Vigilantes Sharpen EdgeOf Nation's Spirit in War

Authors Expose Perils of Pacifism,Point Out Need of Universal Service,Help With Loan Campaigns andInspire People to Sacrifice

THE Vigilantes are known all over

the country a3 authors and ar¬

tists. That is, they are inter-prêtera of life. Before Armageddonmoved across the horizon, they hadbeen interpreting for everyman allthings human and inanimate, revealingbeauty where there had been only the ]dull and the commonplace. Magiciansof the pen and brush, their function ina sordid world had been to inspireothers through their own gifts of in-sight and imagination. For the sad,the weary, the disappointed and theblase, they wove spells and illusionswhich shut out the dreariness of com-

uionplacc existence.The sudden plunge into chaos of the

whole civilized world affected thesechildren of the muses profoundly. Thesensitive nerves and emotions of thecreative artist were stirred, whileveryman was still absorbed in his

«iaily routine. Intuitively, they graspedthe significance of the great tragedyand foresaw the coming night of woe.

And even as they shrank before thehorror of it all, they realized the ob¬ligation laid upon them, as it was laidupon the seers and prophets of old.

They InterpretedOur DestinyThey had been denouncing the beast

individually ever since that black dayn 1014, when it had fallen upon de¬fenceless Belgium; they had been cry¬ing out for America to go to tho aidof the champions of right; they hadbeen pointing out that destiny would««oner or later force us into the strug¬

gle, even though we selfishly chose to-tand aloof. These had been tho scat¬tered cries of the individual prophets,but now they were drawn together as

by an invisible power. Early in March,more than u month before America de¬clared herself in the war, the Vigil--intes was organized and within a fort¬night all the most prominent writersand illustrators had come under itsbanner.

Although they included the bestknown names in America.men andwomen whoso work commanded thehighest, prices in the open market.oneand all agreed to give their servicesgratis. The only expenses were to bethose of administration (even thesewere put upon a patriotic basis of com¬

pensation) and the-mechanical cost ofprinting and distribution.An arrangement was perfected to

send out proof-sheets every week tonewspapers in all towns of five thou¬sand* or moro inhabitants. Fifteenhundred daily newspapers thus re¬ceived a direct service by mail, with¬out cost. At the same time, arrange¬ments for publication were made withthe American Press Association andtho Western Newspaper Union to reachthe thousands of newspapers, includ¬ing dailies end weeklies, upon the listsof those organizations.

K, ivxposed Perils

f¡ Oí PacifismThe editors, alive to the significance

of this unique undertaking, hailed thework of the Vigilantes with enthu-iasm, an«l shortly the articles, poems,logan s and stories, bearing after thename of «ach author the phrase "Oftho Vigilantes," appeared in news-aperi large and small, from coast tooast.Pi- fact that the Vigilantes realized

even then the problems that wouldave to be mot later on is demonstrated

by a glance over their earliest publica-he perils latent in the theories ofpacifists were exposed by Châties

Ham on Towne, Samuel Hopkins Adumsd Robert Crant.the justice and wisdom of universalilitary training and the weakness of

the volunteer system were made clearby George Avie, Robert W. Chambers,llamlin Garland, Irving Bachelier, Por¬ter Emerson Browne and ReginaldWright Kauffman.Julian Street,, foreseeing the effort

to inspire ill will for England by thosewho hated Britain moro than theyloved America, pointed out the errorsnd the prejudiced attitude of theI'hool histories of the country.

They Pressed the NeedOf PreparednessThe pressing need of preparedness

eloquently brought out by CelettBurgess, Klüs Parker Butler, Henry

/tght'Sedgwick, Hermann Hagedorn,.«. Bullard, Meredith Nicholson

<l R« x Beach.I h" poets were not behind. Theo-iu Garrison, Wallace Irwin, George

