The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-09-12
GOVERNOR TALKS WAR
Says the United States Is at War
With German People

With German People
Governor Horace F. Graham last
Sunday delivered a short address to
the recruits for the National army at
Montpelier His remarks were as
follows:
Soldiers address you by that
name because you are now entitled to
it. We have met here this beautiful
September Sunday morning TO pay a
tribute to you, to those who have
gone before you and to the many who
must follow You have been drawn
and summoned from the body of the
young men of this Republic TO make
up that great National Army which
the selective service law has brought
into being. Our military policy or
want Of 1t, as many have said, has
now been tested for more than a cen
fury and We at last, from painful eX-
perience, have come to note its de-
fects and its dangers. Our military
successes induced us to believe that
we were invincible, and we mistook
military resources for military
strength. We followed success rather
than skill and at last, faced with this
great danger, adopted the only safe
course. the raising of any army by
selection.
We are now at war, and being at
war we are bound before God to rem
der our country the fullest service
You will soon take the solemn oath
of the soldier and when you have re-
ceiycd your training you may be call
| ed upon to 80 beyond the seas. If so,
| when you have crossed the broad At
lantic. you from this country will
find in France another Montpelier;
and may this Montpelier be as pleas
knt to you as the little city you are
leaving today.
| 10 is not my purpose to talk to you
| at length, because | am of the opinion
| that the time has come to act. You
will be prepared and we believe you
| will do credit, not only TO your state,
, your city or your town, but to this
| great country Of ours.
We have not entered upon this war
for the purpose Of increasing our ter
| ritOry. We have not entered upon
this war for the purpose of revenge,
but that we may test our ideals and
because we are convinced that the
cause Of the Allies represent those
ideals. We fight for liberty for all
humanity and a real brotherhood of
free, governing nations, that all
! peoples. however small, however
great, may be safeguard against the
violence of the rayaging sword and
! that we may prepetuate. not only here
but abroad, Democratic institutions.
President Wilson has said that this
Is not war against the German
people, but against the Prussian ru-
lers of that people. This probably
was true, but /, for one. believe that
/ the time has come and that we now
war with the German people. Why
do ! believe this? II some one destroy
your fields, il some one fire your
house, II he rob the graves of your
ancestors, II he carry into captivity
members OF your family, If he com
nit a nameless oifense against your
/ SUI, IL ne idflHH gOui NioA1is eNui
wife or your mother, shall We not call
him to account The German people
have done all these things In the
name of war, and | call upon you to
remember that this has been done,
If not to you, TO your ally, who under
the leadership of Lafayette, brought
you men and brought you money that
YOU might win your war for indepen-
dence To France who gave us mon
ey. who gave us men, we will return
a thousand.fold; and as she gave us
the victory of the Marine, so we
through You and your comrades OF
the National Army will give her a
victory upon the Rhine.
And, soldiers, we who remain AT
home promise to do everything with
in our power to support you in the
field. to care for those you leave be
hind and to make their way easier
and your work better
Soldiers, | charge you to keep your
selves physically clean. morally clear
and come back to us as we have sem
you forth Remember wherever yot
are. that you are Vermonters; tina
you represent Vermont and her higl
ideals. that the time was when Yer
mont was put at the front; and ina