Republican farmer., 1918-12-06

ness. Their every resource and every executive proficiency taxed to the ut most. We were the pupils. But we learned quickly and acted with promptness and are cooperating that justly our great pride that we were able to serve the world with unparal- leled energy and quick accomplish ment.
 But it is not the physical scale and executive efficiency of preparation, supply, equipment and despatch that I would dwell upon, but the mettle and quality of the officers and men sent over, and of the sailors who kept the seas and the spirit of the nation that stood behind them. No soldiers or sailors ever proved themselves more quickly ready for the test of bat tie or acquitted themselves with more splendid courage and achievement i when put to the test. Those of us who played some part in directing the great processes by which the war was pushed irrestibly forward to the final triumph may now forget that and de- | light our thoughts of the story Of what our men did. Their officers un- l u6ISIOtu llG Sl HI CiIlh CNelSIAIA0 leAo' they had undertaken to perform with audacity, efficiency and unhestitatine : courage that touched the story of con. voy and battle with imperishable dis tinction at every turn whether the en- terprise were great or small-fron their chiefs, Pershing and Sims, dowT to the youngest lieutenant; and theil men were worthy of them-such mer as hardly need to be commanded, ant go to their terrible adventure blithelJ and with tn equick intelligence of those who know just what it is they would accomplish.
 "I am proud to be the fellow coun- tryman of men of such stuff and val or Those of us who staid at home did our duty. The war could no
 have been won, or gallant men wht fought 1t given the opportunity tt win it otherwise. But for many ; long day we shall think ourselves
 'accursed were we not there and holC
 our manhoods cheap while an.
 speaks that fought with these at St
 Mihiel or Thierry. The memory 0 those days Of triumphant battle vii go with these fortunate men to thei
 graves; and each will have his fav
 orite memory.
 "Old men forget; yet all shall b
 forgot, but he'll be remembered b
 the feats he performed.
 What we thank God for is that ou
 men went in force into the line o
 battle just at the critical momen
 when the whole fate of the worl
 seemed to hang in the balance an
 threw their fresh strength into tn
 ranks of freedom in time to turn tn
 whole tide and sweep off the fatefl truggle-turn 1t once for all, so ths
 thenceforth it was back, back, bac
 for their enemies always back, neve Y again forward. After that it was onl '- a scant four months before the con IT manders of the central empires kne l. themselves beaten; ana now their vel l. empires are in liquidation.
 Ii And throughout it all, how fine tl n spirit of tEc nation was. What unit
 of purpose, what untiring zeal. Wht ., elevation of purpose ran through a l. It's splendid display of strength; i If untiring accomplishment. I have sai , that those of US who stayed at hon ,. to do the work of organization ar
 supply will always wish that we ha ;, been with the men whom we sustaine - by our labor; but we can never l
 ashamed. It has been an inspirir
 thing to be here in the midst of fiji a9 men who had turned aside from eve1 le interest of their own and devoted u III whole Of their trained capacity to u tasks that supplied the sinews of u
 whole great undertaking.
 IT. Tho ,prelfchrnsS tho -roa+ dov. U ton and the distinguished capaci IT, that marks their tOilsome labors d o: after day; month atfer month. ha e- made them fit mates and comrades as the men in the trenches and on t ar sea- And not the men here in Was 'al ington only. They have but direct mt the vast achievement. ThroughC Or innumerable factories, upon immune sd able farms, in the depths of cc ed mines and iron mines and copI
 mines wherever the stuffs of indust
 were to be obtained and prepared, he the shipyards. on the railways, at a. docks, on the sea, in every labor tf ar was needed men have vied with ca ge other to do their part and do it w
 T..fy can look ary man-at-a" " In the face and say we also strove ,noI win and gave the best that was in ,'ti to mako our fleets and armies sure lie their triumph!
 And what shall we say of
 vomen-of their instant intelligen to quickening every task that Il he touched; their capacity for organi nat ton and cooperation which g;
 Atheir action discipline and encouri