E. Woodberry, Amelia Josephine Burr,Abbie Farwell Brown and Clinton Scol-lard seconded the efforts of the prosewriters in stirring verse. ¡With our entry into the war, the

energies of the Vigilantes were appliedwith increased vigor to their con-

stantly augmenting tasks. Now it was |no longer a matter only of arousingthe American public to a sense of itsobligation to the world and to the needof preparing for its own defence.Scores of practical questions, whichhad nevertheless to be transfigured tomake them interesting to tho people,were pressed upon the Vigilantes frommany sources.The government for one demanded

that the writers and artists hold them¬selves subject to its needs. Organiza¬tions of a semi-governmental nature,like the Red Cross and the Y. M. C. A.,put forward their bids for aid. Prac¬tically all tho organizations designedfor patriotic service seemed to feelthat they had some claim upon theservice of the ..Vigilantes. Ano, so far !as possible, always keeping in viewthat the chief object of the organiza¬tion was to inspire the soul of thocountry.to keep it alive to the bestideals of Americanism.the Vigilantesgave their assistance right and left,and always without charge.Promoted LibertyLoan CampaignFor the government tho organizationthrew itself heartily into the campaignfor the Liberty loans, the conservation

of food and fuel and the war savingscampaign. It also joined with a sub-committee of the Committee en PublicInformation, located in New York City,in a campaign to counteract the Cor-man propaganda in Russia, which mis-represented America and its attitudetoward the Russian democracy.Among the organizations which ap¬pealed to the Vigilantes for support,beyond those already mentioned, were

the National .Security League, theAmerican Bankers' Association,, theLeague to Enforce Peace, the AmericanAlliance for Labor and Democracy, the.United States Chamber of Commerce,the American Defence Society and theBoy Scouts.The cunning of the enemy in seeking

to promote every anti-American agencywas exposed and followed up with un¬remitting vigor. The alliance between

PEACE TERMS §

LIESGERMANMILITARISM

¦'¿/IM/-¦'¦'¦'' -..-.. I -_.

By James Montgomery Flagg, of theVigilantes.

the Prussian government and the¡leagues for promoting the teaching ofGerman in primary schools of the coun¬try was clearly demonstrated; the pro-Germanism of Hearst, of George Syl¬vester Viereck and. of numerous otherpublishers was equally exposed; theattitude of the German language pressand its effort to bold the Germans andAmericans of German descent in linefor tho Kaiser were made so clear thatlegislation had to follow; through themouth of organized labor itself wasproved the falsity of the Gcrman-in-spired assertion that this was a richman's war. So also ths pro-Germanleanings and tendencies of the Socialistparty and such pacifist organizationsas the Lcaguo Against Militarism andthe Peoples' Council were broughtunder the spot-light,Vigilante ServiceHas Many ObjectsAmong tho many subjects which

came up for treatment, certain onesj have crystallized into permanent ob-jects of Vigilantes propaganda. Thesemay be summarized as;The breaking down of prejudice of

all kinds.-to make a united Americawith ideal Americanism as its onlyI slogan.

I nivorsal service, whether we bave a

I. .

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Minute-Men of the PenHow American Authors and Artists Have GivenTheir Genius to Offset German Propaganda andInspire Nation.Assistance Given Without Cost toHost of Patriotic Movements and Government Efforts

prolonged war or an early peace, andwhether the peace is definite or holdsa threat of future war. The great les¬son of our participation is that thecountry can' only be benefited by apply¬ing the doctrines of universal service.In its practical form this means'uni¬versal military training.At the pre: i. nt moment the "Vigilantes

are working for the government on theRussian service, referred to above, on

the Third Liberty Loan and the warsavings campaign. For these they aresupplying ¡i special sen-ice to each ofthe government agencies controllingthese campaigns.

For the Red Cross they are supplyingeditoi 3 ami writers for a special cam¬paign to begin about the first of March.

Constantly shifting conditions devel-oped by the great upheaval make itclear that the Vigilantes will have totake on more and more new forms ofendeavor. They are constantly beingappealed to for assistance by all thegreat charities and all the patriotic or¬

ganisations, while demands from gov-eminent sources^continue to increase.

