The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1917-12-20
Names Adjutant a Guest in
Belfast.

Adiutant General George Mel. Presson
OF Augusta spoke at mass meeting in
the Court House last Thursday evening
to an audience that would have lis
tened for hours longer to this eloquent
speaker SO thoroughly imbued with the
military affairs of his country and his
earnest endeavor to form what seems
our greatest need, well drilled Home
Guard in every city in Maine, particular
ly those on the coast
The meeting was presided over by
Morris l.. Slugg, and the Belfast Band,
with E. S. Pitcher, leader, rendered
patriotic program.
Gen. Presson spoke in the highest
terms of the work at the U. s. training
camps, where thousands and thousands
OF young men are training for the most
democratic army the country has ever
known, where millionaire's sons stand
side by side with the son of a poor man
and perhaps near-criminal, who simply
needed Just such training and companion
ship to make him a fine man and SOL
der. In regard to the drafted men he
said, He who by signing the register
last June and by SO doing said to the
President am ready when you want
me- is as patriotic as the volunteer for
he stands ready at the call and will do his
part as nobly'
he said this war is to be won by man
power and that the infantry is the back
bone of the Army and the hardest of all
to train. 1t takes year for the physical
and military development of infantrymen
but when they are put into the field they
move as one unit In the recent exam
nation of men in the selective draft,
some so per cent. were disqualified owing
to physical defect Dc you think this
could happen if there was universal train
ing in this country? There would be no
weak backs, fiat feet and other organic
troubles among youth if the proper physi-
cal training such as is given the men in
the army, had been given them, for one
or two years"
AS Unitarian he had not been in favor
of the Y. NJ c. A movement in the
Army, but since his visit to Camp Devens
he had been an enthusiast for it and
wanted to work with and for move
ment where Mohammedans, Greeks, Cath
olics and Jews and every Protestant
denomination can hold service together
or enjoy the social side of the Y. M. C.
A. huts and dug-outs The Y. M. c. A.
does not ask to-day, What is your relig-
ion, but what can we do for you?'
Gen. Presson had just returned from
Halifax, where he directed the locating
of the Maine Medical Unit within "a
hours of that terrible disaster and his
account of the conditions there brought
tears to the eyes of the ladies in the audi
ence and sadness to the expressions of
the men. His word pictures were vivid
IN the extreme, particularly of the recep-
tion of the enthusiastic Maine delegation
who were impatient to begin work even
when they were without food or shelter
for themselves General Presson intends
to ask the next session of the Legislature
at Augusta for an appropriation of S25,-
coo for an outfit to be in constant readi-
ness in cases where the State is called
upon for help
He closed his talk with an eloquent
tribute to the flag and urged every man
to do his part, This war" he said, 'fs
for not only the flag of your forefathers
but the flag of your children and your
children's children for generations to
come. This war is not boys game but
the greatest game the United States ever
entered into and it needs every citizen to
stand back of it and do his bit -