The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1917-08-18

with the iron hand" Mr.. Rako
closed his address with, There is a
time to act-act now" Mr.. Rako
came to this country at the age of
two years. He is as loyal and patri-
otto an American citizen as any that
lives.
Father Philippe Speaks.
Rev. Father John ]. Philippe of
st. Philips Catholic church in
straight forward and sincere manner
expressed his American patriotism
and stated that although he was as a
priest opposed to war in general he
was ready at any time to answer the
governments call in France or
wherever he may be needed. "Twenty
or more Of my boys have left for the
front-and they left with their pas
tors blessing" was Father Phil
ippe's way Of expressing his opinion
Of what America is doing. He also
stated that he was glad to see the
American and French boys fighting
side by side as in the war of '76 and
ended his speech by drawing first an
American and then French flag
from his breast and crossing them to
symbolic their now united efforts.
| Professor Kennedy Next.
John Kennedy, dean of the educa-
tional department of the University
OF North Dakota, spoke upon tho
principles America stands for and
how they are what America Is fight
for in this war.
America stands for democracy
as leader in representative govern
ment and is in the war to uphold and
spread that democracy" declared Mr..
Kennedy. He pictured democracy as
the good spirit crossing swords with
the bad spirit autocracy to see which
shall survive.
Grafton of Evening.
Inc principal orator or the evening
Rev. Edward Cross, an Episco-
palian minister of St. Paul, was the
next speaker. Rev. Cross treated the
causes of our entering the war in a
most clear and forceful manner. In
the opening Rev. Cross referred to
the much heralded lack of patriotism
In places at vacuum patriotism
which, he declared, in Bemidji
seemed very insignificant" judy
ing from the crowd present. I'VE
are at war at this particular time
because we were ashamed to stay out
of 1t any longer. We have gotten
tired of having our big brother Eng
land and our beautiful sister France
and our little brother Belgium fight
for us. l say we are tired of having
them fight our battles for u.s." In
treating the fake excuses sometimes
offered by disloyal citizens he said:
There never was more disgusting
bosh uttered by human lips than that
this war was brought on by capital
lists and munitions makers. He who
says this speaks out of his own ig-
norance." He referred to the heads
of the German government as "a set
of aristocratic people who have
shown themselves to be entirely de-
void of honor" and closed with the
strong appeal, May God grant that
in time we may be able to talk terms
of peace with demOcratiZed Ger
many"
When the orator had finished
wave after wave Of applause broke
from the enthused audience. 1t was
a strong, forceful address by a very
well informed man and he had his
hearers completely under his sway.
Resolution is Presented.
The resolution was offered at this
time by E. J. Willis and on being
seconded was put to a vote, the re-
suit being a unanimous vote for the
resolution.
Rev. Father Fonnoffe of Black
duck, who served eight months in
the trenches Of France, briefly told
of his experiences, and stated that
one of his recent letters from France
read, 1--WE are still fighting with the
same courage, waiting for the Amer
lean Sammies."