The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-08-01
The Cherry Tree
Where We Hdtchet Out
The Truth
. THE RAMPARTS WE
WATCH
. IT DID HAPPEN HERE
. AND STARTING AGAIN
. A PICTURE TO SEE

a PICTURE TO SEE
For a mirror rejecting in reverse
much that is going on around us to-
day, see the motion picture, "The RAM
parts We Watch" produced by Time
and Life.
The picture is largely the story of
the America of 1914 and 1919, that
amazing period in which the United
States slowly gathered itself into
action as a great fighting power,
abandoning the placidity of the earlier
years.
The whole thing is a fascinating
study in the development of human
emotions and in the way in which they
are affected, changed, and mobilized.
If you still think "it can't hap
pen here" go see this picture and
see unfolding before your eyes
the way in which it did happen
and CAN happen.
The picture is a reporters story, es-
sentially. 1t is story Of fact. Yet,
perhaps because it is a story of fact,
it is the most powerful propaganda
work that has struck America in
years. 1t smashes and crashes through
the consciousness of the audience un-
til, in that picture Of the former war
years and subsequent pseudo peace
years it becomes clear that here is
also the picture of today-of 1889 and
of 1910 and 1941.
x X X
1t is of some passing interest that
the picture is not one adorned with the
names of we'll known stars. The actors
and actresses have but to live their
lives to portray their parts. That is,
they have but to think and do what
they would have thought and done in
those fateful years leading up to and
through the first World War.
If you like to study the mass mind,
see and contemplate the great sweep
of opinions as it ran on through those
years, beginning with curiosity as to
what the war in Europe was all about,
developing into first wave Of revul-
sion to any part in the war, going on
through the peace parades, the song,
"I Didn't Raise my Boy to be Sol
der" the rise Of resentment against
Imperial Germany, the clashing of
forces that were beginning to equal
ize; and then the rise of hate of the
Kaiser and the feeling that his forces
menaced OUR freedom.
X X x
Finally there came the horror of the
Lusitania, the arming of American
merchant ships and the first sinking
Of an American ship, with the accu-
mulating loss of American lives. The
picture runs the gamut of shifting
popular feeling from the days Of "He
kept us out of war" on to the surging
demand that we join to "stop the Hum
before he wiped out the Allies and
crossed the seas to clear the world of
all free government.
And another thing to observe in this
picture is the manner in which the
Trojan horses of that day played
havoc with American munitions plants
both before and after our entry into
the war, under the directing hand of
the German ambassador, Count Won
Bernstorf.
Somewhat sad but true to mass
psychology and the urge for self pro-
lection even at the cost of a fine fair
ness, is the re-telling of how many
freedom-loving German immigrants
who had themselves fled the oppression
Of the imperial regime, were made to
suffer, suspect because of their orig
inal nationality and name.
X X X
All of these things that happened
in those amazing days are happening
again. Much of that old story has
been re-lived; much more will be, and
shortly.
While "He kept us out of war" in
November he led us into war, as a
mighty and furious fighting nation to
avenge and maintain freedom in the
following April. So swiftly ran the
tides of those days-they run even
more swiftly today.
Many who see this picture will have
their emotions churned; and many will
be filled with solemn pride as they
see again the magnificent might of the
United States as it goes to war for a
great ideal.
And there are the grand figures Of
the past, living again in this picture
through films borrowed from the past
and incorporated into the story. Wood
row Wilson, peace leader, war leader,
crusader at Versailles; Theodore
Roosevelt, the arouser; Franklin D.
Roosevelt, the young and sprightly as
sistant secretary of war; Newton D.
Baker, the secretary; Admiral Sims
and Gen. March and Cary Grayson-a
host of the heroes of those days-and
the young men who yearned to serve
and who feared they might not get
there before the war was over.
See this nictl,re