New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-11-10
Members Of Wilson's Cabinet
Survey Scene 40 Years After
Baker Says U. S. Idealism
Has Been Unselfish and
Successful.
By NEWTON d. BAKER
Secretary of War in Wilson

By NEWTON d. BAKER
Secretary of War in Wilson
Cabinet
Copyright. 1928, by United Press)
Cleveland. Nov. 10 (UP)-In the
memoirs of Prince Max of Baden the
story is told that General Luden-
dorff. in 1917. seeking to learn
something of the morale of the Brit
rsh and Americans. sent for Colonel
Haeften, the intelligence officer
charged with collecting information
on that subject for the Great Gen
eral Staff.
Colonel V. Haeften described TO his
chief the rising tide Of democratic
feeling and the growing Inspirations
OF the free peoples opposed to Ger
many in the war and argued that
the German people should be nerv-
ed to face the fourth winter of the
war by concessions OF liberal reform
in their government. General Lu-
dendorff was disposed to be con-
temptuous of such things but v.
Haeften said to him: THE demo-
cratic institutions of the allies may
all be nonsense-the idealism Of
America may all be nonsense, but it
is mobilizing millions!"
Ten years ago the modified mill
lions brought the four-years' war
to an end and now the whole civil
lied world celebrates Armistice Day
as common holiday.
Memories Dimmed
Already we are beginning to have
dimmed memories of the merciless
horror of the war. Life is slowly be-
coming normal and the wounds caus-
ed by the waste of life and treasure
are healing. But we should never
forget that 100000 men We're
slain: combatants, for the most
part young men trained to carry on
the productive enterprises of life,
while several times ten million nom
combatants, young and old, fell as
mere casual victims to the tremen-
Gous forces of destruction let loose
by the war. That memory must al
ways challenge us and those who
come after us. The very beauty and
lntricacy OF modern civilization ex-
pose it to perils and deprive it of
safeguards. We can no longer trust
our safety to the chance success of
diplomatic conversations, nor can
we do the duty our heroic dead have
left us to complete, if we allow
other wars to destroy what they died
to save!
1t is therefore a stirring thing that
this tenth anniversary of Armistice
day precedes the opening of Con-
gress which will be called upon to
ratify the BRAND Kellogg treaties
in which the great powers of the
earth solemniy renounce war as an
instrument of policy and declare it
outlaw as an agency for the settle
ment of information controversies.
On the day of that ratification q
solemn requiem should be sung in
the cities of the war dead. They will
rest in peace if we really CONSOLE
date their gains and at long last pre-
pare to substitute for the passions of
battle a passion for justice and inter-
national peace.
The Great Ideal
This is now the great ideal. In
loyalty to it we recall with swelling
pride the spirit that was America
ten years ago. From farm and ham,
let-from town and city-Our SOL
diers came, mobilizing in millions. to
fight pure heartedly for cause that
was pure. On the home front the
same inspiration moved us-men
and women everywhere gave their
best. Alike in the thing done and in
its spirit, America indicated free
and illustrated the
potency of liberty as breeder of
men.
When the end came We were
faithful to the high words with
which we had proclaimed our pur-
poses. At the council table We
sought neither annexations nor in
IDENTITIES, but peace. Now after
ten years we count the gains as we
reverently remember our losses.
The countries of the old world are
bordering their own life on basis
to which they have been helped by
United States. In this our idealism
has again been unselfish and success
full. They are reordering their inter-
national relations through institu-
tons born of our spirit. When they
were confused by tradition war aims,
we lifted the war into higher atmos-
pheres and they, accepting this in
depreciation of the cause, esta blished
the league of nations. the
world court and the Locarno treaties,
great instruments for the preserva-
ton of peace through the mainte-
nance of understanding and SYM
pathy.
Healing Influences
Meantime. Armistce day means
many other beautiful things to us.
our soldiers remember with forget
fulness the iuconVeniences, discom-
forts, and even the perils of their
service, but remember with grow
ing warmth their companions in the
hour of struggle and their sacrifice.
our country has quite forgotten the
old division of feeling which follow
ed the Civil war. and has set as a
new date line November II. 1915.
yL hon north and govt Il On 81 anl ,1.u.t