"Peace on Earth and Goodwill towards Men"
Today is Christmas Day. It is a happy festival which softens many hearts with its message of good cheer and yet this year the celebrations, while they will not lack the sincerity of former years, come at a time when the world is strangely sick and apprehensive of what the future holds in store. While the Christian nations of the world today will pray on bended knee in their cathedrals and churches and give thanks to God for the birth of the Holy Child, Jesus, who by his Supreme Sacrifice decreed that mankind would be saved from the fate of its inhuman acts, there hovers in the background the spectre of countries torn by war, whole cities razed to the ground and large populations, including women and children, homeless and sick as the great demon of blood and steel spreads his ever devouring meshes to envelop the green countryside and busy towns. Spain, in the third year of a deadly struggle in which neighbour fights with neighbour, China entering the second year of a bloody war which has laid in waste vast tracts of abundantly fertile territory and has seen the destruction of the homes of its people, and in Europe the grim spectre of nation arming against nation, matching might against might, in preparation for a struggle which is bound to burst upon the world with volcanic force unless reason prevails over madness. Such are the signs at this Christmas period when prayers for the safety of the world must be allied with the thanks of all Christian peoples for God's gift of Jesus Christ. It is at this period that the message "Peace on Earth and Goodwill Towards Men" must be transmitted from ear to ear and from nation to nation so that there never shall be a repetition of those dark days from 1914-1918.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.