Soldan High School - Scrip Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

Page 17 text:

eighth president of these United States and 'Father of a League of Nations. ' -Milton Yawitz. The Returning Soldier iii HEN a nation undertakes war, the people are called upon to endure, as individuals and as nations, an interruption in industry and in daily habits. They are called upon to 1. sacrifice money, food and men. Hard as these sacrifices i ' are, out of them is born a high patriotism. Consolation grows out of the hope that conditions requiring sacrifice are but temporary. But when peace comes, the emotional spur which enables men to bear losses dies down. The bitter part is over. But what of the returning soldier? We must not, now, allow our patriotism to die down, our material and spirit- ual aid to cease. Far greater and more vital than any other duty is the making of this land a fit home for heroes. First of all, we must consider the state of mind of the returning soldiers. They have fought for an ideal entirely new to war-not for their own country, but for the ideals of humanity. They have fought side by side with their English, French and Italian brothers. They are no longer citizens of any clearly bounded country, they are citizens of the world. They will think in world terms, they will live on world heights, and we must think with them and stand beside them. Our business, our politics, our social life must be organized to lit the wider views of our crusaders. The government ideally plans to take care of these problems. But is not the government you? No interest can be placed above the interests of those who fought our battles, those who carried the torch of light and hope to the stricken world. You are suggesting many ways of caring for them, such as opening up swamp lands. What a cheap offer! It costs you nothing! If they want swamp lands, well and good. But we want these men to take up what they are now fitted for. Are you an employer? You released this worker in high chivalry, you sent him over there with Libertyls beacon. Now in spirit of this same chivalry, take him back. If you cannot pay the value of his enhanced power, share with him your bounty-and it will be re- turned to you in spiritual joy. Make good your mighty promises. He will work as he has fought. Now, it is your duty to fight as you have worked. Fight the spirit of greed, of gain, make your democracy demo- cratic, your chivalry chivalrous. Much has been said about re-educating the soldier. It will be necessary in many cases where the soldiers find new industries and new ideas developed. But, take a closer look. It is we, who must s vfii 'H 15

Page 16 text:

-'--.-.4--1 -1 T -'fi ee iff 2- f - ,fi how it would have felt, had the then victorious Germany turned her engines of war in our direction ?-So you see, we are concerned. Now let us take the other point of view, the generous or humani- tarian: The opponents of a league of nations say that we are not con- cerned, we are not hurt, we should not be moved by the actions of states of Europe toward one another. Do you remember how your blood boiled when you read of Germany's invasion of Belgium? Do you remember how you ground your teeth when you learned of the German atrocities in invaded France? Do you recall your feelings when you heard of the German destruction of Louvain and Rheims? Do you remember the hot rage aroused when you heard of the sinking of the Lusitania?-Now, after recalling your feelings, it is impossible for any American to say that we should not abandon our old policy of isolation. Our spiritual outposts have already been moved forward uncounted miles. Let us now take up the second objection: American youths should have to give up their lives to settle European disputes. Certainly most of these disputes shall be settled by arbitration. But if there is any offending nation, then the offender shall face a boycott by all the other nations of the league. A boycott failing-then it's war. When it comes to war, our boys are willing to pay the price! We feel that you cannot hurt or wrong an Englishman, you cannot wrong a Frenchman or an Italian without hurting us. We love our country but we love mankind also. We have learned that there exists some supreme power that connects the lives and the destinies of one person or nation with all the rest. This feeling was fundamental to our entrance into the war. It is because of this new humanitarianism, it is because of this great love for our fellowmen that our boys answered the calls of devas- tated Belgium, exhausted France and gallant Britain. But, alas! in spite of our response to these calls, in spite of the fact that our youths are willing to defend justice at any price, we are being misrepre- sented in Congress. We young Americans demand a league of nations. We uphold this league, for even if there be any wars after the formation of this league, these shall not be wars of aggression, but wars to en- force justice and to punish an offender, who, in offending one, offends all. We now have answered the second objection of the senator. The Senator's third objection is specious and impossible to reply to, for it ends just where the arguments of our great representative at Versailles begins. Our worthy Senator says that some of the nations are not perfect enough to carry in practice their signed covenants, hence a league of nations is impossible. Our President says that since the nations are not perfect a league of nations is necessary. Now it is your duty to support this league, that the children of the peaceful generations to come may read- Woodrow Wilson, the twenty- 14

Page 18 text:

re-educate ourselves, that we may keep pace with these men. They have climbed a mountain we can never climb. They have experienced things we shall never experience. This country must level up to their ideals. These most precious men of ours have a new vision. They will appraise us not in dollars but in terms of souls, in terms of chivalry toward their needs. But we speak of the soldiers who come back whole, what of the disabled ones? It is the high privilege of a grateful country to nurse the stricken soldier back to health, to love him and to teach him. They sorrowfully witness the stalwart going back to life, and they ponder deeply. The war has crippled their bodies. 'Tis we alone who can cripple their souls. We must make them proud and independent. The greatest wrong is to offer him money he does not earn. It would be an insult to the very cause for which he gave his arm, his leg or perhaps his eyes. We owe him a chance for life, for a life of action and usefulness and content. We owe him an honored place in our national life. And we means you and I. If you are an employer, are you going to consider him? Are you going to be patient with him? He fought your light. Now help him Fight his own battles. Teach the new idea of the crippleg the man without legs will walk, the man without arms will reach, the man without eyes will see. Adopt as your slogan, There are no cripplesf' We can remember the deep emotion we felt, they felt, when they joined the colors, when they sailed from their native land. And now, they are coming back, coming home! Behold them! Our heroes! Vic- torious, proud, happy! Are we going to disappoint them? We cannot do that. Let us kindle our patriotism into an undying flame. Let us make good our promise to the returning soldier. -Helen A. Wood. The Man With a Vision ROM the time history began here and there has sprung nfl up through the ages some one man with a great vision. I N Perhaps it has been a great conqueror who has wrapped himself in a dream of glory and sought to build an empire on the clash of arms. Or again it may have been some great philosopher, some colossal intellect, who strove to build his empire through th-e might of mind. And yet again it may have been the gentle dreamer, a follower of the Christ, perhaps without the unearthly purity of Sir Galahad, but one who sought to teach the Great Love and to build the empire of universal brotherhood. And so they have come and so they have gone, each in his own way, the conqueror with his sword, the philosopher with his mind, and the dreamer with his dreams. But through some twist of fate, some unseen 16