The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-04-27
SEND SOLDIERS
TO FIRING LINE
Gen. Bridges Would Like to
See Our Flag Flying on
French Fields
SAYS GEN. JOFFRE
SAVED CIVILIZATION
Scourge of Belgium Was Plan of High
German Officials - England Came
into War to Make Clear That Might
Does Not Make Right.

NEW YORK, April 27.-Major. Gen.
G. T. NJ. Bridges, representing Great
Britain S army expressed confidence in
speech at the annual dinner of the
American Newspaper Publishers asso-
citation at the Waldorf last night that
the United States was determined to
Do its full share III the war against
Germany, and he voiced the hope that
American troops would soon be fight
ing beside their allies on the battle
fronts Of Europe. There were nearly
900 editors and their guests at the dim
Nor, and they gave vociferous evidence
that they shared both his confidence
and hope.
There were Kisses when Mayor
Mitchell in his sneech referred to
Speaker Clark and his statement that
III Missouri CONSUMPTION was synony
nous with convict, and there was
wild applause when Mr. Mitchell car
nestly adjured the nation to support
the President in his plea for universal
military service.
mention of the gallantrv of the vari-
GUS forces Of the allies and Of the mill
| tart and civil leaders of the entente
powers was the signal for loud ap,
plausc. and when the Hon. \. ".
/ Rowell, member of the Canadian par
! lament, spoke of Joffrc as having
| broken, in the battle of the Marine, the
tradition of German military suprem-
/ : a,;r . l.,
cheering was tumultuous.
Gen. Bridges who was received with
great enthusiasm, said in part: 1T is
tie greatest wish of my lifi 20 see the
manhood Of your nation fighting Shout
der to shoulder with their allies.
am a soldier. and l confess that this is
the first speech | have ever made il
my life. The greatest asset of the al
lies in this war is that they are fight
ling for, these ideals. Had it not beer
so we could not have continued Tho
struggle. 1t was plain to Us from tn,
beginning. When in 1914, Austria. BY
, wantonlv attacking little Serbia, ano
Germany by the invasion and devasta
ton of Belgium plunged half the worlt
into war, it became our clear duty t.
90 in and help smash the bully.
'Thc invasion of Belgium, a practi
cally defenselesS country, was accompa
f MED, as well know, by an orgy of bru
: talitv-not casual outbreaks of undis
ciplincd soldierv, for the German arm,
!, of 1914 was the highest disciplncC
force the world has ever seen, but
: policy of organized terrorism, murdc
and rape, arson and pillagc, accompa
MED by the wanton destruction 0
priceless monuments of the past, al
: sanctioned and ordered by the hghcs
! authorities. The military policy 0
I Germany was that of the Huns of At
tia, and may he summed up thus, .
am much stronger and better prepare
than you, therefore, | am going t
: murder YOU and your family and loo
5, your house.
:, - We came into the war in the caus
I OF civilization, to make it clear to tn
/. world that might was not right, and I
make it impossible for such thing
6 ever to happen again We do not figl
= for territory, indemnities or nation;
,. aggrandizemcnt, but for an idcal-tf
:. freedom of mankind and the right
I live of small nations, and those WI
= fight for ideals will 30 on striving u
~ til they attain them or perish in II
attempt The chief reason that Il
q allies so heartily welcome your gre;
: country into the arena of war is thi
d sou see things with our eyes, and fc
ID lowing up the inestimable services "
al have rendered us in the past, You a
IS determined to mobilize your vast I
. sources and to strike for the cause
ii liberty, and to make the world d
y cent and fit place to live in.
. 81 spoke this morning with a gre
- soldier, Field Marshal Joffre. He is
&c man of whom it may be said that
- saved the civilized world at the bait
7 OF the Marine and saved civilization.
was proud to think that l had t
honor of serving under him and tn