Life, 1919-04-17 · page 20 of 46
Life — April 17, 1919 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The Poem "In the Spring"** (left): A WWI-era soldier's lament. The speaker recalls peaceful prewar moments with his dog by the Rhine River in what appears to be Germany or occupied territory. The tragic final line—"When my dog is dead—and at home it's spring!"—suggests the dog died while he was away at war, emphasizing the personal losses of combat beyond human casualties. The poem captures the disconnect between soldiers' suffering and those at home resuming normal life. **"Don't Worry, Miss Lawrence"** (right): A commentary on Miss Lawrence's concern that God isn't mentioned in the League of Nations covenant. The editorial defends the omission, arguing that God's presence doesn't require explicit naming in political documents. It notes the Constitution also omits God, and cites the "Holy Alliance" as a cautionary example of a religious-named document that "went to pot," suggesting religious language in treaties doesn't guarantee moral outcomes. The piece is gently mocking Lawrence's literalist position.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
In the Spring. . . HE Rhine Hows down like a ribbon, down The fellows have all gone off to the town, They tried to get me to go with them, too: But I am out over the hills with you! Am I looking downhearted? 1 don't know. But there’s plenty of reason if that is so. For I've been seeing, through hali-shut eyes, \ spot in the woods—our paradise The little old hut on the edge of the lake Where [ rolled the spuds in the coals to bake; No one to bother us—just you and me— Happy and careless and young and free Where the world was a futurists’ dream of blue. (But the last word from home said they'd buried you!) The fellows are all coming back from the town, Where the Rhine flows down like a ribbon, down Lord! how can they whistle and laugh and sing. When my dog is de id and at home it’s spring! Joseph Andrew Galahad. Don’t Worry, Miss Lawrence ISS LAWRENCE, general secretary of the Interna- tional Sunday School Association, is worried because God has not been mentioned or recognized in the covenant of the League of Nations. God, she says, is recognized as present in the Deelaration of Independence and in Lincoln's Gettysburg address, and in the darkest days of the Civil War “In God We Trust” was put on the silver dollar. But, after all, Miss Lawrence does not assert that God is mentioned in the Constitution of the United States, and the covenant of the League is much more like that than like the Declaration of Independence or the Gettysburg address God, as commonly understood in the incomplete way in which mortal mind can understand Him, is omnipresent He is in everything; in support of what is good in it, ar in conflict with what is had in it. To put His name in the League covenant would not strengthen the weak articles any are weak, or save the covenant from going bust if does not accord with Omnipotent policy. These politic documents are human and faulty. The Holy Alliance hi! the name of God in it abundantly, and went to pot. Mis Lawrence ought to read it TR, this is a golden opportunity ! Small investment, no risk, and enormous returns absolutely sure.” “Then T wouldn't have the heart to deprive you of it