The Quality Of Mercy
: Winning A Cause World War StoriesThere is an old saying, Like king, like people, which means that the
king is usually not very different from the people whose executive he
is. If this is true of kings, it surely must be true of American
presidents. With this in mind, contrast the German Kaiser, William II,
with Abraham Lincoln. The first constantly talked of himself and God
as ruling the world. Boastfully declaring that he was the greatest of
all
brought upon the world the greatest evil that has ever befallen it
through selfish ambition for himself, his family, and for the German
autocracy; the other claiming to be a common man, a servant of men,
seeking no riches, no throne, no personal power, entirely unselfish,
gave his life at last to save a united democracy. Shall we not say
that Lincoln served by the right of the divine qualities in him, while
the Kaiser turned the world into a hell because of the selfish aims of
his nature--aims that are just the opposite of divine?
During the American Civil War, Mrs. Bixby, a Massachusetts mother, lost
five sons. President Lincoln wrote her the following letter:--
I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of
the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five
sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak
and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile
you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain
from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks
of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may
assuage the anguish of your bereavement and leave you only the
cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must
be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.
During the World War, Frau Meter, a German mother, lost nine sons.
Kaiser William wrote her the following letter:--
His Majesty the Kaiser hears that you have sacrificed nine sons in
defense of the Fatherland in the present war. His Majesty is immensely
gratified at the fact, and in recognition is pleased to send you his
photograph, with frame and autograph signature.
Is it necessary to add a word to make one who reads the two letters
understand the difference between the two rulers and the two ideals
they represent? God is man's highest ideal of good. Which represents
this ideal, Lincoln or the Kaiser? The United States or Germany?
A poet says of the Kaiser's letter:--
What bit of writing plainer tells
That neither love nor mercy dwells
Within his heart? What picture grim
Could better paint the soul of him?
The Kaiser was reported to have said that no family in Germany had
escaped loss. Perhaps he was gratified at this as he was at the fact
that Frau Meter had lost nine sons. One family in Germany lost neither
father nor any one of the six adult sons,--the family of Kaiser William
II. Certainly no other family in Germany of such a size escaped loss.
Would the Kaiser have felt equally gratified if his six sons had
given up their lives in fighting Germany's war of plunder and conquest?
In the last days of the war, American soldiers found upon a German
prisoner a postal card with a picture of Quentin Roosevelt lying dead
beside his airplane. Below was printed in German the statement that
America was so short of fliers, that she had to use her presidents'
sons. Germans could not understand that in America the presidents'
sons would be the first to offer their services and for work of the
most dangerous kind. The sons of the Kaiser were carefully kept out of
danger.
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Duty
So nigh is grandeur to our dust, So near is God to man, When Duty whispers low, Thou must, The youth replies, I can. ... In Memoriam
[THE FIGHTING YEARS, 1914-1918] Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, The flying cloud, the frosty light: The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die. Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, hap... Pershing At The Tomb Of Lafayette
They knew they were fighting our war. As the months grew to years Their men and their women had watched through their blood and their tears For a sign that we knew, we who could not have come to be free Without France, long ag... The Call To Arms In Our Street
There's a woman sobs her heart out, With her head against the door, For the man that's called to leave her, --God have pity on the poor! But it's beat, drums, beat, While the lads march down the street, And it's blow, tr... The Kaiser's Crown
(VERSAILLES, JANUARY 18, 1871) The wind on the Thames blew icy breath, The wind on the Seine blew fiery death, The snow lay thick on tower and tree, The streams ran black through wold and lea; As I sat alone in London town And dre... The Little Old Road
There's a breath of May in the breeze On the little old road; May in hedges and trees, May, the red and the white, May to left and to right, Of the little old road. There's a ribbon of grass either side Of the little old ... The United States Marines
Our flag's unfurled to every breeze From dawn to setting sun, We have fought in every clime or place Where we could take a gun-- In the snow of far-off northern lands And in sunny tropic scenes, You will find us always on the ... Trees
I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in summer... Where Are You Going Great-heart?
