The Dominion. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1918. "THE LION'S SHARE"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 302, 10 September 1918, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1918. "THE LION'S SHARE"

Heart-stirring accounts of Uio 1 celebration of Independence Day, 1 1918, are contained in the London ' papers which arrived by the recent English mail. It was t.he most glorious of all Independent® Days. On July 4, 1776, the two great branches of the Anglo-Saxon racc parted in an.acr; on July '1, 1918. they commemorated a great reunion —a reunion .of hearts. This years festival was a wonderful event, and the people on both of the Atlantic seem to have realised that a grand chapter in human history was being written before their vei'v eyes. It was a day of rejoicing 1 ; but it was also much more. It had a. deeper and richer meaning. It was a day of at-one : ment and reconciliation. Britain and the United States solemnly declared themselves at one again, not as joint conspirators' against the liberties of mankind, but pledged to sacrifice their blood and treasure in upholding the cause of justice and freedom throughout tho world. They bccamo reconciled not for purposes of selfaggrandisement or aggression, but for the sake of humanity, for "tho ' best interests of the whole family of nations." "Humanity" is a word which tho German tongue finds_ it difficult to articulate with sincerity; but it is auite at home in the literatures of Britain, France, and America, whose writers and thinkers liavo broadened and deepened its_ meaning. The welfare of humanity was ono of the keynotes of Liberty Day. The historic gathering held in the Central Hall, Westminster, in sending its greeting to the President and people of the United States, affirmed its devotion to the righteous cause for which the Allies are fight'ng and expressed its "faith that, by the help of God, a complete and lasting victory will be won for freedom and humanity." President Wilson declared his hope that tho war would result in the. spread ot liberation to the whole world. Sir Dougi,as Haig in his message to General Persuing asserts that the "liberty which the British, Ameri!cans, and Frcnch have won for themselves they will not fail to hold, not only < for themselves, hut for tho. world." The same thought for hu-" inanity is expressed in General Pershing's reply. He asserts that tho'firm' unity of purpose _ which binds tho Allied nations _ together "stands as a new declaration and a new guarantee that the sacred principles of liberty shall not perish, but shall bo extended to all peoples." 0 ' _ So gigantic has. been the desolation and destruction caused by this war that it requires much faith to cling to tho belief that an ever greater good can be brought out of so great an ovil. • But there are rational grounds for such optimism. The world now places a higher valuo than ever before on the great spiritual realities—on. freedom, righteousness, good faith, justice. Wc now knew that these things arc of supreme worth—far above all material things. It is splendid proof of moral vitality that the great democracies did not hesitate to flinr themselves into this tremendous strugg-lb and risk their all in order to maintain' their ideals. In a most impressive specch at "the Westminster demonstration, Mr. Churchill declared that, like the people of the United States', we entered this war without counting the cost and without any thought of reward. That momentous decision was one of the noblest events of our long history. The. cost has been more terrible than our most sombre expectations. "But a reward is : coming to us* beyond our dearest hopes." Deep in the hearts of the people of these islands (said Air. Churchill) lay the desire to' be truly reconciled before all men and all history with their kindred across the Atlantic (Jcean, to blot out the reproaches and redeem the blunders of a bygone age, to dwell once more in spirit with them, lo stand once more in battle at their side, to create once more a union of hearts, to write once more a history in common. That was our heart's desire. It seemed utterly unattainable, but it lias como to pass. However long the struggle, however cruel, however complete the victory, however important our part in it—that supremo reconciliation will make amends for all. That is the reward of Britain; that is the lion's sharo. A million American soldiers have arrived on tho Continent of Europe safely, and in the nick of time. ... It is almost a miraculous event. . . . Amid the carnage, the confusion, the measureless grief and desolation which tho war lias caused, the conviction must be borne in _upon the most secularlyminded of us' that the world is being guided through nil this chaos towards something much better, much finer, than wo havo ever known. One feels in the presence of a great design of which wo can only see a small portion, but which is developing and unfolding swiftly, and of which wc are the necessary instru- ' ments. No event since the beginning of llio Christian era is more likely ,to strengthen and restore man's faith in the i. moral governance of the universe. < These are great words; but We arc living in great times, and if all ) the sacriftccs that arc. lieing endured i and all the blood that is being shed > in order to make the world a bettor 0 place to live in should prove to be in vain, then would the pessimist bo : justified in. his belief that "the pillared firmament is rottenness and earth's base built on stubble." The Allies have undertaken a tremendous task, and unless they do it thoroughly, unless . they perform their appointed work as, true and sure instruments, the "great de- '■ sign" may bo spoiled. If they 11 fail or falter before the end they f will earn the roproachcs of poster,l ity. Germany is now talking about a "reason peace," a settlement by d compromise, a give-and-take agrecit ment. When the enemy begins to i, make us tempting offers wc should « bear constantly in mind Mr. Churchill's warning that "the essential purposes of this war do not S admit of compromise." In a fight 5. between light and darkness, between " civilisation and barbarism, between S freedom and tyranny, between democracy and autocracy—in such a strugglo all thought of compromise should 1» banished from our minds, The Allies would betray their ideals, would betray the present and the future, if they stopped short of ful' victory. "No race, country, or in dividual has a monopoly of good oi evil," said Mr. Churchill; "bui this war is nothing but a conflicl i- between the forces of good and evil d The strugglo is between right ant is wrong, ancl as such is not capable o: !l " any solution which is not absolute.' j' Germany must be beaten, and mad< It to know that she. is beaten. Prk&i o- dent Wilson insists upon the nect for an indisputable triumph at strongly as Mn. Churchill does a In his speech at Washington's toml he declared: "There can be but ow

Issue. The settlement must be final. | There can be no compromise. No c half-way decision would be tolcr- ( able. No half-way decision is conceivable.'' Thus Britain and America havo pledged themselves to i work together and to fight shoulder I lo shoulder till the war is' over and t victory won. . And what then'? ( Heirs of the same blood, traditions, t spiritual ideals, literature, and con- ; ceptions of law and liberty, they i can never break apart again. The ! outlook for tho future could hardly ( be more fitly described l than in the words of tho Archbishop _ of York who recently paid a very interesting "< visit to tho United States. "His- i tory," ho writes, "is making plain < the' truth' that those two English- : speakyig peoples have a common ' destiny in which the welfare of the j world' is involved. Those whom : Got) has manifestly joined together by'a community of tradition and of spirit must never be put asunder. From their indissoluble! union may a now hope for the pca-ce and freedom of the world he born !"