Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-08
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

ton Of their motives, are already part
and parcel Of the work.
The same may be said of thousands
upon thousands of human beings In
every country In the world. And whep
this much Is said, the sayer feels that
ne is approaching the second stumbling
block. What workers in humane edu-
cation must avoid, before everything
else, Is giving the impression that their
work will take the fire and ginger, the
pep" and punch" out Of the human
race.
Every battleship has its ships cat,
which gets square deal from the
hardy mariners. Although they are
kind to animals" no one could accuse
them Of being either sentimental or
lacking in vigor.
1t will be found that there are thou
sands Of vigorous, thoroughly masculine
| sportsmen who are kind to animals.
II their way of being kind involves
actions Of which the thorough dyed-in-
the-wool kind to animalist' does not
entirely approve, the latter must be
willing to admit to himself that the
millennium has not come, by any
means; that perhaps perfection OF
treatment OF dumb brutes will never
be secured.
In world as complex as this one,
so solitary an aim as involved in kind
| ness to animals must universally meet
many oppositions and be subject to
many abuses, both physical and
mental. This is only another way
Of saying that you cannot get all men
to think alike. He who longs eagerly
for perfect kindness to all created
things may well read and ponder books
in which details are given of those
races which render reverence to animal
life and at the same time live amid
indescribable filth.
y 4 X
The old saying, Charity begins at
home" has no better application than
| in relation to kindness to animals. It
| is not possible to be the keeper of q
brothers pets any more than 1t Is to
direct the brothers every activity.
Kindness begins at home and has its
best applications there. The example
| set, even If it does not seem to be large,
nevertheless may 60 farther than any
one can dream Of Kindness Is CATCH
ing, and little children exposed to 1t
slowly but surely grow into 1t II care
is taken at the same time to make
them see that such kindness Is senti-
ment, not sentimentality.
Cruelty, after all, is major human
problem. Sometimes 1t seems question
able whether even ignorance, supposed
to be the mother of all evil, has any
more debasing effect upon humanity
than cruelty, and its. many forms. such
as anger, ire, irritation, spleen, torture.
Again one finds so many factors in
volved that 1t is difficult to risk gener-
alities. For instance. one may be cruel
to other human beings and at the same
time manifest a real tenderness for
animals. Many a man will tolerate
more from his dog than he will from
his wife. AS a general proposition,
however, 1t may be said that kindness
to animals II carried far enough will
result in kindness to that greatest of
all animals, man.
Therefore, it is perhaps no great
stretch of the imagination when one
declares that universal peace. so loudly
preached throughout the world, depends
more upon what the world does to its
brute creatures than upon any amount
of treaties and good will pronounce
mentS. Let any one who wishes to call
this fanciful do so. Who knows but
that the three fishermen Of Eynemouth
may point the way? Many great deeds
and great words have been done and
spoken by fishermen.