The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-09-06
MILITARY
DAY IN OCALA
AN EXCELLENT PROGRAM, WHICH IT IS FEARED
THAT THE WEATHER, MAY INTERRUPT

Military Day" is proceeding well
in Ocala, tho the threatening weather
keeps many at home, and we fear will
break up the ball game. However, we
will hope for the best.
The day dawned bright, and at sun
rise squad from Company A un-
furled Old Glory from the flagstaff
on the public square. 1t was rather
New Glory, the beautiful new high
school flag being used.
Our business men and citizens gen
orally had acted on the hint to dec
crate, and the business center was
gay with flags and bunting, besides
many flags displayed from homes.
The Ocala House, which might be
considered informal headquarters,
was specially prettily decorated.
Company A, shortly after II o'clock,
fell in and went to the A. G. l.. sta
Ftion to meet the visitors, who alighted
from the 11:15 train. Beside the band
and the baseball team, however, the
crowd was rather slender.
The Second Regiment Band, a
bunch of fine-looking young men, with
excellent instruments, formed on
Broadway, and followed by the ball
team, with Company A closing the
procession, marched up the street and
around the square. The band made
the grandest music that Ocala has
heard for many day, and as many of
cur soldiers said, it was easy to
march to.
After marching around the square,
the visitors and the company lined up
before the east side of the courthouse,
where they were given brief adj
dress by Mayor Chace.
MAYOR CHACE'S ADDRESS
DIR. Chace began his talk with few
but hearty words of greeting to the
visitors. He then addressed his re-
marks as follows to Company A: =
To Company A | would say that the
time for your departure draws near.
We learn from today's papers that the
sixteen cantonments< on which the
government has spent one hundred
Iand fifty million dollars, are now
lready for you. The order may come
Iany day for your immediate removal,
and we may not again have public op-
Iportunity for parting word. / wish
therefore to take advantage of this
opportunity to say to you that we
have enjoyed your stay~>Wtih US. l
congratulate you, officers and men, on
the splendid way in which you have
conducted yourselves during the past
few weeks. We realize that it has
been a trying experience for you in
many ways, without adequate equip
ment, surrounded by new and strange
conditions, and with such uncertainty
as to when you would be called else
d. .1 41o Lot IF ri
dier's life, and you have acquitted
yourselves like men who have learned
the first great lesson of life, the con-
| troll of self. We thank you and would
assure you that you have won our love
and respect.
1t has only been a. few months since
we welcomed you home from the bor
| der. and now we are sending you to
prepare for fight against disorder and
| tyranny in a wider field. We know
THAT every man of you believes with
his whole heart in the justice of our
cause, and the valor of our arms. II
I were to formulate into a few gener-
alities my feelings and convictions re-
garding the present situation. 1T woult
be something as follows:
| believe that progress is the great
KEYNOTE to the universe, and that
those who attempt to stop, or get IN
the way of the car of progress, will
be crushed beneath its wheels. l be-
llieve that democracy is the most per
feet form of government yet devised
Iby society and that it has been achiev-
led by too much pain, and at too great
cost to be crushed by the autocrats
of Central Europe. | believe that
ripht makes might. and having both
right and might on our side that there
can be no question as to the ultimate
result of this world war. believe
that at no distant day our boys will
return to us the victorious army OF
freedom, and every man a hero.
With these thoughts in our minds
we bid you God speed, feeling every
assurance that you will acquit your
selves as men into whose hands has
IEeen committed the sacred cause OF
freedom.
DISMISSAL AND DINNER