Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1917-05-31
FITTINGLY OBSERVED
Decoration Day in Alma Was Oh.
served Well.

! stfftu Ntu.
The Decoration Day program
given yesterday, was one of the best
that has been held here in years, and
probably took on a fuller and deep
er meaning to all Alma people be-
country has so recently been plung-
ed
A far greater crowd than ever be-
fore turned out for the exercises both
at the opera house and at the GENE
terry, the war bringing home more
forcibly than ever the heroic sacri-
fees made by the old soldiers and
made people more anxious than ever
to justly honor the living and the
memory of the dead.
The graves of the soldiers dead
were decorated by the old soldiers,
and W. K. c. aided by the boy scouts
of the city
The address of the day was made
by President H. NJ. Crooks of Alma
college and was probably the finest
that has been given here in years. In
paying honor to the old soldiers, he
also brought out the debt Of the I'M
tied States TO the sister republic Of
| France, and plea Tor patriotism,
that held the attention of the large
audience which packed the opera
house.
In part. he said, Before France
had won her rights for her citizens,
brave spirits from that land came to
fight for our freedom. And today
every ambulance driver, every nurse.
every surgeon God grant them .skill
every American in Canada's heroic
army, every soldier in the American
legion is a small, deferred payment
Of nations debt. The debt is colos-
sal, the interest compounded. In the
books OF the recording angel of ma
tional accounts there cannot be writ
ten paid in full" beside the great
sum Of Americas obligation, until
every foot of French soil is free from
invasion, and every mother Of the
heroic French sons and beautiful
daughters is safe again in her re-es-
tablished French home We hear
much of debtor nations and creditor
nations, we price ourselves on Amer
ica's solvency, but only when France
is again the happy, free nation of old,
will be nation free from debt.
you made free to walk in paths
of industry and peace and oppressed
millions of a lowly race; your deeds
brought it about that a government
of the people. for the people and by
the people did not perish from the
earth.
Without this great accomplish
ment such government might have
persisted. Instead of dire calamity
to all mankind, what has the world
seem What can be seen today?
Lift up your eyes. Call the roll of
the earth's free peoples: All the
South American states, Mexico. Haiti.
Liberia, Panama. Switzerland, France.
China, Portugal, Russia, the Phlli-
pine. South Africa, Cuba and a few
more little ones that we forget in the
greatness Of the mass-a total of
ii'ic IMAM OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES imam
half the people of earth. And we
must include England with Canada
and australia and her colonies.
though king is supported while the
people rule. The total is stupendous.
The sun never sets on democracy.
When our armies saved the United
States of America as nation there
was saved democracy of the world.
And on April ,, 1917, we accepted
the challenge Of necessity to fight an
outlaw nation. Hear again a few of
the words of our clear-sighted presi-
dent: There is one choice we cannot
make, we are incapable of making
up; we will not choose the path of
submission and suffer the most sac
red rights of our nation and our peo-
pie to be ignored or violated We
accept great task. e."
"The nation that you saved, shall
save the world for democracy"
Following the exercises in the
Opera House lone parade of city
officials. school children and old sol
diers wendell its way to the cemetery
when the exercises of the William
Noyer post were held. On the re-
turn, flowers were scattered Oh the
waters ofnPinc river in commtmora
tion Of thy nations dead.
---------