H 2 GOODWIN'S WEEKLY
Vl We'll train the crops to grow, boys, as tillers of
f the soil,
H) -'Shouting the battle-cry of "Feed 'Em:"
R Where there is work to do, boys, we'll gather on
j the spot,
H! Shouting the battle-cry of "Feed 'Em:"
i To duty we'll be true, boys, and till the vacant
H Shouting the battle-cry of "Feed 'Em:"
H Nature, kind mater, will aid in. our need:
tt Down with the tater and out Avith the weed:
U So we'll rally round the hoe, boys, and train the
H crops to grow,
H Shouting the battle-cry of "Feed 'Em:"
M And perhaps the finest sense of humor of all
B the offerings to date is to be found in the follow-
M ing lines penned by an unknown author from the
m Atlantic seaboard. They are sung to the tune
H of "Tenting On the Old Camp Ground":
m Many are the backs that are weary tonight,
M From using the spade and the hoe;
M Many are the men who are straining their sight
M Watching for the stuff to grow.
H Planting tonight, planting tonight,
H Planting in the old backyard.
H That Americans have begun to revive the
H Yankee humor which characterized their fore-
H bears and are singing while at work, whether on
H the battle front or in the fields back home, is
H indeed a most wholesome situation.
H Kerensky, The Patriot
Hj HE startling success that the young Russian
H Vw war minister has achieved is without paral
H lei in modern annals. And yet, as one ponders
H his announced policies and his striking personal
is ity, it docs not seem strange that he should be
H able to impress his countrymen with the wisdom
H of his convictions and the absolute sincerity of
H his purpose. Kerensky is not a demagogue. He
H is essentially a patriot of the highest order. His
H wonderful opportunity to serve Russia came not of
H his own choosing, but because Destiny marked
H him as the man to lead his suffering compatriots
H out of the darkness into the light. It is always
H so: Once to every nation comes the moment to .
H decide and invariably there appears upon the hazy
H horizon an overshadowing personality an emis
H sary of humanity some great soul who has been
H ordained to speak for his people, and when he
H summons they come, and where he leads they fol
H low with implicit confidence. Thus it is that na
H tions are born.
H In quoting from Kerensky's address to the Con-
H gress of Peasants' delegates recently, we leave it
Hj to the reader to decide whether or not his remark-
B able words breathe the inspiration of the true
M patriot:
M "Soldiers, sailors, officers, I call upon you to
make a last heroic effort. I am your servant.
H Help me to show the world that the Russian army
H is not a demolished temple, but that it is strong
m and formidable, capable of making itself respected
H and of defending the free republic of democratic
m Russia.
M "It may appear strange that I, a civilian, who
B was never a soldier, have undertaken the heavy
Hh task of restoring discipline in the army, but I
M have accepted it because I understand that this
H discipline is based on honor, duty and reciprocal
M' respect. I have never known what this discipline
H is, but nevertheless I propose to introduce an
H irondiocipline into the army, and I am sure that
B I shall succeed. This discipline is necessary, not
H only at the front, but also in the interior of the
country, in order to bring the liberty that has been
won into the Constituent Assembly."
And then, in speaking to another delegation,
ho stated the following:
"As long as I am minister of war no attempt
at a counter revolution is possible. I shall serve
the people to the last drop of my blood. Wo have
announced to the whole world our desire for
peace, not because we are powerless, but because
we have confidence in our strength. Our now re
gime has for its aim complete union with the
Allies."
In the above superb language the young Rus
sian patriot declares himself to be the servant of
his people. Who knows but that ho will yet prove
to bo their saviour?
THE MOURNER
, TAR has the world's wide canvas for
vX its screen;
With brushes wet with hues of lurid red
It adds abundant horrors to a scene
Crowded with foul destruction, and the
dead.
Keen life is quenched, and eager vigor slain;
Against that horror I would veil my sight,
But vainly might I hide me from the pain
I heard a woman sobbing in the night!
There was no sound of soft, relieving rain
Within the storm that muttered through
those sobs;
But like a dry, harsh, blasting hurricane
That gives earth nothing, but its beauty
robs,
So' seemed her passion, and the war's vast
scene
Strangely eclipsed, seemed blotted from
my sight;
I only visloned, where its crowds had been,
A tearless woman, sobbing In the night!