Where are you going, Great-Heart, With your eager face and your fiery grace?-- Where are you going, Great-Heart? To fight a fight with all my might, For Truth and Justice, God and Right, To grace all Life with His fair Ligh... A Boy Of Perugia
In the year 1500, Raphael was a boy of eighteen in Perugia working and studying with the master painter Perugino. Did the city itself, free on its hill top, looking afar over undulating mountains and great valleys, implant in the sensitive soul of ... A Congressional Message
FROM PRESIDENT WILSON'S ANNUAL ADDRESS TO CONGRESS DECEMBER 2, 1918 GENTLEMEN OF THE CONGRESS: The year that has elapsed since I last stood before you to fulfill my Constitutional duty to give the Congress from time to time information on the s... After-days
When the last gun has long withheld Its thunder, and its mouth is sealed, Strong men shall drive the furrow straight On some remembered battlefield. Untroubled they shall hear the loud And gusty driving of the rains, And bir... Alsace-lorraine
On slight pretext, Germany in 1864 and in 1866 had made wars against Denmark and Austria that might easily have been avoided. France took notice of the warlike ambitions of her neighbor and began to prepare for the war that she knew would soon com... America Comes In
We are coming from the ranch, from the city and the mine, And the word has gone before us to the towns upon the Rhine; As the rising of the tide On the Old-World side, We are coming to the battle, to the Line. From the Valley... America Enters The War
SPEECH BY LLOYD GEORGE, BRITISH PREMIER, APRIL 12, 1917 I am in the happy position of being, I think, the first British Minister of the Crown who, speaking on behalf of the people of this country, can salute the American Nation as comrades in a... At The Front
What one soldier writes, millions have experienced. At first the waiting for orders; the wonder of how to adapt one's nature to the conditions that lay ahead. The fear of being afraid. Many times in that last week in London, which now seems so ... Blocking The Channel
Bruges is an important city of Belgium made familiar to American boys and girls by Longfellow's beautiful poem, The Belfry of Bruges. He describes what the belfry old and brown has seen. Till the bell of Ghent responded o'er lagoon and dike of ... Bombing Metz
ADAPTED FROM THE ACCOUNT WRITTEN BY RAOUL LUFBERY In January, 1916, I belonged to the Bombing Escadrille 102. One fair day a little after one o'clock, we were ordered to get ready for an expedition. Naturally, we were curious about where we were... Fighting A Depth Bomb
All who have read of the sinking of the Lusitania, by a torpedo, shot from a German U-boat, realize the terribly destructive force of this modern weapon of war, but many do not know that the depth bomb is even more destructive and must be handled wi... Four Soldiers
THE BOCHE The boche was chiefly what his masters made him. He was planned and turned out according to specifications. His leaders and his enemies always knew just what he would do under any given circumstances, and he himself always knew just ... Harry Lauder Sings
Harry Lauder, an extremely popular Scotch singer and entertainer, gave his services to help cheer the soldiers on the western front. The men went wild with enthusiasm and joy wherever he went. One day I was taking Harry to see the grave of his ... I Knew You Would Come
We are all very proud that America was permitted to have a share in the holiest defensive war ever known. Then let us also remember that our share in it was largely made possible by England. While we hesitated, considered, debated, who was it that... Joyce Kilmer
The first poet and author in the American army to give up his life for the cause of freedom was Joyce Kilmer. Like Alan Seeger, another American poet who fell fighting in the Foreign Legion of France, Joyce Kilmer greatly loved life. He loved the ... Just Before The Tide Turned
On the 27th of last May the Germans broke through the French position at the Chemin des Dames, a position which had been considered by the Allies as almost impregnable. They overthrew the French as they had overthrown the British two months earlier... Nations Born And Reborn
In America, and in many other countries, people have listened with wonder and enjoyment to strangely beautiful music played by, probably the greatest of all pianists of today, Ignace Jan Paderewski. For years he has traveled from country to country... November 11 1918
