Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-06-22
mr. BRYAN'S SPEECH JUVENILE DELINQUENT
Delivers Address to Soldiers at ST.
-Asaph Military Camp--SGiven Cor
dial Greeting by Five Hundred Men.

William Jennings Bryan delivered
most excellent address Lcfora al
audience Of five hundred soldiers d;
the ST. Asaph military camp las:
nighs n the interest Of the Y ,ung
Mems Christian Association, which is
about to be opened there. A larg;
tent had been erected in which to
! mold the meeting and upon his az;
rival the entire body of soldiers
arose and greeted the ex-secretary OF
state with loud hand clapping. Mr.
Bryan was visibly affected and re-
sponded very cordially.
While awaiting the arrival of
Colonel McCloskey, the Rev. DR.. John
Lee Allison, pastor ef the Second
Presbyterian Church OF this city
spoke with reference TO tie work
being done in the interest Of the sold
iers and extended the hospitalities
of the reading rooms at the West
minister building and the churches Of
the city as well to the men in the
camp.
Mr.. c. w. Hardy, of Springfield
Mass. who will be in charge of the
Y. NJ. c. a. at st. Asaph, was also
introduced to the men and made q
brief address. Religious services will
| be held there twice Il week.
Mr.. Bryan was then introduced,
spoke with much feeling and was
listened to with the closest attention.
He counse!led the men to make the
best possible use of their time, w!lan
not on duty, by the reading or good
books and thus better fitting them
selves for the duties of life after they
leave the army and enter other voca-
tions later on His address was re-
plete with practical illustrations
prompting to the better life here as
we'll as hereafter. Many went up and
took him by the hand and thanked
him at the close of the meeting.
In referring TO MS military eX-
perience while Colonel of Nebraska
regiment nineteen years ago, Mr..
Bryan spoke of the song, Throw Out
the Life Line" which was sung at Il
meeting of the regiment. just before 1t
left home to go into camp ut the
seaside, and Of his having purchased
a long rope which he gave to the boys
to take along with them to, be used
in case of emergency and which later
proved instrumental in saving the life
Of one Of the men who came near
being drowned. . Continuing he said:
a thought is sometimes Il life line,
and | have been thinking what
thought | might give you tonight. An
idea expressed in words has revolu-
tioniZed community. State--a
world. might talk to you about
liquor drinking, but that is hardly
necessary. had as fine a regiment
of men as was ever mustered in and
! was opposed to the canteen. ! did
not want to see liquor put before
those fine young men. The law to-
day forbids the sale of it to a man in
uniform and ! think it might be wise
to compel every one to wear uni
form and in that way do away entire
ly with the liquor business.
May | urge upon you the need Of
reading good books. You cannot af-
ford to read bad ones. And while
| would like to see all train their
brains properly am most interested
in the proper training of your hearts.
| The government will furnish you
with clothes, food and exercise and
'these good people of the y. NJ. c. A.
will gladly supply the books and op-
portunities for your religious ;rain-
| ing. 1t has an army of a million men
.ghich has for its one purpose the
saving of the souls Of men. I want
you boys to have the right ideals. If
/ could know your ideal to night /
could tell you in what estimation
you would be held by the community
in which you live twenty-five years
from now. An ideal means the DIFF
ference between success and failure.
I appeal to you to live Christian lives
in order that your lives shall be
more beautiful May ] throw ou: to
YOU this one thougkt--that which
dominates all religion-"Tnou shalt
shalt have no other Gods before Me-"
| Marta, the role played by Miss