“That action of the Chinamen is of the essence of real Christianity.  It is the real spirit.  It has been expressed in Europe only by the Pope, on the one hand, and, on the other, by the Socialists of the neutral countries and by the I.L.P. in England.  It is the echo of the angel song of the first Christmas two thousand years ago.  It is the true note, the eternal note.  It is the note which will bring mankind back to its senses when the hideous passions, the false idealisms, and the sordid greeds behind this world tragedy are shown up for what they are.”—­By Dr. Alfred Salter in “The Labour Leader,” December 31, 1914.

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ESSENTIAL FRIENDLINESS OF PEOPLES.

“This essential friendliness, not between nations, but between people of different nations, is one of the biggest facts of civilization.  And yet it has counted for so little that half the nations in Europe are fighting one another.  Are the causes, then, that have set us fighting stronger still?  Yes, when it is a question of national conscience.  And one must regretfully say yes, as long as it is possible for those who rule nations and desire war to carry out their will.

“Is that wicked, mediaeval power—­in the hands of the few, but still strong enough to overrule the natural tendencies of peoples towards peace and friendship and to turn their likings into hatreds—­is it going to continue when this war is over?  Who can doubt, if it were possible to take a plebiscite of all the nations who are fighting now as to whether international disputes should be settled by war or arbitration, what the result would be?  Is the desire of the many to have its chance when this war shall be ended, or shall we submit ourselves again to be dominated by the desire of the few?”—­From “The Daily News,” October 5, 1914.

“At one spot where there had been a fierce hand-to-hand fight there were indications that the combatants when wounded had shared their water-bottles.  Near them were a Briton and a Frenchman whose cold hands were clasped in death, a touching symbol of the unity of the two nations in this terrible conflict.”—­From “The Sheffield Telegraph,” November 14, 1914.

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RECONCILIATION IN DEATH.

Letter written by a French cavalry officer as he lay wounded and dying in Flanders.

“There are two other men lying near me, and I do not think there is much hope for them either.  One is an officer of a Scottish regiment, and the other a private in the Uhlans.  They were struck down after me, and when I came to myself I found them bending over me rendering first aid.

“The Britisher was pouring water down my throat from his flask, while the German was endeavouring to staunch my wound with an antiseptic preparation served out to them by their medical corps.  The Highlander had one of his legs shattered, and the German had several pieces of shrapnel buried in his side.