Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-12-25
Killers at
Would Bolster
Christianity
True Meaning Of Yule
Goes Beyond | Day
BY HUGH s. JOHNSON


\ kingly crown Ia gain:
His blOOd-red banner streams
afar--
who follows In his train"
This Christmas stands alone
among all others. For the first
time, the whole Christian world
actually is engaged in bloody
war with anti-Chrlst.
That war was thrust upon us,
lust AT our dearest SeaSon-the
festival of ChriSt's birth. Always
we have been able pretty we'll
to tear aside the veil Of com
merclaliSm that has tended to
obscure the real meaning of
Christmas in an effort 10 cele-
brate the season for what il is
the birthday Of Christ the be-
ginning of decency in human
society.
Now we must 60 much fur
thcr and not lust for Christmas
Day but. al least until victory
is won discard all SelfShneSS for
the good of all men.
WE CAN'T approach this
w years celebration with the
ioyouSneSS of other years. "On
earth peace, good will toward
men" has a false ring when
heard over the same air that
brings us hourly bulletins Of
horrible unprovoked war in
every corner Of the earth.
With Patrick Henry we can
say
"Gentl emen cry Peace.
Peace" But there II no peace"
But. because Of this very fact.
all Of us who follow in his train"
should solemnly and bravely
celebrate the anniversary OF the
birth of the Supreme General Of
all peoples fighting this war
against greed and uSt and
cruelty
Al no time in these . 900
years has ChriSt'S cause been 30
seriously threatened a. II Is at
this moment The SufferlnCS Of
tho carly Christian martyrs and
the fathers of the church. the
black-Out OF the Middle Ages.
the CruSadeS, the invaSlonS of
GenghiS Khan'S TartarS, ATLAS
Huns and Abdur RahmanS Sar-
acanS are nothing compared 10
the present SuncringS. black
outs lnvaSionS and dangers TO
our faith and The civilization on
which ii IS built.
LIVERY country At war has
II always claimed thai God was
on It's side. The KaiSers I'M
perial German army had for It's
motto Colt NIT uns," the
French king was His Most
Christian Majesty the Spanish
king was His Most Catholic
Majesty and 50 on
But despite these piouS boasts
forp OF me WAITS conducted by
these leaders could be conSld-
cred as holy wars in any SUCH
sense aS this.
40 propaganda. no distortion
of facts. nothing that could be
trumped up could be any worse
than the cold stark factual
record Of AXIS atrocities -
atrocities on such a grand scale
A. 10 dcaden ones appreciation
Of their malgnlty whole ma
lions butchered. entire races
prosecuted
Every blow struck against
such An enemy Is bloW struck
for Christ.
| ONG before the birth at
II Bethlehem there was a WIN
ter festival in nearly all coun-
ttlcS and especially I'm German
countries The yule season was
even then. A. n is now. one Of
giving and good VIII Of warmth
and forgiveness Of all old hates
Ok momentary truce 10
savage hostility and all un-
wort nv nrp utdico batraJ apJ
unkIndneSS.
To the German people We owe
much Of the kindly customs OF
Christmas lighted trees. tlnSel.
gifts yule logs and good cheer.
II is an ironlcal measure of
Hltler'S malignant powers that,
by bitter, cynical kind Of per-
version in the birthplace Of 50
much that is beautiful about
christmas - Germany -- every
thing mat was gwen 10 lift
them from the human toward
't'-T' ''''T' A'iiiiN'Tt w RN'NA " lii'