The Evening Star TUESDAY, DECEMBER. 16, 1919.

Evening Star, Issue 17226, 16 December 1919, Page 6

The Evening Star TUESDAY, DECEMBER. 16, 1919.

The local forces of Extreme Labor had their final rally in the Under Which Grand Theatre last Flag? night. It was an ex-

cellent entertainment. Like the anxious warriors of far-ofi days on the eve of a fateful battle, they fortified their acute anxiety with an orgy of oratory. There was a generous quantity of stump argument, exhortation) appeal, and virile abuse. And there was much talk—in playful vein, of course—of tidal waves and great, upheavals. It may seem curious to many electors how the mind of Extreme Labor is attracted by Destruction. Tho majority of thoughtful people have no fear of to-morrow, lest it ibe the fear of Labor pandemonium rather than a Labor millennium.

There was also in the "tidal wave of tosh" a curiously banal sentiment for the poor Germans. "There is no Democracy to-day, especially under the British flag," sorrowfully declared Mr J. W. Munro. " England and the Allies had gone to war for Democracy,", he added. "They had gained tho viotory; but it seemed to him that the Central Powers and Germany had gained Democracy." That is the sort of illogical clap-trap with which one of Labor's master-builders would tackle the grave problem of post-war reconstruction. Let all responsible and even irresponsible men legitimately criticise tho obvious weaknesses of the war settlement, but for Heaven's sake let them avoid sentimental desire to embrace the Boche for gaining Democracy out of the havoc he thrust, upon a trusting world. The electors will see now how it is that if Mr Semple and his kind were in Germany he and they would be Sparticists, and Bolsheviks if in Russia. And the coldness of rejoicing over the signing of the Versailles Treaty of Peace is also now explained. England and the Allies went to war for Democracy, but lost it. They gained the material victory, but the better prize fell to the Central Powers, which "gained' Democracy." If that be so—if*poof Germany acquired the greater merit from the holocaust—why should Mr Walker and others representing Labor complain against the alleged harshness of the Allies' terms? When and where sentiment failed to gain sympathy and»applause at tho joyous rally last night expressions of fond admiration for the great leaders of Extreme Labor succeeded. We have, for example, Mr Munro's weighty assurance that there are "no more ethical Christians in the country than Messrs Holland, Semple, Eraser, and Co." "Ethical Christiansethical Christians." If ethical Christianity may be judged by such sponsors, then it is -already condemned. As ethical Christians thoy have a noble record. Was it ethical Christianity to hamper tho nation's war effort against Prussian tyranny, even though a whacking changed it to an admirable Democracy? But is it again necessary to detail their miserable record of sedition, rank disloyalty, and sneering neutrality? There may be some excuse for -Mr, Munro's admiration for such sponsors of Labor's cause. Great artists, it is said, admire the Bengal tiger and tho beauty of the snake. _ The test of patriotism and ethical Christianity comes at last to-morrow. The question is really not complicated. It is simply "Under which flag?" It is quite true that the majority of loyal electors are long since weary of politics and politicians, and probably wish them under the sea. But they must, as an exercise of stern duty, and with a vivid memory of the record of Extreme Labor, resolutely and decisively dot the "is" and the "t's" of their patriotism. The supreme issue is steady government with unconditional loyalty.