This is only natural. The Vigilantescontain practically all the most elo¬quent pens in the country. They con¬tain the names best known and mostcertain of an audience. To the extentthat they have the time to give to otherorganizations they will continue to co-

operate. But they cannot be divertedfrom their main purpose.To keep the public spirit keyed up

and alert, to make Americanism ap-pear as the highest ideal, to make peo-pie forget the afFlictions and burdenswhich must come to all of us in thisgreat crisis, to make them willing toendure anything rather than abandonthe lofty principles whicK"induced thiscountry's participation in the worldconflict, these are the first aims of theVigilantes. And because they are ableto accomplish these better than anyother combination of individuals, theyfeel that they have a special placeamong the patriots working for thecountry and that they are doing a ser- jvice which cannot be done by others.

Getting TogetherBy Abbie Farwell Brown

Of the Vigilantes

now fine and fit they look, Our Boys,as they march away! What broadshoulders, straight backs and shiningeyes! We are proud of them, aren'twe? Well, it has done something forthem already, hr.sn't it? It isn't whollybad, this war that so many deprecatedand that, we all long to sec rightlyended. If we could but. get the sameresult without the. actual war. Perhapswe can, now we know how!

See what a few months of traininghas done for the lads. Already it hasmade husky men of a lot of round-shouldered, slack-kneed boys who mightnot otherwise have found themselves.For the first time many of them have"roughed if" wholesomely. City boyshave had enough exercise outdoors.Country boys have got concentrationand companionship in camp.Look at their eagfrr, alert faces; boys

of foreign birth and tradition.newly-made Americans.sons of old -Colonialstock, North and South, rich and poor,educated and unschooled.all dedicated'.o one glorious cause; learning com¬radeship and nationality which makeall brothel's under one flag. Whateverhappons it won't be all waste time,money, strength, suffering.wastelives, even.if we learn what the na-tion so sorely needed."getting to-gether"; and how to atta'.n it.by uni- !versal service.

It's like this: when you're well youpreparo to conserve health by soap andcommon sense. »So in time of peace wemust, conserve peace by preparedness.With the awful example before us,

there's not much danger that any freenation will hereatfer choose to be amilitary machine. Militarism is aloathsome symptom of disease. Butsane preparedness is like vaccination.

¡It inoculates against war and sedition.A wisely defended state is no moremilitaristic than an athlete in trainingis a hypochondriac. He takes goodcare of himself for an emergency, that'sall. .Just as the best health insuranceis a disciplined, supple body, so thebest peace insurance is a trained, dis¬ciplined body of young men, devotedto the state, tit to enjoy their ownmanhood and pay the best citizenship.If the next generation gets togetherin this common bond, there will be nosplitting up into racial cliques andforeign disuíTections. No more hyphens.No more colonies of unassimilatedaliens, each speaking his own tongue,reading the fatherland papers, ignorantof American ideals and Americanclaims. No! Americans all, singingthe Anthem in English, brothers inarms trained under the American flag,serving naturally as part of the debtone and all owe for the privilege ofcitizenship. That will make for peacewithout and within pacifists, take no¬tice! That will make for unity.prop¬agandists beware. And socialstrength -Socialists observe! That willmake youth more efficient, life moreworth living, citizenship more valuedby every one.

Linked ArmsBy Theodosia Garrison

Of the VigilantesInto the little French town.a townthat they must not name.In the dark of a moonless night, theAmerican regiment came,

With never the sound of a rollingdrum,With never a torch to flame.But the townsfolk stirred, awoke, theythronged to the little square,.There was neither sound of a cheer,

nor murmur of whispered prayer,.But never a man of the marching menCould doubt of his welcome there.

^ iFor the blue-bloused arms were thrustthrough the arms of khaki brown,Shoulder to shoulder there theyinarched through the little town;As men with their mates may walk,As comrades among their own.

There was never a spoken word to wel¬come, rejoice or bless,

But clearer than word or sound wasthe linked arms' close cares»,For France said "Brothers of mine,"And America answered "Yes."

