OCR Text |
Show The Crosses of War Wo hnve been reading in tho pa; per during tho past few months ot tho Iron Cross bolng presented to this ono or that ono for special bravery brav-ery on tho Held of battle, or for somo special feat ot generalship that has brought success to the" armples of the sldo awarding the cross. And when It has not been tho Iron Cross tor this seems to be a favorite It has been some other specially designated designat-ed and famous cross or soma medals that carries supposed distinction. And these people who receive the crosses and medals are belloved to bo vory proud ot them. And It Is Inferred those who do not receive them will be bo spurred by deslro to win one that thoy will put forth extra ex-tra efforts In order that they too, may rccolvo the coveted decorations. nut privately, I should not a bit wonder it thoro Is a slightly different feeling In regard to tho possession of thoso crosses and modals from what Is .believed to exist and from what usod to bo. In tho dark r.es, when war and conquest were moro a part of dally llfo than they aro now, when the mental attltudo ot tho peoplo gonorally toward war was vastly different dif-ferent from what It Is today, prize for making a successful fight un I doubtcdly were considered things to be proud of and glorified in. Dut do you think the sentiment toward to-ward such things takes that form today? Undoubtedly thoro are some who will gaze with envy upon the ceremony cere-mony of tho presentation of a cross or medals and who would llko to win somo such thing themselves that thoy might show It, and recount the adventure ot their winning it. nut do you not think there will bo more who will translate tho cero-mony cero-mony Into Its brutal truth, who In-atoad In-atoad of, llatonlng to tho flowery spoeches and words of eulogy will eay to themselves: "You are bolng pros&itcd with this Iron cross becauso you havo killed more men than somo others engaged with you on tho battlefield, or bo causo you havo displayed moro agility agil-ity or acumen or plain horso senso nt managing your mon so thnt thoy - i ii 1 i. m m havo klllod moro than somo othor troop havo killed. You haven"t per formed somo wonderful act ot bravery brav-ery In rescuing somo ono from death or In so handling your troops that you have won with tho least slaughter slaugh-ter possible. It Is simply the sym bol ot victory, regardless ot the price ot lives, or rather because of the toll of life the enemy has paid. How can It bo anything to you, then, but the symbol of bloodshod? How can It picture to you anything but tho faces ot dead men and the rlvon heart of mothers and wjros and children? chil-dren? How can It, In fact, bo anything any-thing to you but an object ot horror?" hor-ror?" Are not these somo. of the thoughts thnt flit thru the minds ot thoso who seo or read ot the presentation of the Iron cross or of other decorations decora-tions for so called bravery upon tho field of battlo? Thoro is no longer that unthinking, gaping admiration ot tho acts of kings that characterised tho pcoplo of the dark ages "who ac ceptcd what thoso above them did as bolng done by divine right. Tho rulers are still performing many of I tho acts and rites ot tho middle ages, but tho poople aro coldly and critically critic-ally analyzing these rites and passing pass-ing a Judgment upon them that may astonish the rulers, could thoy know what was taking placo in tho mtnds of tholr subjects. And to many as thoy think upon, tho presentation of the cross as a Toward To-ward of war nlflo comes tho thought ot the singular unfitness ot the emblem em-blem chosen. Could not something more appropriate be selected as the roward ot bloodshed than tho symbol associated with him who camo to, bring peace and brotherhood? In every way, it is a travesty, and let Ug seo it for exactly what it Is Lot us look at It with tho modern critical eye and with tho fooling of brothorhood In our heart, and not with tho dull, unthinking orb of tho mlddlo ago peasant. narbara Boyd. |