The Battle Line of Democracy

Dedication to the Children of America

THESE selections of prose and poetry are dedicated to you, the children

of America. They have been gathered in days when the world was at war. They speak sometimes of war. They must, because your life will be touched by the sacrifices war may ask of your home. They speak oftener of love of country. They should, for this country, created by the love and labors of your fathers, is your heritage. You will receive it from their hands as a legacy made richer by their efforts. You will think of it as they have

You will make it serve, as they

thought of it, love it as they have loved it. are making it serve today in a brotherhood of arms, that tomorrow there may be a brotherhood of peace.

The peoples whose cause is our cause have their place in these pages. America is now shoulder to shoulder with them holding the battle line of democracy. They speak one thought with us in different tongues. It is that come what may, your world must be a better world, a larger world, a saner world-a world where you may sail the seas in safety and dwell on the land in peace under the government of your choice.

If this collection helps to quicken your thought about the meaning of your country in this the hour of her trial, it will have served well its purpose.

The idea of making this anthology is due to Honorable FRANKLIN K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior. He had gathered a considerable part of the material before Mr. GUY STANTON FORD of the Committee on Public Information took over the editorial work. The Committee is indebted to the National Board for Historical Service for suggestions and to Miss FRANCES DAVENPORT and Miss ELIZABEth Donnan, of Washington, D. C., for time generously given to the labor of putting the collection in its present form. Publishers and authors have cordially granted us the right to use any material bearing their imprint or signature.

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GEORGE CREEL,

Chairman.

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