Sinners are said sometimes to repent and change their ways at the eleventh hour; and on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year of 1918, the Kaiser, and other German war lords, if they did not repent, at least changed... President Wilson In France
On December 14, 1918, President Wilson arrived in Paris. He had by leaving North America done something never done before by an American president; but he was never afraid to establish a new precedent if he believed his duty called upon him to do s... Redeemed Italy
Italy, since 1860 at least, has cherished the dream that sometime all European territory with Italian-speaking inhabitants would be united under Italian government. When the World War began Italy was supposed to be an ally of Germany and Austria. ... Sergeant York Of Tennessee
People will always differ as to what was the most remarkable exploit of the World War. Major General George B. Duncan, one of the American commanders who helped to drive the Germans out of the Argonne forest, has said that Corporal Alvin C. York, a... Song Of The Aviator
(This poem was written for an entertainment given by the Y.M.C.A. at an aviation barracks in a large camp in France. Mrs. Wilcox addressed five hundred aviators, and these verses were recited with great effect by Mrs. May Randall. After the entert... The Capture Of Dun
After the Americans had cleared the Saint Mihiel salient, Marshal Foch gave them a task which was probably the most difficult and dangerous of the whole war. They were to move north and west along the Meuse River through the Argonne forest to Sedan... The First To Fall In Battle
During the trench warfare, it was customary to raid the enemy trenches at unexpected hours, sometimes during the night, often during the sleepiest hour, just before the dawn. In such a raid made by the Germans in the early dawn of November 3, 1917,... The Fleet That Lost Its Soul
Sailors and especially fighters on the sea have in all ages possessed the noblest and bravest of souls and the finest morale. This is why the British sailors have felt so bitter about the atrocities committed by the German U-boats. In case a ship ... The Lost Battalion
On December 24, 1918, Lieutenant Colonel Charles W. Whittlesey of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, was presented in the presence of 20,000 people on Boston Common by Major General Edwards with the congressional Medal of Honor, the highest tribute of valor... The Miner And The Tiger
On an October day in 1866, David Lloyd George, then a little lad of three years, came with his mother and younger brother to live with his uncle, Richard Lloyd, for his father had died leaving the family penniless. His uncle, a shoemaker and preach... The Poilu
The soldier of France, the poilu, is a crusader. He is fighting to defend France, his great mother, in whose defense, centuries ago, the invisible powers called and sustained Jeanne d'Arc. In his love of country there is something almost religious... The Quality Of Mercy
There is an old saying, Like king, like people, which means that the king is usually not very different from the people whose executive he is. If this is true of kings, it surely must be true of American presidents. With this in mind, contrast the... The Really Invincible Armada
The northern coast of Scotland is about as far north as the southern point of Greenland and nearly all of Norway lies still nearer the pole. Across the stretch of ocean between Scotland and Norway, a distance of about three hundred miles, for over f... The Searchlights
Political morality differs from individual morality, because there is no power above the State.--GENERAL VON BERNHARDI. Shadow by shadow, stripped for fight, The lean black cruisers search the sea. Night-long their level shafts of light ... The Second Line Of Defense
In Norwich, England, stands a memorial which will forever be visited and prized by travelers from every part of the world, and especially by the people of England and of Belgium. It is the statue erected to Edith Cavell, the British nurse who was w... The Secret Service
The United States did not declare war till nearly three years after the war had begun in Europe. During most of that time the situation was this: Germany, to win at all, must win at once. The longer the Allies could stave Germany off, the more tim... The Soldiers Who Go To Sea
If the army or the navy ever gaze on Heaven's scenes, They will find the streets are guarded by United States marines. So sing the soldiers who go to sea, commonly called the marines. The Germans after the battles of Belleau Wood and Boures... The Thirteenth Regiment
