The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-09-10
Ineonclusive Peace Would BE a
Tragedy, Captain Leslie M.
Vickers Tells keokuk
Audience.
NOW HAVE UPPER HAND
Allies Are Blasting Germans Out of
France, Bit by Bit, and America
Must Not Become
Impatient.

Peace with victory Will be the Onl,
kind OF peace acceptable to the en-
tente allies now. Captain Leslie M
vickers OF the Seaforth Highlanders
told huge Keokuk audience at tn,
Grand theatre, where he appeared
yesterday afternoon under the aus
pices of the High Tension club 70
the benefit OF the Red Cross.
1--WE don't want an inconclusiv,
peace" the speaker said, adding: 81
our governments make a peace WI
soldiers wifi go on with the war.
which brought forth a great storm O.
applause.
An inconclusive peace would be E
tragedy now that the allies have
really the upper hand in the world
war and Germany is about to be pait
for her many crimes. Captain Wick
ers touched on the conditions in Eng
land the first eleven months Of the
war, how that country had managed
to middle through that first discour
aging period with a lack of trained
men and officers and the shortage Of
guns and shells; told of his expert
ences in the trenches in which both
the gruesome and the humorous Side
Of war was brought out, and closed
with glance at the war today.
He told the audience not to become
impatient with the progress made by
the English and French, that al
though they were better prepared
now than the Germans, man for man
and gun for gun, yet 1t was a long
long business to blast the invader
put of northern France.
Is Slow Progress.
To-day we are better than the Ger
mans and we are fammering them
numerically and will continue to do
SO. but the process is not rapid
one. The Germans have to be exter-
minated bit by bit. and although the
great break may come, do not adj
wise you to look for it too eagerly.
THE German Notifications are
built up mile upon mile behind the
first line" and the speaker went on
to tell of the thirty foot deep Ger
man concrete dug-outs, the mile up
on mile of barbed wire and other OBJ
structions that have to be blasted
out In the advance.
"Some have said that deadlock
exists and that peace must come be-
cause OF it. without victory to either
side. emphatically declare that no
French are forging ahead at a slow
but steady pace and there is no
thought of peace that doesn't give
sure victory"
The speaker saw in the entrance Of
the United States into the great con-
flict on the side of the entente allies
the final verdict on the rightness Of
The cause for which they are f1ghting.
This verdict from great jury of
one hundred millions of people of
every creed, race and color has Civ
en- us a great moral comfort and
strength that we value highly in ad-
dition to the physical strength your
country brings"
CONSUMPTION Praised.
The speaker was highly pleased
with the spirit in which America en-
tered the war. He praised conscrip-
ton and the big scale in which the
United States is preparing. He told
the audience the vision could not be
too large, the preparations too great.
In his final summing up of the
war as it is today, Captain Vickers
paid high tribute to Italy. He said
that Italy had been accused of hold
Ing off until she saw how she might
profit most by the war and that fail
ing at the start to make any impress
sion, had lain down on the job. He
disputed this view Of the case and
pointed to the great offensive Italy is
now waging on Austria and declared
that il the dual monarchy was
knocked out by this blow, peace was
in sight. Russia's part in the war was
also commended.
lei in, hn nr1xy 1nv Nf fho
war, saved France and England from
defeat by throwing her forces into
East Prussia We must be lenient
with her in her present condition.
ITO France comes the greatest
glory Of all. France with her wonder
full heart, has given her men and
boys and children to the sacrifice
without complaint. France has done
much in the past and will do much in
the future. She will welcome you to
the conflict. In coming in now you
ARE helping to pay an old debt and
you will also relieve old men who
|should not be in the trenches.
Credit to Belgium.
"A wonderful credit also goes to
little Belgium. ! think her king made
Ehe finest decision in the world when
ne refused to let the German ilordes
pass through his territory. With a |
Pittle tin army, he held back the kais-
Frs hosts for three weeks and gave
france and England a chance to |
fhrow their armies in the way of the |
INVADER and defeat him.
We have taken a pledge never to
Rheathe the sword until Belgium is
uily restored and Unidentified"
The speaker saw America profiting
y the mistakes of the other allies
nd declared that this country was
Repairing in the right way and also
reparing swiftly.
IF any of you are slackers during