I

A Few of the VigilantesLyman Abbott.Samuel Hopkins Adams.George Ade.Gertrude Atherton.Irving Bachelier.Ray Stannard Baker.Ralph Henry Barbour.Bruce Barton.Rex Beach.Geraldine Bonner.Cyrus Townsend Brady.Abbie Farwell Brown.Gelett Burgess.Thornton W. Burgess.Amelia Josephine Burr.George W. Cable.Walter Camp.Bliss Carman.Robert W. Chambers.George Randolph Chester.Helen Gray Cone«.James B. Connolly.Edith Barnard Delano.James Montgomery Flogg.Granville Fortescuc.Hamlin Garland.Theodosia Garrison.Charles Dana Gibson.Robert Grant.Marion Harland.Albert Bushneil Hart.Ilildegarde Hawthorne.

Emerson Hough.Rupert Hughes.Edward Hungerford.Fannie Hurst.Wallace Irwin.Hurges Johnson.Robert Underwood Johnson.Reginald Wright Kauffman.Joseph C. Lincoln.Don Marquis.Cleveland MotTctt.Ethel Watts Mumford.Meredith Nicholson.Ralph Barton Perry.Ernest Boole.Harrison Rhodes.Anna Stec.se Richardson.Corinne Roosevelt Robinson.Edwin Arlington Robinson.Theodore Roosevelt.Theodore Roosevelt.Edgar Saltus.Henry Dwight Scdgwick.Marion Couthouy Smith.Ida M. Tarbell.Booth Tarkington.Roland G. Usher.William English Walling.Stewart Edward White.'aspar Whitney.Kate Douglas Wiggin.Jesse Lynch Williams.

WHATEVER talent and influence I have as a writerI hereby pledge in support of the United States asagainst its enemies both without and within its

borders.However and whenever either or both can be used they

shall be given willingly at official call from the Vigilantes, inwhich patriotic and defensive organization I hereby enrollfor the duration of the war.

In testimony whereof, I solemnly pledge myself to writeat request of the General Director of The Vigilantes, on anynational or local subject that in his opinion needs propa¬ganda work, and deliver my article to him within a week ofthe order. This is upon the understanding that I may becalled upon not oftener than once every month, nor for morethan one thousand words on each subject.

And in this pledge I recognize an obligation as expressas that taken by commissioned officers in the service of thearmy and navy of the United States.

The Great American FamilyBy E. E. Harriman

of the VigilantesFor years dad lias toiled for the boys

and girls without their doing a thing toaid. He has seen his sons and daugh¬ters grow up strong and beautiful, but,oh, how careless, indifferent and im-pertinent. The old gentleman has putup with a lot, has been patient, indul-gent and kind, but the more he has in-

| dulged the young folks the more saucyand inconsiderate they have grown.I Now dad is in a fix where he needshelp, must have help, and he has turnedto the boys. Some of them help himgladly, some with an effort to concealtheir disgust and disinclination, while

I others openly are rebelling at the tasksI set them. They grumble and mutteij and talk to the neighbors about dad ancI his failure to keep things going in th«old way, «without annoying them. Da'looks at the willing ones and warms t(them. He watches the unwilling, budutiful, sadly. He looks at the rebel

I lious with a new feeling welling up i¡his heart. "If I were starting oveagain at the bottom," he says, "I woolteach every child to work and makthem do it. There would never bo anmore of this stuff where Jim <»rriehis own load and that of Perclva

There would be no more of havingCuthbert loll in a hammock and struma banjo, while Jack carried in his shareof the wood and milked the brindle cowfor him. I'd make Algernon responsiblefor just as much labor as Jake wasdoing.

An Even Break"Then I wouldn't have to feel my

face get hot when a friend asked mewhat part of the family burden Waldowas carrying, and how long beforeCosmo would be breaking fifty-fiftywith Bob." I would know that any timethere was a hard job or an unpleasantone on band I could grab the first boythat came through the door and tellhim to get busy. There would be anoven break all around."Then I would know that I could

bank on the family strength as a nnitat any time that a neighbor tried tc

j pasture his goats in our lettuce bed 01¡¦his mules in our sweet corn. If th«J neighbors knew that every boy in th«I family was backing me to a finsh anthad his sleeves rolled up for actionend if they all knew that every boy ii

! the bunch was just as well trained i«scrapper as Jim and Bob and Tim an.Jake, they would rope their goata ammules and hobble them.