The World War has shown clearly that all peoples are not alike, that they do not think alike, that they do not feel in the same way about the great things of life and death, and that they do not live alike. England felt very differently from Germany... The Tommy
John Masefield, the English writer, says, St. George did not go out against the dragon like that divine calm youth in Carpaccio's picture, nor like that divine calm man in Donatello's statue. He went out, I think, after some taste of defeat knowing... The Turning Of The Tide
A division of marines and other American troops were rushed to the front as a desperate measure to try and stop a gap where flesh and blood, even when animated by French heroism, seemed incapable of further resistance. They came in trucks, in cattl... The United States At War--at Home
When any nation declares war, it immediately brings upon itself unusual problems and difficulties, but probably no other nation ever had such problems to solve and such difficulties to overcome as the United States, immediately after Congress declar... The United States At War--in France
Adapted with a few omissions and changes in language from the report of General Pershing made November 20, 1918, to the Secretary of War. Upon receiving my orders, I selected a small staff and proceeded to Europe in order to become familiar with... The Unspeakable Turk
Although the great issues of the war were decided, and victory was finally won, by the fighting on the western front, the British campaigns in Palestine and in Mesopotamia were in no small way responsible for the final result. The fighting in this ... The Yank
The boche went into the war as a robber, the poilu as a crusader determined to save the sacred and holy things of the world from desecration and destruction, the Tommy as a player in a great game, and the Yank as a policeman whose job it was to clea... To Villingen--and Back
Very remarkable in the world struggle for liberty was the eagerness of the Allied soldiers to fight and to make the supreme sacrifice if necessary. The Americans, especially, brought cheer and courage to the tired French, Belgian, Italian, and Brit... U S Destroyer _osmond C Ingram_
If you were standing on the deck of a patrol boat watching for submarines and, looking down at the water, suddenly perceived a torpedo coming directly toward you and knew it would strike the boat beneath your feet in a few seconds, what would you do... United States Day
United States Day was celebrated in Paris on April 20, 1918. On that day, exercises were held in the great hall of the Sorbonne; on April 21, a reception was given the American ambassador, and a great procession marched to the statue of Lafayette.... Vive La France 1
The determination of the people of Alsace and Lorraine not to submit to the pressure of their conquerors was made evident even up to the very day that war was declared in 1914. Von Moltke had predicted that It will require no less than fifty year... Waiting For The Flash
Not at once can the mind grasp the full significance of the wonderful event of Monday, and as time goes on, more and more will the world come to realize what the signing of the armistice which ended the war means to present and future generations. ... When The Tide Turned
THE AMERICAN ATTACK AT CHATEAU-THIERRY AND BELLEAU WOOD IN THE FIRST WEEK OF JUNE, 1918 BY OTTO H. KAHN AN ADDRESS AT THE UNITED WAR WORK CAMPAIGN MEETING OF THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, NOVEMBER 12, 1918 WHY THE TIDE WAS FATED TO TURN ... Where The Four Winds Meet
There are songs of the north and songs of the south, And songs of the east and west; But the songs of the place where the four winds meet Are the ones that we love the best. And where do the four winds meet? you ask. The answer... Where The Tide Turned
It is the general impression that the tide of victory set in with Marshal Foch's splendid movement against the German flank on July 18th. That movement, it is true, started the irresistible sweep of the wave which was destined to engulf and destroy ... Why The United States Entered The War
The United States was slow to enter the war, because her people believed war an evil to be avoided at almost any cost except honor. In fact, Peace at any price seemed to be the motto of many Americans even after two years of the World War. [Illu... To Wish To Take Away One From The Immortal Glory Which Belongs
to the Allied armies, nor from the undying gratitude which we owe to the nations who for four heart-breaking years, with superb heroism, fought the battle of civilization--our battle from the very beginning, no less than theirs--and bore untold sacrif...