THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 14, 12 October 1942, Page 4

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY

Comments—Reflections Intercession.

O God, Who fold both heaven and earth in a single peace; let the design of Thy great love lighten upon the waste of our wrath and sorrows ; and give peace among nations, peace in our dwelling, and peace in our hearts; through Jesus Christ.—Amen.

Try and trust will move mountains. —Proverb.

“It is as true of nations as of individuals, that one can save life at the cost of all that makes life worth living; and that is the bargain Petain’s France lias struck with Hitler's Germany.”—“Birmingham Post.”

“The deep and fervent wish of the majority of the French can be rendered by one word —liberation, but this word covers two ideas —independence for their land and political freedom inside it,” writes Andre Labarthe in “La France Libre.” Since the great Revolution, the national idea and the democratic idea have been inextricably bound up in the mind of the nation. This connexion has never been broken or weakened. At all the great crises of our history,. the will to resist, to defend their country to the uttermost, has come from the people. Once again, it was the French people who rose at St. Nazaire; the French people who shoot from the shadows at the occupier. To cheat their patriotism or their aspirations toward total freedom would be to incur the risk of an explosion of popular feeling.” * # ♦

“We desire that France shall recover everything that belongs to her. We desire to destroy for ever the mechanical organization of mankind, such as the enemy has achieved in contempt of nil religion, morals, and charity, simply because lie thought he was strong enough to override others. And, moreover, in a powerful rebirth of the resources of the nation and of the Empire, inspired by a methodical technique, we desire that the old French ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity shall be henceforward applied in our land, in order that every individual may be free in his thoughts, beliefs, and actions, that at the outset all may have equal opportunities in their social life, and that every man be respected by his fellows and helped if in need. We desire that this war, which similarly affects the destiny of all peoples and units the democracies in one and the same effort, shall lead to a world organization establishing lasting solidarity and mutual help between nations in every sphere. And we intend that in this international organization France shall take the eminent position to which her genius and achievements entitle her.”—General de Gaulle, the leader of Fighting France.

“Our international situation could not be more stable. Great Britain and the U.S.A., from the very first days of the war between Germany and the took the line of supporting the Soviet Union. Now our country and Great Britain have signed a Treaty of Alliance in the war against Hitlerite Germany and her associates in Europe, and of collaboration and mutual help after the war. America has become a belligerent country. An agreement has been signed between America and the U.S.S.R. on the principles of mutual'help in the war. The aid given to us by America and Britain in terms of war supplies will increase to a greater and greater extent. All these facts give full grounds for confidence that the enemy will be defeated. The Soviet people have no illusions of an easy victory over the treacherous and vile enemy, who will continue fighting with all his strength. The enemy is not yet defeated. He still possesses considerable resources. The more hopeless the position of the Hitlerite hordes the more adventurous will be the attempt they undertake. But the defeat of Hitlerism is inevitable. The Soviet people ire firmly convinced of their victory, and they know that this victory must be won from day to day, at the front and in the rear, in factories, mines and collective farms, in the front line positions, in the trenches and in the guerrilla detachments.”—Mikhail Karinin, President of the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R., on the anniversary of Germany’s attack on Russia.

“Nazi universities are completely under the dominance of the Party,” writes Dr. Ziemer in his book “Education for Death—the Making of a Nazi.” “Students attending the winter semester need not complete their registration till November 15, and may leave school February 15. Summer semester students must enrol by April 15, and may leave by June 15. There are thus less than twenty weeks of actual class instruction in the school year. If any member of the faculty has special Party duties, he may still further curtail this period by suspending his classes for a whole week at a time. Before the Party dominated the institutions of higher learning, there were more than thirty weeks of school in the average German university. A glance at a recent University of Berlin catalogue reveals where the emphasis in learning has been placed by the Nazi regime. The physical education department, of course, devotes all its 150 courses to physical culture. Courses 1-76 at the university are culled Science of Religion. According to Dr. Leonhard Rost, of the theological staff, whom I met frequently during my four years as post-graduate student at the University of Berlin, twentythree of these courses prove the evil influence of the Hebrews on religion;, eight are devoted to church architecture and have nothing to do with religion as sued): nine, labelled ‘Philosophy of Religion,’ prove that the faith of a nation in its leader is the best possible religion: eleven discuss the history of religion, a ‘lamentable history indeed.’ ”

The Lilies of Lidice. In Lidice the lilies grow Of dye wherein “not Solomon In all Ids glory was arrayed.” In Lidice the lilies sow Their seeds of ire whose orison Breathes from earth’s heart: Be not afraid! Be not afraid! With ashen soil Scorched by the raging tyrants’ glare In boast of Christ His overthrow, Despoilers but themselves despoil To quicken loam of beauty, where In Lidice His lilies blow. P. Mac Kaye.