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THE FLAMING SWORD
(Mrs. St. Clair Stobart)
During the Serbian Retreat, October-December, 1915
From a painting by George Rankin
THE FLAMING SWORD
IN SERBIA AND ELSEWHERE
By MRS. ST. CLAIR STOBART
HODDER AND STOUGHTON
LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO
MCMXVI
to
H.R.H. ALEXANDER
CROWN PRINCE OF SERBIA
in admiration of the courage with which heand the nation which he represents have,in spite of all temptations, upheld the Idealof Spiritual Freedom, and in fervent hopethat this Ideal will soon be realised in thatGreater Serbia which will arise from thesepulchre of the Past.
PREFACE
I have written this book in the first person, becauseit would be an affectation to write in the neuterperson about these things which I have felt and seen.
But if the book has interest, this should lie, notonly in the personal experiences, but in the effectwhich these have had upon the beliefs of a modernwoman who is probably representative of otherwomen of her century.
I believe that humankind is at the parting of theways. One way leads to evolution—along spirituallines—the other to devolution—along lines of materialism;and the sign-post to devolution is militarism.For militarism is a movement of retrogression, whichwill bring civilisation to a standstill—in a cul-de-sac.
And I believe that militarism can only be destroyedwith the help of Woman. In countries where Womanhas least sway, militarism is most dominant. Militarismis maleness run riot