I "The family baa got to come to it o

ret picked on by every pup and heel-jiting cur in Christendom. They have;o come to it or get walked on and spiton and used as slop jar by every filthyuitocrat who. sets up a dictatorship iniur village. When th«jy know that a

>okc at George is like slapping the'amily face, and that every boy is all.here and ready, they won't poke, bo- «

ievc me.

Poor old Uncle Samuel! Until everynan and woman has been made to seevhere lies the wisest course there will>e grumblers. I meet them every day.know one who grumbled loudly and

utterly because her boy was inducedo enlist in the artillery. She could nottee un y right nor justice in it. She ,'olt that the act of the government had>een cruel and uncalled for. Then theioy came home from the cantonmentind gave his another a course of lect-¡res extending over three days, his.ime of furlough."Look at me, mother," he began. "I

vas round-shouldered, hollow-chested,louldn't stand square on my feet, had10 muscle and was supremely selfish.had little stamina and no wind."So he went on, telling her what he

lad lacked, and she saw what he hadlow. Then he gave her enthusiastic¡.ccounts of what he did and how he hadseen made a sergeant and how the com-nandant had given him a few words of.ommendation and what a fine lot offellows the other boys were and how:he spirit of patriotism was growingîvery day. The day after he went backto his duties I met her."I never saw him look so well in his

¡vhole life. He looks four inches tallerind his shoulders are so square and hismuscle is big and hard. He is so en- ].husiastic that he had me and his fatherso excited that we wanted to get out,ind march with him. He has gained somuch and I fail to see where, he haslost anything I wanted him to keep,[lis mind is taking hold of bigger andbetter things, he looks at religion withmore appreciation, his whole mentalattitude is improved. Take him out?¡Not if I could do it with a word. I amproud of him right THERE!"

Fool ToleranceBy Margaret Widdemer

Of tJve Vigilantes 1Whatever faults, crudities or vulgari¬

ses other nations have accused us of inthe past.and they have not spared us.there has never been a word that wasnot in praise of American hospitality.We have welcomed, wonderfully,

genially, largely, all the visitors whodropped in to write us up or make alecture tour; we have gone further.when the other nations told us we werecrude, or vulgar, or pushing, or grasp¬ing we have meekly agreed.This characteristic has extended it¬

self not only to the wellbred lecturingvisitor, but to the immigrants. We havesaid in effect for generations: "Wel¬come! We are sure you are going to begood Americans. We won't be rudeenough to tell you that there are someof your Old World characteristics wedon't like. If you wish to speak yourmind, why, speech is free, and you hada hard time o,ver in the old countryyou praise so desperately."We have trusted, as a whole, to their

good sense and honor and courtesy. Itis part sentimental ism, part the intenseAmerica sensitiveness, a large partcasy-goingness and dislike of getting Iinto a row. But wo have been actingrolite host3 too long. There is such athing as fool tolerance.The other night I was at a meeting

of a literary society where wag read a

poem.not, perhaps, a perfect poem.but one full of good American patriot¬ism and honest enthusiasm. A German,a man known to all there as one of themost clever and notorious of the propa¬gandists, rose and sneered at the poem.He said everything that a clever mindwhich wished to discredit Americanismcould suggest to belittle the poem. Heneatly picked out its vulnerable points.Then he smilingly sat down. Therewas an aghast hush at his breach ofgood taste. And before any one couldtell him what they thought of him nn-|ether man arose.one of the kindesthearted of good Americans.andstepped into the broach. He tactfullysmoothed over the unpardonable thingthe German had done.the German who |was enjoying tbo way he had madeftol8 of tha stupid Americans, and whowas smiling still as he heard the goodpatriot.a genuinely good patriot, an>an who works hard for his country.-1cut of mistaken kindliness, mistakenmercy, mistaken dislike of hurtingGerman feelings, cloud the issue withfriendly wordslThat is fool tolerance. An American

who had done a thing like that in Ger-many would find himself being kickedby German gTiards in an unsanitaryprison camp the next morning.As a nation we've got to answer back ¡when self-respect demands it.It's time we stopped fool tolerance.

