Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1917-12-28
MESSAGE FROM DALE.
Congressman Calls to People For
Gods Sake, Wake Up and Realize
What War Means

dead bodies still lie prone in the mud, |
10 the easy chair atmosphere of Wash |
ington, Congressman Porter IL. Dale = |
message to the people of the United !
States is:
"For God S sake wake up and real |
i've what this war means! -
American troops without guns, with
out enough blankets, without necessa-
ry equipment and wholly unprcpared
for the terrific struggle which thcS
must face is n situation that sends MI.
Dale back to this country with but
one dcsirc-to impress on Warrington
and Vermont the tremendous peril and
responsibility that faces this nation.
Talk about a short war scid Mr..
Dale in New York this week, eve shall
be mighty lucky If We get through this
war in two years, ut such an expense
and with such loss of men ms will
run into hundreds of thousands.
81 wish | might say TO every depart.
mcnt head in Washington: Wake
up, wish | could take them with
me 10 Why Ridge, where the guns DO
not crash or dctonatc, but Just explode
/ in one continual roar.
~ did not 60 into the front line
trenches i don t think it is any place
for civilian-but walked among the
stark, dead bodies of gallant English
men and Canadians some of their faces
crushed into the ooLc and some-hor
rbly changed and ghastly-uptulncd
to the sky.
"Why unburicd! Because men are
so precious and the German aviators
so vigilant that even burying party
in the open is Immediately marked and
cut down by their quick firing guns
eyes. wish had some of those
casy-char Washington department icl.
lows at Nimy Ridge, men who, after
eight months of war, and not enough
guns in France to equip our mcI, are
still telling the newspapers that cr'
erything is all right!
''Thcy seem to think we have done
great things. Let me say that unless
wc begin cutting red tape eliminating
lost motion doing away with incom-
pctcnt survivals of n WORKOUT military
system. stopping this foolish talk about
a short war and got busy rushing a.
supplies, guns and munitions 10 our
troops in France, (2) men, more men
and men bv the millions, we urc not
going to win this war!
You can t put the appalling peril
tHdt ''Hl I'ht0 lHlo bN'I"Il' wv Ni'''b
ly.'
At vumy Ridge, the party was %
close to the firing line that they wcto
required to wear gas masks and h"l-
NETS.
MI Dale showed some signs Of the
ordeal OF storm and stress that he and
the other passengers and crew cnduicu
OIL tho return trip from France.
Tho .itN did NOT
much about it, as only a few paSscn
gers were aboard and only one sea
man was lost in the gale, bat tho Ncr.
mont congressman SAYS the big liner
, had her bows stove III by hCad-scaS---
} a ragged. gaping hole being actually
torn in the heavy steel plates by a
wicked smash from a huge comber-
her aftcr-cabin- door stove in and the
smoking room cabin and everything else
between decks flooded.
Onchalf OF the bridge was torn
away bodily, the officer in charge and
the wireless operator being swept from
their stations and rescued by the crew
almost by a miracle. One seaman was
Q swept overheard and drowned in plain
sight of everyone before a boat could
be launched in tho heavy seas.
This was the same storm which fol.
lowed the Halifax disaster and Mir.
Dale $ ship was then about 500 miles
from these coasts.
The voyage across was unevcntful.
The congressional party was deeply
l impressed with the speed and ability
' Of the destroyer, which conveyed the
=. liner.
$ ''Our boat used to be considered
. fast, said Mr.. Dale. "but the destroy.
crs actually ran rings around her. They
4 are tremendously fast-about rs or It
o miles an hour, I believe-and when
7 they sight a submarine they chase mel
:. like q hawk.
r II understand the U.hoat crew.
dread these speedy, quick firing boats
more than anything else.
:, "Wo are making a great effort tc
4 turn out airplancs and airplancj an,
p. greatly needcd-but if we can build
i and commission enough destroycrs VI,
- shall soon rid the Seas Of the subma
rinc menace.
Mr.. Dale : description Of the voy
$ age to and through the war2onc is q,
+. dramatic in some OF it's details as The
tcmpc"tuous return voyage.
$. The huge steel shuttle Of boat run,
" absolutely dark at night The port,
s. are closed from the outside and steel
clampcd beyond the power OF ras,.cn
y ger to open them Every ncccssaI
# light is carefully shaded, so that n,
}. faintest CLEAN can be seen hundred
d feet away,
Ie Blind, almost dumb and with ever,
t human nerve strained TO the breaking
II point, the big shuttle huns throug.
Il. the night. If door slams, hatcl
:. falls or heavy object is dropped, III,
o. whole ship is alarmed. Running feet
agitatcd voices and general cXcitemcn
per, AIDE the night; then The thing i
explained and the passengers scttl
down once moro to uneasy rest.
Under these conditions q voyag
IL across is no pleasure trip in wartime
up Congressman Dale had no troub
- finding anything in France but tn
us American troops. Although their mum
n brrs and location are, no doubt, thor
y oughly known TO the enemy, mos
ne mysterious silence met him every
ID where. He actually had to "ehas
OF them up himself. and he never woul
DE- have found the Vermont troops wa
- IL. Il. Il, 4. -. l.