Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-01-01
ON THE FACE OF 1T


A rather superficial, not to say
hurried, reading of what is being said
a. we enter upon the New Year
leads us to conclude that really the
world is in better shape than many
Of US, judging from past comment,
have been thinking 1t was.
To begin with there are numerous
people in the world: the percentage
Of them consistently observing the
Golden Rule must be comparatively
small, though probably larger than
ever before. These are not confined
to race or region, to sect or kind Of
civilization. Recently we have
learned that the Esquimaux practice
community service better than most.
OF course there are bound to be
ructions. Some see in these great
upheavals in the making. We
would not dispute that; great up
heavals are in the making all. the
time. Tremendous events are always
impending. The yellow race may, be
getting ready to overwhelm the
white race but it's got lot of house,
cleaning to do before it may set
about it with any great degree of
warranted confidence. And only the
other day a youth, who succeeds to
spiritual head ship Of a powerful
sect in India, sailed home from this
country reluctantly because here he
had found enjoyable fellowship and
ideals that appealed to him.
And right here seems to be a
place for making a New Years
resolution to keep an attentive and
enlightened eye on the ideals. We
would like to see an end of war,
though the right ideals are worth
going to war about, only it is better
to keep them alight by constant
service, especially as it takes time
to recover these ideals from the
debris Of war, and then only to find
them furnished and needing the very
attention and service we might have
given them without resorting to
war.
Perhaps one should be little more
specific. Take one of the most i'm
portant ideals with which we have to
do, fair dealing, man to man, call 1t
the Golden Rule, plus service. Per-
haps, in these days when scientists
are building thought meters and
our words travel the air like waves
of light, there is little likeli-
hood of injustice escaping no
tice and the contempt of our
fellows so incurred may have q
steadying effect on the morality of
some of us. If France fights the
Druses unfairly the world says
things which cause the folks at
home to squirm and at least a lit
tile of relief comes from it. Surely
even the heather are not being ex-
plotted as they were; for one thing,
they now are able to protest.
Surely more Of the world folk
are permitted to enjoy more
Of creature comforts than even
u
is a short period in the worlds af-
fairs.
Menacing possibilities came in
with 1925; Europe lettering on the
verge of bankruptcy, England France
and Germany at loggerheads over the
Ruhr; trouble brewing in the Bal
kans, in Italy, in India, in China,
in Turkey, in Mexico, In fact any
one with an imagination and DISPOSE
ton to look for trouble could find
symptoms all about. These, OF
course, have not all disappeared. 1t
would indeed be startling if this
We're SO. Nevertheless the fever
seems noticeably to have abated.
The temper of the European peo-
pies Is not breaking under the strain
Of suffering and presumably In some
degree is becoming enlightened.
Animosities and desire for revenge
have not altogether been appeased
but these are held in check by the
rising tide of the constructive spirit
IndL Ulduo lSOSoI pOoSi1AS'
perception that, survive or perish,
we are all in the boat together has
been given the people Of the earth
II they will but use 1t.
And so 1t seems entirely possible to
expect of the year ahead OF US the
most effective peace attainments or
any year since the great war. the
constructive spirit is asserting IT.
self all over the world, and that
must have peace IL it is to have ade-
ouate expression. Leaders in thought
see this and are striving for It, IL
helps when men may once more
earn q livelihood and provide COM
forts for the family, a condition conn
ing about, slowly, but we oeheVe
surely among the great peoples.
We must not expect to eliminate