The Wide Open DoorBy Ralph Barton Perry

Of the VigilantesIt is now regarded in some quarters'

as evidence of intellectual advancementto smile condescendingly at those whodeclaim about patriotism, liberty, fra¬ternity and equality. But never beforehave these things possessed so muchsubstance and so much truth as to-day.Liberty as self-government, as willingsubmission to self-imposed law and tobeneficent institutions, is rriore clearlythan ever the only escape from the op¬posite calamities of license and tyran¬ny. Fraternity, or the sense of fellow¬ship and mutual dependence, is theonly thing which can save our humanrelations from the meanness of obse¬quiousness and from the hatefulncs:«.of arrogance. Equality, the recogni¬tion of the common lot and the com¬mon humanity, the wide-open door ofopportunity, remains the only gospelby which men may be saved from thebitterness of undeserved failure or thefalse pride of undeserved succès.-.These are more than ever the preciouithings, the things worth living anddying for, the things we love and callAmerican; and patriotism ie more as¬suredly than ever tho most powerfulfo-ree by which they may be kept aliveand safe in the world.

Libraries Use GermanBooks Barred From MailVigilantes Try to Guard Wavering Mind«Against Insidious Disloyalty Displayedon Shelves.Excuse Sought on Freedomof Thought Grounds That Forget

By Mary Couthouy Smith, of The jVigilantes

During the days of inglorious neu¬

trality, when it was still presumedthat there were two sides to the in¬ternational situation, a number cfbooks and pamphlets found their wayinto our public libraries which werein effect special pleas for Germany'saims and conduct in the war. Activepropagandists took the opportunity ofpresenting their publications to the li¬braries and having them placed on theshelves as documents of timely inter-est. And it did not always occur tothe librarians to remove these things,even after our own stand was takenlast April. Sometimes their presencewa» sanctioned on the ground of libertyof thought, freedom of speech writtenor spoken, or a just comprehension ofthe spirit that we were fightingagainst.The contention of The Vigilantes is

that these arguments, though express¬ing certain fundamental truths, are notapplicable in the present crisis. Booksthat deal with pre-war history or ex¬

plain the psychology of the combatants.authoritative works or governmentaldocuments must of course be on view;but the things that can be called spe¬cial pleas, that condone or explainaway inhuman deeds and breaches ofnational honor, or that grossly misrep¬resent nations and peoples, nnd dis¬tort facts, should not be publicly sanc¬tioned, particularly while this countryis justly at war. As to freedom ofthought, Germany's nets during thewar are the best interpreters of herthoughts; and to excuse these acts isto abandon all moral standards. Wewould not allow a propaganda of secretvice or open crime to remain in anyplaco to which our children have freeaccess; nor should we leave open to un-

instructcd persons a series of falsestatements calculated to undermine pa¬triotism, courage and clear convictions.

The Newark LibraryA small pamphlet in a local library,

discovered by a member of the Vigi¬lantes, opened up the subject. Twolibraries were investigated and certainobjectionable relics of neutrality wereoromptly removed by the librarians.The real controversy began with theFree Public Library of Newark, NewJersey, where the librarian and trusteesvoted to ignore the protest againstsuch books. The significance of thiscontroversy may be revealed by somequotations from the works in question.First we have the open advocacy of Ger¬many, her ways and her rulers, as

freely expressed at the beginning of thewar. Dr. Edmund von Mach, in "Ger¬many's Point of View," thus extols theKaiser:

"If God gives victory to the German-Austrian arms, compjete and all-pcr-vading victory, as wc all pray He may,even those of U3 who are not German,provided we care more for culture ofcivilized humanity than for nationalvanity.then, and only then. Europewill enjoy a hundred years of peace,and the wish of the great and goodprince, who has been so shamefully be¬trayed by his fellow princes, will yetbe fulfilled, more gloriously even and ina manner which will exonerate Ger¬many in the face of many slanderousfalsehoods. And he will be called the'Emperor of Peace,' even more appro¬priately, for, with the help of God, hswill have achieved this stute of peaceas his very own handiwork."

THE MAD MONARCH

By Mark Fenderson, «jf the Vigi¬lantes.

Eduard Meyer, in "England and theWar Against Germany," declares Chat"Germany's war against England Is atthe same time a war for the liberation¦of the seas and for the true indepen¬dence of nations."

