To him who will but observe the genesis and development of moral qualities, whether in the individual Man or in the collective State, there finally comes, with compelling force, the conviction--God is in His world and has care of it! Out of the slime of things mundane, out of the very clay of Life's daily round of laughter and tears, loving and hating, striving and failing, living and dying--the romance of Peace, the Tragedy of War--God is still creating men and nations and vivifying them with souls Immortal. Providence but looks upon the water of the commonplace, and behold! it becomes wine of Cana! The recent world war, hallowed by the very purity of motive and intention with which our American Manhood took up its burden, led us nationally unto those heights of moral perspective and spiritual vision known only to him who toils upon the hill of Sacrifice. No Spartan of Athenian fields, no Regulus of Rome or Nathan Hale, was nobler, higher motived or less afraid than our own heroic American Doughboy! Into the shaping and formation of his moral character many forces entered; and, not least of these, the Military Chaplain. This man--and every sect and denomination generously gave him--was pre-eminently God-fearing, thoroughly patriotic, unselfishly charitable, untiringly zealous, and whole of soul devoted to duty. Mine was the privileged and sacred duty, as Vicar General of the Fourteen States comprising the Great Lakes Vicariate, of knowing intimately and directing the splendid work of these heroic soldiers of the Cross. The inspiration I drew, both from these priests and from contact with their work and written reports, whether in cantonments, camps, hospitals, transports, battleships, or on the flaming front of the battlefields, I shall ever treasure and recount with pride. Archbishop Hayes, appointed by the Holy Father "Chaplain Bishop" in charge of all priests in Military Service, and who conducted the vast responsibilities of that most important work with such eminent success, has declared our Chaplains to be "the Flower of the American Priesthood." One of such is Father McCarthy, Author of this book "The Greater Love." The same zeal that prompted him to follow the boys in Khaki and Blue Over There--making himself one with them in hardship, danger and wounds for the sake of their immortal souls, now impels him to the writing of this Book. "The Greater Love" is a religious message which teaches that as man needed God in war--with a crescendo of need reaching full tide in the front trench--even so he needs him in Peace. The message is clothed in the narrative of adventure--personal experiences of the Author--and every page an epic of absorbing interest. No one is better qualified to bring us message from Over There. RT. REV. MSGR. WM. M. FOLEY, V. G. "THE GREATER LOVE" BY GEORGE T. MCCARTHY, Chaplain, U. S. Army CHAPTER I LEAVE HOME--BASE HOSPITAL NO. 11--CAMP DODGE