The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-11-05


to make the world safe for democracy; it
war to end wars Everybody felt that these objec-
tlves would be fully attained once the PruSsian
effort had been definitely defeated And now we
heard that this was so; Prussia kdput
Beside, we all felt no matter what the theo-
riss had to say to support us,-and they did support
us,-that the world had had its fill of the misery
of war II would be a long long time, everybody
told his neighbor, before the nations would let
themselves be msled again into such devastating
and futile business as the attempt to settle their
problems by force of arms.
The news OF armstice came prematurely
Two weeks before the articles were signed and
the bullets and bombs ceased to fly. word came
probably from some wshfully thinking correspond.
ent-that peace was IN sight. That was enough
If peace was in sight, it was herel The word met
the deepest desire of all hearts We more
than willing to believe it true; were determined
that it had to be true
And so the shouts went up and the bells were
rung and the populace eavorted with JOY. Certainly
in America felt il high time for bit of
good news. The distress of homes despoed of
their fathers and brothers and sons had been
intensified by the scourge of disease The terrible
Spanish influenza which even the weight of
redoubled woe could not prevent from receiving
the flip and sangy of "flu"-had slain
its tens of thousands more swiftly and surely than
war itself could do. And in early November
1918 when the glad word came from overseas, the
epidemic had begun to abate The end of the war;
and the end of the flul No wonder people were
ready for laundering celebration.
And then before the tumut and the shouting
had chance to die, new message came: the war
not over; the story of the armstice was false;
some too eager reporter had misread words or mis-
interpreted signs II really wasn't over, over there
And alas, the fla wasn't either.
When the definite and Enthusiastically reliable
report came two weeks later that the great con-
flict was actually at an end, ii something of an
antclimax Not altogether that for the news was of
such Joyous character that people could quickly
forget their recent disappointment and the sad
letdown of realizing that the greatest celebration
in our history had been show for nothing. The
wild demonstrations went again, heartily as be-
fore This time il was no more dGnse mdcdbfe
The best wisdom of this political and diplo-
matte world went into the measures OF peaee-or
armistiee And this best was not enough 1T was
far from enough; il made new wars inevitable even
as il goated that it had put down wars forever
Man since the fall, has been able to handle
his worldly business well. Modern man, as we all
know, is little enough concerned about the world 10
come. He is wholly concerned with this present
bunger and botcher Worldly men simply cannot
handle worldly business
And the peace not peace but an
armistiee-a stoppage of actual war, but not the
establishment of enduring peace. In the light OF the
armstiee fact that should have been SOLDERING APP
peared there had been war. there had been q
defeat but there had really been no victory. And
there was no peace.
Twenty-one years after the articles Of armistice
were signed "to end all wars" the Prussian power
rampant again, and Panzer divisions rolled
into Poland. The story of those twenty-one years,
1913 to l939-s story wild and vivid full Of
SOUND and fury full of madness in matters OF drink
and dress and dance and doctrine and depression.
But il is story without plan or a plot-or per
haps with too much plot Of non.literary variety,
With September 1899 World War Two was here.
We had learned to number our wars by then And
even as we deplored World War Two and wondered
what would befaIl "our civilization" heard whis-
pered prophecies land pans2) for World War Three.
The war to end all wars began TO appear as the
war to breed all future wars Ienceforth, instead
of solemn faith that this must be the last each
war was to bring the feeling that this war will do
for the present, but wait till you see the next
OF course, there has been the pessimistc view
earth laid waste that there cannot be more wars.
But no longer is there hope among enlightened,
modern uptothe- minute mankind, full of gadgetry
and science and university education for all,-no
longer is there hope for definite victory for the
right and an enduring peace for happy and in
dustrious land induStriaD world population Evolu
tion has brought us fart Culture has reached
crest Glory TO man is the highest for man is the
master Of thngs"--if you don't care what you say
Ii is now forty years since the first great war
got under way More years of rumbng unrest
preceded the forty, In about half century modern
man has pretty we'll succeeded in turning this
world into entirely different place. Not better
place, not more harmonious place, not more hap
py place,-bu different
Well, let us pray-invokng the aid Of those
holy souls who call upon for aid in their special
month OF November--that mankind may recover
of sanity, and begin at long last to turn
modern things to use and benefit instead of using
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