Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-05-21
BATTLE HEROES
STIR AUDIENCE.
Speakers Who Have Seen And
Know Of The Red Cross
Spoke Last Night.
THRILLING ADDRESSES.
Governor Harrington Presided
At Meeting. Marchers In
Parade Packed The Bladen
Street Armory.

Breaking ranks" in front of the
"Bladen Street Armory after their
parade through the city streets, the
various units of the "Pied Piper"
parade flowed in Kaleidoscope
mass of color through the doors to
the big drill hall, only to settle into a
more fixed but still brilliantly inspir-
ing picture so impressive as to call
special comment from more than one
of-the distinguished speakers grouped
on the raised platform from which
the addresses were delivered
And in return of compliments, it
must be said that the picture the
group of speakers made was one
worthy the gathering on the floor of
the armory. The gorgeous plaid of
the uniform of Lieutenant Dunbar, of
the Highlanders, who, by the way, has
the distinction of being the only COM
missioned piper in the world; the
more staid and business-like uniform
of Captain Barker, hero-veteran of
the Somme; the Frenchy togs of Cap
tain Paul Rochat; the dark blue, gold
touched service" suits of Admiral
Eberle, Captain Mutton and Com
mander Downs, and the more sombre
civilian suits of Governor Harrington,
President Carl of the Peace Society,
and the members of the local Red
Cross Committee, were thrown into
high relief by the STARS and Stripes"
and other flags draped behind them.
Like some snow storm of the pur-
ity of peace, dotted through with
crimson splashes of the symbol of the
Red Cross badge of mercy, the spot
less wells and white gowns of the
women formed a picture worth going
miles to see. The crowd needed not,
but still responded to the stirring
note of the Academy Band, as this
well known and much appreciated or
ganization, under Leader Torovsky,
set its pulses to stirring and its feet
a-tapping with patriotic and warful
tunes.
The first of the speakers introduced
by Governor Harrington, who presid-
ed, was Mr.. ]. Kemp Bartlett, who
paid special tribute to the women of
the world for the part they are play
namely possible, softening the blows
the Hun is hammering on the head
and body of a bleeding but not-to-be
conquered civilization. Mr.. Bart
lett was particularly impressed he
said. by the presence of the women
of Annapolis and the county, and the
manifest determination of each and
~f fn In
part in winning the war as well as in
softening its effects.
While Lieutenant Dunbar told of his
experiences, and they proved and
brought home in telling language the
realness and the fearfulness of war
and the need of the aid of the Great
est Mother on Earth" as the Red
Cross is now so well being called, it
was his bag-piping that made one Of
the hits of the evening.
Telling of experiences at the front
about the mud-flooded fields of the
Somme Valley, the fearful transporta-
ton difficulties and last, and rather
diffidently. so far as his own partici-
patton therein was concerned, Cap
the knowledge that every matron,
every miss, every kiddie, every youth
vet below service age, and every man
above it, among the stay-at-homes,
has a part to do that must be done
| well and to its full.
With the speech of Lieut. Rochat,
who has been heard in Annapolis be-
fore. there was added a third to the
| list of speakers who could, and did
with fervent feeling, tell from first
hand experience the soothing wonders
which but top of the heroism of the
Red Cross workers in the front line
| trenches, the dressing stations and
the base hospitals of the bloody fields
of France. An attempt to repeat their
modest stories of how they happen to
have first-hand proof of these things
cannot be done by another and show
| Justice to them.