Evening star., 1928-02-22
ACES UP! 57 JOHN KNOX
The Fact Story of American Aviators in the World War
By JOHN KNOX
Part 1.-The Air Force of the A. E. F.

devotion might have less Of a place
in the present than they had In the
past. Peace and safety make the sac
rifices of war remote and seemingly
unnecessary. We are told of easy ways
to what men call success.
If there be virtue in war 1t lies
in the fact that in war there Is no
substitute for character. Cleverness
and skill In the devices of Circum-
vention will serve neither man nor
countries when guns rumble on the
horizon and the roads are choked with
refugees flying before the advance OF
an invader. When civilization breaks
down and We face trial by battle for
our right to live. words and thoughts
will avail us little as compared with
th, character within men which forces
them to go forward while life Is in
them.
Some of us whose waist lines are
going down out of control are WORRY
ing about the younger generation,
forgetting how much our progenitors
worried about us We see in our chill
dren tmore often the neighbors' chill
oreno a lack Of reverence for our
wisdom and for our pet traditions that
gives US goose flesh over the future
Of the human race. To our eyes the
sterner virtues are no more and the
world is going to the dogs.
Manv people felt that way back IN
1917 and many Of you who read this
were then in despair of your elders.
Just as now you are worrying about
the kids that were In the second grade
then.
The younger generation Of 10 years
ago faced crisis almost without equal
in the history of the world. They met
it with honor and courage and fidelity
to the finest ideals of patriotism and
unself1shness. Our young people OF
today do not see with our eyes: their
blood runs hot and they look forward
rather than backward on life. Maybe
they do not place enough value on
the past and its lessons-but they are
meeting the crisis of the world We
have provided for them to live in.
Ten years ago We made our first
grand adventure into the skies. We
flew in fragile. uncertain contrivances
which would bring a smile to the face
of a schoolboy today: he would feel
sure that he could build better air.
plane in the woodshed on Saturday
morning than the full industrial power
of the world could produce In 1917.
For us to be impatient over his am
bition is just as unfair as for him to
be thoughtless of our past. We and
our children have many lessons to
teach each other.
American boyhood and young man.
hood made gloriously good in the
World War, Just as today 1t Is SPAN
ming oceans through the air and cov-
ering the world with unseen messages
The lesson of Aces Up!"-if it has a
lessons that young America meets
its obligations in war as we'll as 1t
meets them in peace. The young gen.
Grafton of 1918 was nothing to worry
about-and neither is the young gen
Grafton of 1923.
Youth sees with clearer eyes than
maturity. being less dimmed by the
fog of living and We save in leaving
to our sons their share Of RESPONSE
hility for our virtue and our continued
existence.
I sincerely hope that it will be long
before war comes to us again. but
come 1t may. in spite of treaties and
leagues. When that horror descends
upon us again we must not send our
children into the fight with no other
equipment than their valor. We must
be ready. not for conquest. but for de-
fense. Our boys viii be ready with
their young lives and great shame will
be upon us II we are not ready with
the equipment for them to use. In
the end We will survive as people
only so long as We deserve TO live.
CThe end)
IronyriCht 1ooa1