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Show ORGANIZED BRUTALITY DOES NOT PAY. Describing the rwanton destruction by trees In northern France by tho Germans, the American Defense Society Soci-ety draws a lesson of great worth: Tho Germans slashed and killed tho trees of northern France, because they wero brutally and bitterly savage at the idea that they, who called themselves them-selves "Invincible," should have to retreat. re-treat. "We will leave nothing but a desert behind us," they said, "just to show these Frenchmen that If thev do make us retreat and give up their soil, they must expect to see it always laid waste. If they make us retreat again, we will destroy their homes and kill their trees, so that they shall weep and not rejoice when we have gone; thus they will lose heart and make peace." The Germans do not think as other men do. Therefore they wore surprised sur-prised to find that, when the world read about these wounded trees, a cry of disgust and contempt went up. So, when they found that all the world despised them for what they had done, 'they pretended that it had been neces sary for military reasons. They did I not say very much, becaua'o they "could not describe what these military reasons rea-sons wore. Most of theso trees wore small; many wore young and only Just beginning to bear fruit, and the Germans Ger-mans could not think of any military reason for destroying them. It is not as though thoy woro great forest trees which might serve for military observation. obser-vation. Sometimes people ask what this war is being fought for. Well, it is being fought mainly to show tho Germans that tho organized brutality which thoy so ndmiro and call War, ruins and noes not benefit those who plan It, and begin it. It is being fought to allow thoso Gormans, who hate It and connot find It In their hearts to admiro cruelty, whether to men or even trees, to make thoir voices heard and so change the hearts of their countrymen. coun-trymen. That lesson hns still to bo ' learned, and It must bo brought home to the rulors of Germany with bitterness bitter-ness and tears before thoy will understand. under-stand. Somotlmo in tho distant future men who havo never known this war will ask tho writers of history to toll them simply and in a fow words why it was that the whole world rose up against tho Germans. Tho historian, if ho is wise and If he really understands, will write one chapter telling the story of tho orchards of Plcardy; for with every ev-ery slash thoy dealt the little' trees of France, the Germans were carving tho story of their shame; and the khaki puttoes of the British soldiers bound round thoso little trees will tell, better than any words, why It was that the British came to fight for France. nn |