Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-04-21

blessing Thou hast bestowed upon the
people of the United States. We pray
they may labor always to advance
Thy kingdom on earth, that peace,
happiness, truth and justice may ev-
erywhere flourish and abound"
The Ri Rev. C. H. Brent, Episcopal
bishop of the Philippines, said in his
sermon:
I'VE comrades in common cause
have come together, like sturdy Judas
Maccabaeus and his fellow patriots in
the ancient story, to commit our de-
cision to the Lord and to place our
selves in His hands before We pitch
our camp and go forth to battle. 1t
were an unworthy cause that we
could not commit to God with complete
confidence. Today we have this con-
fidence.
This, l venture to say. is not mere
ly the beginning of new era, but Of
a new epoch. At this moment great
nation, we'll skilled in self sacrifice,
is standing by with deep sympathy
and bidding Godspeed to another great
nation that is making its act of self
dedication to God. That altar upon
which we Americans are today laying
our lives and our fortunes, is already
occupied For nearly three years
Great Britain and her allies have been
fighting, not merely for their own
laws, their own homes, their liberty
and all they hold sacred. but for the
great commonwealth of mankind"
To-day. when the United States avow
their intention of giving themselves
whole heartedly to this great cause, the
battle for Their light assumes new pro-
portions, a new power, and victory, aye.
victory that is Gods is in sight. We
Americans have never been oblivious to
the fact that the people Of this country
have been standing for the same prin-
ciples which we love and for which we
| live. England, thank God, is the moth
err of democracy and Englands chill
/ dren come back today to pour all their
! experience, the experience of a century
and a half of independent life, with
! gratitude. at the feet of their mother
Today we stand side by side with our
/ fellows as common soldiers in the com
mon fight. There have been great quar-
( rcls in the past that We're results of
! misunderstanding, but our quarrel with
| Germany is not based on misunder-
/ standing. 1t is due to understanding
/ Just as it was understanding that made
us break with Germany, so it is under
standing which makes US take our place
! by the side of the Allies 1t would have
been impossiblef or US to do otherwise
/ This act of America has enabled her
/ to find her soul. America, which stands
/ for democracy, the cause of the plain
! people must fight. must champion this
/ cause at all costs. The plain people most
! desire peace. That is what America
/ with the Allies. is fighting for She
/ thinks so much of peace that she is
! ready to pay the cost of war Our war
/ today is that we may destroy war One
/ thing to do with war is to hunt it to its
death. and, please God, in this war, we
shall achieve our purpose"
THE Star Spanged Banner"
The most impressive feature of the ser.
vice occurred toward the close when The
band played a stanza Of THE Star Span.
gled Banner"
/ The great crowd rose as one man an
almost every person sang in subduet
| voice. After the last line, ending Tho
! home of the brave" the King nodded
approvingly toward the Queen. Then tn,
band played the British national anthem
in which everyone joined except the King
The King sat in the first row of seats
occupying the second seat on the righ
side of the aisle, with Queen Mary in Tho
outside seat. Directly across the aislt
sat Ambassador Page, Admiral Sims ant
the staffs of the American embassy AM
, consulate
The only decora tons in the cathedra
We're a large American flag and a Unor
/ Jack, which hung side by side over thu
chancel rail-