The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-04-28

a properly lighted street. There is
not street in London, there is not q !
street in any city of the United King !
dom, in which after dark the whole
community is not wrapped in O gloom
exceeding that which must have ex.
listed before the invention of gas or
electric lighting.
But that is a small matter and I !
only mention it because it happened
TO strike me. as one Of my earliest
experiences in this city.
"Of course, the more tragic side of
war is never and can not ever be alb
sent from our minds. I saw with re-
gret this morning in the newspaper
that the son Of Mr.. Bonar Law, our
chancellor of the eXchequer, was
wounded and missing in some of the
operations now going on in Palestine:
and instinctively cast my mind back
! to the losses Of this war in all circles;
but as an illustration it seems to me
impressive. 1 went over the melan-
cholly list. and, If my memory serves
me right, out Of the small number of
i cabinet ministers, men Of cabinet
rank, who were serving the state
/ when the war broke out in August
| 1914, one has been killed in action.
TOUR at least have lost sons, and now
Mr.. Bonar Laws son is wounded and
missing-not. 1 hope, lost to US, but
+ sui in position from which he may
not return to his friends.
That is the sort of things that
nave happened in quite small anil
narrowly restricted class of men. bnt
1t is characteristic Of what is happen
ing throughout the whole communi-
/ ty.
! The condition Of France in that
respect is evidently even more fui! oe
sorrow and tragedy than our own. he
cause we had not a great army. we
had but small army when war broke
out, whereas the French army was of
the great continental type. was on u
war footing and was. from the very
inception Of military operations. en-
gagged in sanguinary conuict with the
common enemy.
we have today coming AMONGST
us mission from France. I doubt not
indeed / am fully convinced-that
they will receive welcome not less
warm. not less heartfelt than that
which you have SO generously and
encouragingly extended to u.s. That
was and certainly will be increased By
the reflection that one member of the
mission is Marshall Joffre, who will go
down through all time as the general
In command of the allied forces, the
successful general of the allied forces.
a. one of the most critical moments
IN the worlds history.
Il remember when I was here
there was a book which was given
out in the schools called The Fifteen
Decisive Battles of the World 1 do
not know whether they all quite de-
serve that title, but there can be no |
doubt or question whatever that among
the decisive battles of the world the
battle of the Marne was most decisive. |
IL was turning point in the hist ory
of mankind and I rejoice that the |
hero of that event is today coming
among us and will join us, the British
ne ton. in laying before the people Of
the United States our gratitude for the
sympathy which they have shown AMI
are showing, and our warm confidence
IN the value of the assistance which
they are affOrding the allied Cause.
Gentlemen, I do not believe that
the magnitude Of that assistance can
by any possibility be exaggerated. 7
am told that there are some DOUBLING
critics who seem to think that the OBJ
ject of the mission of France and
Great Britain to this country is to
inveigle the United States out Of It's
traditional policy and to entangle it
IN formal alliances. secret or public.
with European powers. can not
imagine any rumor with less founda-
ton. nor can I imagine a policy so
utterly unnecessary.
"Our confidence in this assistance
which we are going to get from this
community is not based upon such
considerations as those which arise
out Of formal treaties. No troaty
could increase the undouhted conf
dence with which we look to the
United States, who, having come into
the war. are going to see the war
through. If there is any certainty in