Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-04-16

MI. Phalen in introducing the first
speaker of the afternoon called atten-
ton to the address which was made
by ex.Premier Asquith of England in
which he said that the advent of the
United States into the war hao
brought all the English speaking Q
pies of the world into league for the
suppression Of Germany and Its allies.
He spoke Of the two great statues
which have been presented to the
United States, the n by Emperor
William standing for conquest and the
power of the sword. the other py
France, being liberty enlightening the
world" He declared that these "
statues signi1ed the difference in the
spirit and feelings of the two sides OF
the great struggle. He closed with an
appeal for every man n every. woman
to do his or her share to bring VIC
tory to this country, and then intro
duced President Arthur j. Roberts OF
Colby College as the next speaker.
President Roberts said that as a
bow he had always thought OF soldiers
as men Of mature years. but when ne
first came to Colby College and saw
there the names Of the men who went
from that college to fight and realized
that they were but a few years older
than he was he realized for the first
time that it was boys, not men VINO
did the fighting, the men staying at
home and talking. He a found that
this was true of every war and 1t
would be true of the "a in which we
are now engaged.
He declared that nan people had
thought that with treaties and the
Hague tribunal war was a thing Of the
past and thai the United States was now
fighting to make it a thing of the past.
It was fighting for world democracy. and
when that comes war will pass. for It
takes a democracy a long time to make
I'D it's mind. Two years ago but few peo-
pie in this country wanted war;; a year
ago the number was slightly larger; SIX
months ago it was still larger and now
all are united in declaring that we must
go to war. A victory for democracy will
mean a worldwide peace.
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
was then sum b" the crowd, led by the
band, n Hon. Charles r. johnson was
introduced as the last speaker Of the aft
ernoon. =.
Mr.. johnson spoke of the large number
present and declared that these patriotic
meetings were splendid things, that they
were founded on sentiment and that sem
timent was the warp and woof of life.
He paid a touching tribute to President
Wilson, quoting the final words of his
great message to Congress as one of the
finest u~tterances hat has ever been made
by a statesman. He declared that the
United States was united in this fight for
the rights of humanity and paid a splen-
did tribute to the veterans of the Civil
War, speaking of the inspiration of those
battleflags at Augusta and of a recent
visit to the State House in which the
words of the poem written there were
quoted. He declared that this country
went into this war without ambition for
conquest, without desire for personal glo-
nv of any man, without lust for more ter
ritory but to make free the peoples of
the world.
This closed the speaking of the after
noon and the crowd then moved over to
the f1agpole, where the nAmbers Of w.
S. Heath Post, G.. A. r., marched, &C
companied by the band, and there the
flag was raised to the top of the pole as
the band played 1.-THE Star Spangled Ban
ner'' and the audience stood with barred
heads. After the flag had broken to the
breezes all Joined in singing the national
anthem, closing the public part of the
program.