNflHeF ne lIVtU
or died. did not fail in the war against war.
He helped greatly 10 clear a way through
which mankind will yet achieve the most
passionate desire Of It's heart.
II the dead soldiers were alive now they
would be puzzed. They would wonder why
the small groups that took charge Of affairs
after the fighting found determination 50
difficult. The soldiers fralrrnized easily
enough undar cnndtions far more trying than
those of today Br.r,l French and Ameri-
cans shared heir strength and their hopes
and their ,oharru when little ot either re.
main-d TO ihriE They learned In time to
pity even their enemies. They saw truth.
Anger rn. Diet -rlniuution may have been In
them Bur lh"y were above hate.
What civilized nat j"ns are asking now
j. whv their leaders are less Intelligent than
these other Inrn were aud less generous and
brave. Such questioning viii grow more
and more insist-nt until il ~ satisfact Orily
answered,