The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1915-12-25 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2Z. 1915.  Another Christmas Christmas, 1913. has come round, to find Christian Europe still in the throes of the greatest and most frightful war in history. Judged from appearances, indeed, there is small indication that the world-shaking conflict is, except for the passage of time, any nearer its termination than it was twelve months ago. On the contrary, since last Christmas the orbit of warfare has very considerably enlarged, whilst to the then combatants Italy, and Bulgaria. have been added. It must be true, of course, that the very stupendousness of the struggle, and the number of nations engaged, makes its indefinite continuance a matter of material impossibility. There must come an end sooner or later, and we cling to the lope that Mr. Asquith had good warrant for his expressed belief a few days ago that the end Will come -sooner than most people expect," and that Sir John French had equally good grounds for predicting an early triumph for the Allies of the Entente in his farewell message to the troops in France and Flanders. Come soon or late, however, !the British people, and not, less those with whom they are allied, are as determined,as ever that they will not sheath the sword until complete victory has been won and those nations responsible for turning Europe into a shambles punished for their crimes against civilisation and rendered incapable of aggression in the future. In writing on the subject of the War at Christmas time, 1914, we had a word to say in defence of England and those htang with her against the facile charge that all engaged in the war are equally sinning against the principles of Christianity. We expressed the opinion that the question of whether the warring peoples have still the right "to call themselves Christian" narrows itself  down to the question of moral justification for being at war, and proceeded to give reasons why, in our view, Britain's refusal to draw the sword would have 'beeo tantamount to a refusal to fulfil a moral and essentially Christian •dtity. those reasons were ample enough twelve months ago, aeguredly the events which have occurred since then have been'snelf as to convince all the world outside Germany, Austria, and Turkey, that the armies of the Entente are engaged in nothing leas than the saving of civilisation from the 'deadliest menace With which it has ever% been confronted. The wanton. destructicar'of Belgium was a revelation of the brutal tyranny which is the fosuidation of the German system of militarist .."Kultur," and established an infamous ,standard of conduct which Germany and • her associates have fully lived up to , "until the present time. The year now drawing to a close has, witneeeed acts of calbulated barbarism of a kind that have never been exceeded, if indeed they have ever' been equalled, in the annals of "arailtre. The sinking of the Isnitanis and the Angie, the shelling of defenceless sea-coast towns in England, and countless other outrages, are crimes which have had their counterpart, in every theatre of war. The hands of the eaemy are drenched with the blood of the innocent and the helpless, and, whether in Armenia or Belgium, France or Poland, they have left behind them a trail of murdered people, worse than murdered women and children, burning towns and hosnesteada, and general devastation and ruin. The war Britain and Britain's Allies are waging against those who have literally proved themselves to be "Powers of darkness" is in every essential a holy war, and no Chrisin these realms need take shame  that ones more at the tame of ChristDIM, the festival of the Prince of Peace, this .country and those in alliance with it is sternly and implacably in arms against the foes, of all that .is meant by Christaanigy.,There _can ,he no, postu'in the world until the Geinnans and their partners in guilt are not only beaten biit irrevocably crushed. Until that has been accomplished "Peace on Fear* goodwill, to men" must, remain only an aspiration instead or a reality. Nevertheless it le', more than ever a duty this year to open the heart. to the spirit , of ' Christman. There was never a time when symPatly and loving-kindness was niece necessary than now, for everywhere there are stecken hearts to be comforted, broken and suffering men to be assisted, and gallant men on itervice and in training to be assured of the gratitude of their countrymen. Above all, it is the duty of all to keep alive that faith in the ultimate Good without which. life would be nothing worth—to look forward with confidence to a time when it will be seen that even the prevailing, agony and horror have not been endured in vain. .