"The Waste of War."—Chapter XII.
(The Cartoon, "Advance of Civilisation," by Bradley, in the "Chicago Daily Mail.")
"It is not the people's fight."—Chapter XIII.
(The Cartoon, "Must Peace Wait for This," by Bradley, in the "Chicago Daily Mail.")
CHAPTER XIII.
How the War Wrecked Theories.
I shall never forget that wonderful walk on the Coblenz road: the grave, hard-cut featured face of the man of religion, pouring out his socialistic theories, like a long pent-up torrent bursting through years of accumulated debris. At one moment he would be calm and clear, but at times, in his excitement, he would lash at wayside flowers with his stick like a soldier with a sabre.
"The people are not sincere at heart in this Great War," he said, "it is not the people's fight. If soldiers only had their own way this war would be short lasting—in fact the war nearly ended on Christmas Day. You have heard how the Germans and the English ceased firing at the dawn of that holy morn. How a bayonet from a German trench held up a placard with those magic words of good cheer that ever move the world—"A Merry Christmas." How each side sang hymns at the other's invitation, crossed the zone of fire, and exchanged cigarettes. Surely the spirits of Jesus and Jaures moved along that line that wonderful morn."
"And yet," I said, "when time was up, back to their trenches the soldiers crept and fought again like devils."