Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1918-06-19
AN ADDRESS OF FIRE
CAPTAIN EDWARDS OF BRITISH
ARMY, THRILLS AUDIENCE
HERE LAST FRIDAY EVE.


a Grant county audience at Lancaster
last Friday evening. The speaker did
not arrive until evening and as a re-
suit the afternoon address had to be
called off but those who waited to
hear him in the evening felt fully re-
paid.
Captain Edwards is a typical Eng
lish officer. He is tall and we'll built,
reserved i'll manner and quiet in ad-
dress. One would place him before
the war as an instructor or professor
in some English school or college.
When the menace came Captain
Edwards was living quietly at home
with his wife and four children. He
was man near middle age who had
seen service and been commissioned
in the South African war. But he
urged the young men in his commun-
ity to enlist. Hundreds responded
and he also felt the call going in the
ranks as private.
By degrees he rose to his present
position. He spoke to his audience
here as one who had been through
four years of war and came only as
a representative of our allies to tell
US of our position and duties.
His address lasted nearly two hours
and was without a single personal
note or the slightest bid for self ap-
proval. What he had to say was said
with the simple directness of a SOL
der with a burning message to tell.
The Herald will give at random some
of his most striking utterances:
What l fear most of all, what ev-
cry soldier fears, is not the enemy
1t is the shallow optimist at home
who thinks our resources are so great
that it leaves nothing for him to do
said the captain.
"The sleeping dead are waiting for
us to splendidly finish what they so
gloriously began" was another strik-
ing utterance.
There is only one road to Victory
and that is through solid achievement
and sacrifice"
Americas sacrifices are trivial
compared to those of our allies"
Before this war will end thous-
ands, aye hundreds of thousands will
go down into the valley of the shad-
ow."
1913 is a year Of destiny. Ger
many is stripped for the last round.
This may be the last phase"
Disasters may come but disaster
does not mean defeat"
II have every confidence in the Ill
innate victory of the allies"
"A great disaster would be pro
lOnged war"
''This year the war is costing Am
erica twenty-four billions; but I am
not thinking of money, / am think
ing of boys"
Another great disaster, the great
est, would be an immediate peace
thrust upon us by the will Of Ger
many"
profits can be made during this
war but fair as they may be they are
tinged with blood. Remember every
profit is paid by the blood of your
boys over there; use them, for God's
sake, use them rightly"
1--WE are fighting for a Peace that
will bless the world with a sunshine
untouched by the shadow of War"
War means sacrifice and bitter
ness. 1t calls for courage, resolu-
ton and sacrifice from everyone"
America was truly great when she
stepped down from her neutrality"
1.-THE old differences between Eng
land and America are buried beneath
the sod with the dead British and Am
erican lads who died for our victory"
your soldier sons are truly Knight
Errants Of God"
A note of pathos crept into the adj
dress when Captain Edwards spoke
of his own home. His wife waits with
four little ones and the baby born in
1914 has never known peace. What
is peace, mamma" said the little boy
one day. The mother tried to explain.
will it mean that daddy will come
homes" was the tear-compeIling re-
ply Then let's have peace now,"'
said the little one. But Mrs. Edwards
will wait until her husbands work
as a soldier is ended in the right way.
Captain Edwards would exempt but
two classes from the burden of war
One class is the old and poor and the
other the babies in the nursery. All
others should bear the burden. We
should all be proud to share in the
work behind the lines.
There is more meat in one meal up
on the average American table than
the English or. French get in a whole
week. There is no motoring in Eng
land because there is no gasoline.
There are no sweets or chocolates
The railroads have been torn up and
the rails and rolling stock sent to
France. Everything is subordinated
to war.
England sent five million men by
volunteer method during the first two
years of the war. To date one-sev-
enth of her population Cor seven mil
lion mem are bearing arms or have
been killed in battle. Her greatest
army is under the sod! Scotland has
sent one-sixth of her people and
should Americas sacrifice be equally
great she would arm sixteen millions
of fighting men. England is sending
men up to fifty years old and France
is long past that stage. Today she is
sending her boys to the battle line.
The women Of Briton saved the world
in 1915 when they rallied to work in
the munition plants. Today 10000
are working as navvies behind the al
lied lines. All are volunteers.
A fine tribute was paid to heroic
Franco who has cbonrfII11U oiUap