The Sentinel=record., 1917-04-26
U. s. STEAMSHIP SINKS GERMAN SUBhHAR|K|

can only come by actual experience.
 We on the other side have been living in an atmosphere of war since August, 1914, and you cannot move about the streets, you cannot go about your
 daily business, even if your affairs be disassociated with the war itself, without having evidences of the war brought to your notice every moment
 'I arrived here Sunday afternoon and went out in the evening after dark and l was struck by somewhat un-
 usual feeling which, at the first mo
 ment, l did not analyze, and sud denly it came upon me that this was
 the first time for two years and a half or more in which l had seen q properly lighted street.
 But that is a small matter. and cnly mention it because it happened
 to strike me as one of my earliest eX- periences in this city.
 "Of course, the more tragic side of war is never and cannot ever be ab- ''''ib AAOIh Oui niiHuHs l 0dW NliH EItdl regret this mornings newspaper say ing that the son of Mir. 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. | went over the melancholy list and if my memory serves me right, out Of the small number of men of cabinet rank who were serving the state when the war broke out in Au- gust, 1914, one has been killed in ac- ton, four at least have lost sons, and now Mir. Bonar Law son is wounded and missing.
 That is the sort of things that have happened in quite small and narrow 1 ly restricted class of men, but 1t Is characteristic of what is happening throughout the whole country.
 The condition of France in that respect is evidently even more full of sorrow and tragedy than our own, be- cause we had not a great army, we had but a small army when war broke
 out whereas the French army was of the great continental type, was on a
 war footing and was from the very inception of military operations en- gagged in sanguinary conflict with the common enemy.
 "We have today coming amongst us
 mission from France. l doubt not 1 indeed, l am fully convinced that they will receive a welcome not less i warm, not less heartfelt than that which you have so generously and encouragingly extended to us. That { was and certainly will be increased by { the reflection that one member of the
 mission is Marshal Joffre, who will go i down through all time as the general
 in command cf the allied forces at one Cf the most critical moments in
 the worlds history
 There can be no doubt or question hatever that among the decisive bat.
 ties of the world the battle of the 1 Marne was the most decisive. II was the turning point in the history of mankind, and T rejoice that the hero | of that event is today coming among ms and will join us, the Britain nation, 1 in laying before the people of the
 United States our gratitude for the sympathy they have shown and are showing, and our warm confidence in
 the value If the assistance which they are alfording the allied cause
 Gentlemen, l do not believe that
 the magnitude of that assistance can, | by any possibility. be exaggerated. am told that there are some doubting
 critics who seem to think that the l object of the mission of France and
 Great Britain to this country is to in-
 yeisle the United States out of its
 traditional policy and entangle it in formal alliances, secret or public, with ! European powers. | cannot imagine any rumcr with less foundation. nor can l imagine policy so utterly un- ! necessary.
 Our confidence in this assistance
 which we are going to get from this [ community is not based upon such shallow considerations as those which arise out of formal treaties. No | treaty could increase the undoubted
 confidence with which we look to the 1 United States, who, having come into
 the war, are going tc see the war | through. If there is any certainty in
 human affairs. that is certain.
 Two years and a half have gone
 since the war began, and the great
 republic on this side of the Atlantic
 has been watching with deepening in terest the blood-stained drama going
 cn across the ocean, and I am well
 convinced that as each month has passed so has the conviction grcwr
 am ng you that after all it is no small
 or petty interest that is involved in
 this war, it Is no struggle for so many
 square miles of territory. for somC acquisition, some satisfaction of smal