Imperial Valley press., 1928-11-12
AN ARNISTTCE DAY PRAYER

Four terrible years of carnage will have been en-
trey wasted II today does not find much nearer to
real peace than we were that mOmentouS November
II, 1918.
world sick unto death with the horror of battle
went dellrlous ten years ago. Those in the battle
lines knew only feeling of numbness as the guns
which had roared for years, suddenly went silent.
Others who had borne tie sufferngs of war in their
homes, experienced great Joy that there would be no
more casualty lists to Some wept for Joy at
the thought of loved to be returned them
Others walled their anguish for and brothers
who had given their all
Turned suddeny from war to peace the world
still hated. The guns silent, but the hearts of
pounded mady in the bitter trail that four
long years had taught them.
The soldiers returned to their homes. Strange
it was that in them the hate toward the enemy was
less than that held by those who had remained home
The who killed each other the bloody fields of
France hated but even in their hatred they had respect
for each other.
With the passing of decade these same veterans
ask why it is that men should make each other.
The Yankee soldier bayonetted some German youth
who had never harmed him, against whom he held no
grudge, and who under different circumstances, he
might have welcomed a friend The German
slaughtered English, French and Americans, against
whom as Individuals he held malice, but whom he
had been taught to hate. We were living IN world
of hate.
The passage of ten years has helped to lessen the
hatred though there is still much of it. Only few
months ago two Germans who had fought in the World
War; stood with barred heads bowed in tribute before
the grave of the Unknown Soldier in Washington
They had just received the highest decoration from the
hands of the President of the United States Captain
Koehl and Baron Won Huenfeld toured the country ana
were acclaimed by thousands. There was no dlstnc-
ton between the welcome given them and that accord
ed their comrade Major Ftzmaurce, who had fought
on the side of the Allies.
Still more recently America went wild over the
Graf Zeppelin descendant of those same Zeppellns
which struck terror to the hearts of England ana
France as they dropped tons of bombs upon sleeping
towns. The Graf Zeppelin came in peace and Its
heroic crew were ioyously received by the American
people And yet the acclaim given the crews OF the
Bremen and the Graf Zeppelin only matched that given
the American, Chamberlain, when he landed his ar
plane in Germany.
The same Won Hindenberg whose name was an
athena to the American nation decade greeted
Chamberlain and later the recipient of con-
gratuations from the President of the United States
on the splendid feats of the Bremen and the Graf
Zeppelin. A decade ago, the American who spoke OF
Won Hndenberg, except to wish his sudden DEATH or
worse would have been considered traitor
So we have made progress the path of peace.
This Armistice Day finds friendly terms with the
entire world. Our hatred grows weaker with the
passing years. The day when it has gone forever
cannot come too
Today, pause in activities, to recall the
joyous news of ten years ago; and we breathe
silent prayer for the valiant dead whose memory
must ever keep fresh may all add a prayer that
may not hate men, but that may hate man greatest
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