In a thick volume of "The EuropeanWar," by Anthony Araotiz, the invasioaof Belgium is elaborately justified, andthe assertion made that atrocities eqtulto those of Germany have been nui-mitted in every war, even including onrseizure of Vera Cruz! And this impliedaccusation of our brave and patientsaiiors, in that brief conflict, is to re¬main open to youne and ignorant read¬ers, as a truth about American war¬fare!The condemned list includes, to on

shame, books by American writers, potforth in some cases by prominentAmerican publishers. The New YorkI Tribune, which is« strongly unhol&inpthe Vigilantes in their campaignagainst this form of enemy p^opagandi,points out that while "The Masses" hasbeen suppressed and Max Eastman'!pro-German articles have been forbid-den the maus, a volume of these verywritings, under the title of ''Endet-standing Germany,' is now on view inthe Newark Library, where all may havethe "benefit of their extraordinary per-versions of fact and sentiment. Saysthis young American :"The sinking of the Lusitania was'reasonable' enough, and it was not

more inhuman than many outrage mthe history of other wars. England hascommitted Lusitania-sized atrocities."Ho adds that England's ruling classa¡ "are not more humane; they merely'know better." And he thus nonchalantlydismisses the atrocities:

"All these reverend one-eyed commis-«ions of investigation have. establishedbeyond a shadow of a doubt that Gcr-man soldiers have coni'-iitted atrocitief.¡But have they established t i: it Alliedsoldiers did not? Ever since the idea!of human kindness extending beyondthe tribe got bold of man s m .<! it h»?been used ¿n war timo to condemn theenemy and bis friends' as brutal. Wehave no worse opinions of the Kaiserthan the South had of Sherman."

Still on the Open ShelvesThis is the material which the New-

ark librarian had elected to retain notin the reference room, bul on the openshelves. And in this decision the tras¬tees.-with one exception -have SUi-tained him. And the above is only asmall pan of what we find, neatly sand-wiche«! in between loyal and truthfulstatements of things as they are. There-also Frank Harris waves his flag oftruce with Germany in place of the «flagof his country; and there the SinnFehlers proclaim their pr< rence totthe rule of the Hun. Ano it is hardlyto be supposed that Newark is the onlyoffender in this respect. The Tribuneis pursuing its investigations, and veri-fying its assertions in regard tu thesebooks with significant quotations fromtheir pages. Mor-.' power to it! If veare to keep up our courage, hope andfaith in this terrible conflict, we BHlí»try to guard weak and \\a\< ring mindsfrom subtle undermining ¡i fluences. A"pull all together" is the only way*»win. Let us se«- whether these gre*1educational institutions, the free libra¬ries, are pulling heartily with us ¡nthe direction of our country's actionand our country's sacrifice,

Our PilgrimsBy Ellis Parker Butler

Of the Vigilantes

-L

For three centuries they have beencoming, our pilgrims. First from »

royalist England, religiously intolerantto land on Plymouth sou: then fro»landlord-ridden Ireland; fr m Ga¡»er'cursed Germany; from Russia of tWCzar and the pogrom ar.d Siberia*slavery; fro mtyrant infested Ilalkan*«from the whole of aristocrat infeste*Europe. In !,Hle shins and great ship5-their faces turned hopefully westwardthe numberless pügrirrs came, of .«wtongues, disunited, singly and io pitu»1little groups. ^^To-day our pilgrims are going &.**¦Side by side, shoulder to ihoulder. »

united companies, in one uniform ..freedom, one and all Americans ¦*.one and all American men, thousaM*hundreds, of thousands of our pügru»¡?re returning to Europe, h«ads UP .*"eyes fearless, all chanting the »*»*

ng, ali marching under the one wThe like the world has never se««1

This is the true product of the roepot. For we'.lnign three hundredthey came filentiy and separat«!tfr. thousand towns and cities; to-welded together inseparably, MÇback, carrying the holy grail ofmccrac.y they came to America to .

Pilgrims? They came as piseeking; they return as crusaders,stowing. Democracy they song»*»mocracy they found; democracy

'will bestow 1