The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-11
ARMISTICE DAY

Armistice Day should be the easiest of all American holidays for the pres ent generation to celebrate. It IS the anniversary of the ending of the most trying period of horror shat not only this country but the whole world ever g experienced for so prolonged a sea- Son. It is commemorative of the vic- tory of the new over the old. Militar ism, in unparalleled panoply at the very zenith of it's development and martial display, fell defeated before she forces that fought only that there might be peace. The worlds leading war power was overwhelmed by the worlds most powerful nations. The war god was subdued by the peace god that during all previous periods and ages of man had fled at his dread approach. That victory of peace over war was so sweeping and so complete that the world has not yet begun to realize the extent of the triumph.
 Accordingly, with all nations deslr- lIiS COlbLAQGO PCaSCy 0AA AioSAOAo 0A S still arming themselves for some dreaded conflict which each suspects some other of secretly planning. The whole world is still jumpy with bad case of "nerves." If there are ex- captions they are found among the smaller nations remote from the zone ; of combat. Only one power that was in the war has in any material degree resumed its normal outlook, and that is the United States. Perhaps some others would have recovered earlier and more completely had they not been contiguous to lands that have continued in turmoil. Whereas many nations are still spending their mill lions on engines of war and armies, it seems that we indeed have grown too careless and are resuming our for mer indifference, when we might very well and with small expense expand the training of our citizen soldiery with it's immediate physical benefit to those who offer themselves for this drill, to say nothing of the ultimate benefits of protection, not merely in war, but against war. Had we been prepared for the war in 1914, the chances are that we should have es- caped war, for then there would not have been those tantalizing acts of German aggression which seem now to have been designed deliberately to draw us in.
 As the backbone of our celebration of victory there will march in review tomorrow the heroes, the veterans of air, of land and of sea. Throughout the country the pavings will resound to the measured tread of the men who went to Europe to halt the Germans and drive them back, and who did not return until that task was performed with success beyond quibble. There will march with them the invisible shades of those who sacrificed them selves on the altar of patriotism. AS the American people witness these scenes in all our cities and populous communities, let them remember that to die only for temporary victory IS not to achieve so magnificent an eter- nal reward as to have died in behalf of peace that shall never again De broken.
 The nations of Europe are still sore with the wounds that heal so slowly because of their exhaustion. What ever we can do to hasten that heal ing, to allay the fears of attack and to soften resentment will not only be a contribution to. the world of an i'm measurable benefit, but it will in crease and expand the heritage of our victory to proportions never before approximated. Surely this nation has not ceased to hope and to believe that its destiny henceforth is to cul- tivate the fruits of victory until they return hundred and thousand fold.
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