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Show "my" mum He sees the dead rose lying in the sand, He lifts the (lead rose in His holy hand And lays it at His breast. 0 broken rose of Belgium, [/1011 or! blest ! By GERTRUDE ATHERTON WE have experienced so many emotions in America in the course of this terrible war that it would be difficult, had not Germany violated the neutrality of Belgium, to assert definitely what has been our dominant sensation. But, as it is, I think I can safely speak for my countrymen, and state that nothing has so horrified us and aroused our indignation and sympathies as the cruel fate of this Valiant little country. Above all, no chapter of the war, as yet presented to us, has so excited our admiration as well as our profound respect. We are the only country, owing to our geographical position as well as to our facilities, that has been able to look at all sides of the European imbroglio from the beginning ; and propaganda has made no impression whatever upon us. We have had the opportunity to make up our own minds, and, wholly out of order as this would appear in certain quarters, we believe ourselves to be quite equal to this feat without exterior assistance. We know, among many other things, that the magnificent resistance at Liege upset all the long-matured plans of the German War Oflice, and that had Belgium proved either weak or ignoble, the history of the war would be very diHerent reading to-day. I venture to say that every town in the United States, big and little, has its Belgian relief society, even if it does not spread beyond the dimensions of the weekly sewing circle; and that the most consistent democrat in the country takes of? his hat to King Albert of Belgium. The Americans are always alert to recognise a MAN, and are capable of being quite indifferent to the niche presented to him by destiny. What he does in that niche is the point. If the result of this upheaval is a great European Republic (1 refer of course to the Continent) I feel positive that if the people of the United States of America were allowed to vote, the popular candidate would be King Albert of Belgium. |