The world in anguish mourns its manhood
slain;
And all the agonies that war has wrought
Deep Jn its heart have sent their stabs of
pain;
Joy falls to wreck and force o'er-masters
thought;
The large hopes die that nobly seemed to
rise,
While clouds of lust and murder hide the
light,
Always there stands before my heart and
eyes,
A tearless woman sobbing in the night!
Of Course, We'll Win
XN the rush of events during the past sev
eral weeks we had completely lost track
of our old friend, William Jennings Bryan; due
perhaps to the fact that he has had nothing to
say. But now he has broken; the silence and ad
monishes us that "we must win" the war. Of
course we must win, and we will win the war;
and not 2 single man among us has entertained
any other prospect until the Commoner suggested
the possibility.
Moreover, he reminds us that "we are In the
war by the action of Congress." That may be so,
technically speaking, but the general supposition
has been that we are in the war because of the
acts of Germany. We quite agree with him, how
ever, that "the quickest way to peace is to go
straight through , no matter how long
the war lasts or how mucli it costs." But whnt
called for this remark? Is it possible that Mr.
Bryan is fearful of the administration shifting
ground, as it has in times past when he was
more closely identified with it? If so, we have
only to advise him that the American people are
behind this war 'and that they propose seeing it
through, irrespective of the petty plans of politi
cians and peace advocates. It is also apparent
that the. President has finally set his stakes in
solid soil and proposes to drive straight ahead.
This granted, then even Mr. Bryan must admit
that the President and the people form a pretty
hefty combination to carry on the conflict.
Although no one can successfully challenge his
patriotism as he views things still it would ap
pear that the Commoner has not been able to
completely reconcile himself to America's en
trance into the world war. Else why would he
say: "Had we remained neutral wo might have
been able to act as mediator and thus rendered
an important service to' the world. In entering
the war, however, -we surrendered that oppor
tunity and incurred the enmity of the central pow
ers." That may be true, but it is a pity that
Mr. Bryan cannot see, as others see, that the
awakening of our national conscience and the re
habilitation of our honor and dignity and prowess
among the nations more than compensates for the
ill-will we have incurred from the central pow
ers. As matters now stand, wo will most cer
tainly participate in the peace councils and will
have considerably more to say than had we fol
lowed Mr. Bryan's advice and, by pursuing peace
without honor, had earned the just contempt of
all the nations.
Germany's New Chancellor
Q CLOAK ot -nystery seems to enshroud Dr.
Michaelis, the man who has been summoned
to succeed Bethmann Hollweg as the chancellor
of the German empire. Although long in the ser
vice of the fatherland, he has been so little in the
public eye that even his own people are guessing
as to the real significance of his selection. Even
Berlin assures us that he cannot bo identified with
any faction this too, in a country where fac
tional feeling runs high and the question comes
whether this will not prove to be a weakness.
All of which reminds us of a local political
incident several years ago when Harry Joseph
was berating a certain Republican candidate for
office because he refused to pay his campaign as
sessment. The. indignant chairman of finances
did not mince words in discussing the short-comings
of the penurious politician and by way of
comparison went on to say: "Why, when Jody El
dredge and I were on the ticket two years ago,
we not only paid our assessments but went up
and down the county spending our money like
drupken sailors." "How then," some wag inter
rupted, "do you account for the fact that you and
Jody ran behind the ticket?" "Oh, that's easy,"
he replied, "the people knew us better than they
did the other candidates." There was consider
able truth in the remark, which only goes to prove
the rule that the less people know about a man
the higher he stands in the public estimation.
Perhaps the kaiser had this in mind when ho ap
pointed Michaelis to the chancellorship.
Speaking seriously, however, it does not seem
that the Socialists and the peace element gained
much of a victory after all. The now chancellor
was entirely too complimentary to his predeces
sor and spoke too well of his administration to .
give any assurance that he intends to effect a
substantial change in the war policies of the em
pire. Ho even seemed to balk at a plain and posi
tive enunciation of the "peace without indemni
ties or annexation" policy which is rapidly gain
ing favor throughout Germany, and the only not
able statement in his maiden speech to the Reich-
I