Communication with Spirits—Colourful Characters

Death makes no one omniscient, e.g., in the Twentieth Plane—A Psychic Revelation, the spirit of Elbert Hubbard seems sure that while peace negotiations and readjustments would be late and tedious, the really great field slaughter consequent upon the tremendous offensives of the opposing armies would culminate before the end of 1918—

How do you know the war will end in six months?

Clouds clearing now.

Which side will be victorious?

Neither. (This was explained later when Hubbard said that Germany would defeat herself).

Is this war going to clean up civilization?

Yes.

In what way?

Chiefly by the abolition of competition.

Will there be a house representing all the nations?

Yes. It is in the brain of Wilson now.

What matters will this house deal with?

All big principles.

Have you lectured on the other plane?

Yes. On what a fool I was.

What other lectures have you delivered?

On the Wise Man I Am.

I suppose startling revelations sometimes come to those arriving on that plane.

Yes. I danced the Can-Can when I came here.

Do you mean that you were angry?

 No. I had joy-bugs. I am the Fra.

I have met Kitchener.

Is there any question as to his being dead?

Nix.

—Hubbard

Is Hubbard here?

Yes. In fear and trembling, Pashas.

You make us laugh, Hubbard, with your old-time remarks.

Yes—but laughter is better than milk.

You said two weeks ago that the war will end in six months. Are you sure of this?

Yes. P-o-s-i-t-i-v-e! (The indicator was emphatic).

What will bring it to an end?

I will be serious now. The prayers and tears of mothers.

Will the allies win?

Revolution will allow Germany to defeat herself.

What will happen the Kaiser?

Death by assassination.

When?

Do not know exactly—but in this year.

(Some were thirsty and water was brought in).

Will you have a drink?

I left a glass of grape wine and then the torpedo struck us.

Are there any planes below the earth plane?

The earth plane is the fifth.

Are there any wars on the astral plane?

Yes, in lack of harmony—but no bloodshed.

But even you were peeved the last evening.

I am serious now, Sir Watson.

How can a thought projection do a physical act?

Thoughts are things and realities.

Is a thought vibration reduced in frequency so as to be effective on a lower plane?

Nearly so.

—Hubbard

One must not underestimate the potential capabilities of the soul of one who is not a genius. There is no such thing as class distinction among the souls of the children of God. I met Louis in the physical. I wrote A. D. a letter re. his book. (These were facts).

Can you give the date of the letter? 

Cannot remember date nor year nor century. He is squelched!

—Hubbard

Say my pal of pals, in the silence of this vale of voice, tell me to tell you that non compos mentis is the word to apply to one who, with a shrug of the shoulder, a wink of the eye, a snap of the jaw, settles the finalities of all worlds, the problems that are debatable on all planes.

You said, Mr Instrument, you would not like to put that in the book but Louinski, look here, I knew on earth those in pigskin, human skin, morocco, gold engraved, who came not here though they were in the richest binding of the bookman's art.

—Hubbard

Have you anything to say as to the war situation now, Hubbard?

Yes. There will be a great naval battle in the very near future.

Will it be of great significance?

Very, very! It will help smash things all to pieces and the revolution in Germany will immediately follow. Then the glorious end.

What nations will engage in the naval battle?

England and the U. S. versus Germany.

Where will the naval battle take place?

No one knows yet.

Is Germany likely to remain a monarchy after the war?

Yes, for a short time. Say ten years.

Under Hohenzollern rule?

Yes; they will explain it for a time.

—Hubbard

Is Hubbard here? 

I am here, old college chum.

It is a long time since I read any of your work.

But you did read the Philistine and drink coca cola at the same time.

You were going to be an M. D.

I studied bones.

That was about as far as you got?

Yep. To the woodpile when the sun rises is a health receipt of mine.

But I have no woodpile. What should I do?

Metaphor, my boy—but clean the spark plugs of your being; eat good gasoline; accelerate your thought; clean the carbon from your cylinders and then throw out your chest.

You now say gasoline; we used to say benzine—benzine buggies to be exact. I am endeavouring to prove my actuality by old earth characteristics.

Have you met Ehrlich over there and was he associated with Hata?

Yes, the little Jap. Yes, he was.

Which was the bigger?

Scientists go to plane fifteen. Hata was a great assistance to Ehrlich—but only that. Metchnikoff will speak now.

—Hubbard

Have you ever thought of the polarity of the human body?

In what way?

In sleep, for instance.

Only vaguely.

Shall I give you a law?

Yes. By all means.

Well then, always sleep with head to north. Currents run around the earth from north to south. See the point? East to west is very bad. Why? Conflict with earth field of magnetism.

—Metchnikoff

What is the greatest inspiration that a writer can have?

To fondle a subject as a mother does her child.

Where did you get such a vocabulary? Where did you get it? 

Kicked into me by hard jolts.

You could not kick it into some people.

No—but I had some brains.

—Hubbard

Foch is a genius guided by the spirit of Kitchener. We mean this literally.

What plane is Kitchener on?

Twentieth—ten and ten. An administrator and statesman is Kitchener.

I understand then that Grant and Sherman were not in the same class with Lincoln and Kitchener?

Kitchener was something of an idealist. In Egypt, he showed that. A certain water system on the Nile is an example.

Can you tell me anything about Lincoln and the Trent affair?

Yes; he advised against war with England—but Nicolay and Hay give it all.

You do not know?

No. My present task is war. Don't get this fish out of his element.

—Hubbard

I want you to know, if you have not long known, our friends Henry and Helen Saunders.

I know them. God bless them!

You know the work Henry Saunders is doing?

Yes. It is good. I love to remember that they are living in the spirit of my teaching—I will have nothing my brother cannot have on the same terms. 

Do you approve of the publication of your earlier work?

No. (With great force).

Why?

My best work was the last.

Do you value any one of your poems more than the others?

Yes. On Lincoln.

You mean the group?

Yes—specially the lilac poem.

Do you like Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking?

Yes.

Was it inspired by your life story?

Yes. My life story.

What a solemn tread I had when on earth as I walked a-down the corridors of that too short time on the fifth plane but, my God, I set echoes of truth flying which will resound to the end of time. Goodbye!

—Walt Whitman

Restoration (Adam Cuerden) of an Irish poster from WWI—Hely's Limited, Dublin

Joan of Arc saved France—Women of America, save your country—Buy War Savings Stamps lithograph—Haskell Coffin—Library of Congress

They serve France—How can I serve Canada? Buy Victory Bonds—World War I poster for Canadian wartime fundraising depicts three French women pulling a plow—Unknown lithographer. Adapted from photo by Brown Bros