Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-08-22

and was one OF the nrSt Co race the
poisonous gas attacks inaugurated by
the brutal foe. Always graphic and
at times eloquent, Mr.. Pearson des-
cribed these experiences of his COM
rades with rare power. Together
with the speaker his auditors fought
his battles over again, tense, tenac-
iously cHnging to the crumbling
trenches, or, retreating to a better
position, they dug new trenches, fair
ly clutching at the clods with naked
hands, while the speaker made al
most real the boom of the big guns,
the shrek of giant shells, the bursts
of sharpnel and the yammering of
the machine guns 1t was all very
realistic and the speaker fairly lived
again through the hell of the battles
he described and carried his audience
with him. At the close of his address
Mr.. Pearson heartily Joined the aud
ience in singing america" which was
followed by the benediction by Evan
gelist Lawhead. We should note, how
ever,.before quitting the subject, that
MY Pearson warned US against the
too optomistic tendencies of the En-
glish speaking peoples. We should
be glad of the progress our troops
are now making, because of its moral
as well as physical effect, but we
should not be over confident We
should be prepared for long war and
many casualties, though dead sold
Ter is greater satisfaction than
lrxyIv, 81 u IL
war of the trenches would bring Us
a new religion religion of service
rather than religion of forms and
ceremonies. We have heard only the
most favorable comments upon the
address, a very common remark be-
ing that it was the best we have had
since we entered the war. The public
spirited citizens who paid for this lee
ture and gave it freely to the public
are certainly entitled to the thanks
of the community, many people COM
ing from distances of fifteen to twenty
miles.
Quite number of Wa-Keeney peo-
pie went down to Ellis Sunday even
ing to hear the story told by Sergeant
from German prison camp, was re-
captured, escaped again and finally
made his way into Holland Arriving
in London he was surprised to find
that he had been legally and officially
dead for more than a year and it
took him three months to unwind the
red tape necessary to bring himself
back to life again-according to the
records of his regiment. Sergeant
Edwards was a member of the fam
Gus Princess Pats" light infantry
regiment of Canada He with eight
or ten others of the regimsnt were
captured at the second Yprss battle,
and for thirteen months he lived
through the abuse, torture and pri-
walton of various German prison pens,
beset with vermin, filth, disease and
starvation His talk was largely a
recital of his personal experiences as
a prisoner of war. Those who heard
both addresses say that Edwards cor
robated much that Pearson said at
Wa-Keeney Saturday evening-the
men being members of the same reg
ment. Edwards cited many incidents
of brutality and said that he was often
| asked If the stories told Of Hun att
rocities were true. The examples he
gave, coming under his own observa-
ton, were a sufficient answer to the
question but he further said that
many things properly could not be
described before mixed audience. All
in all, the address was very satisfac-
tory to those who heard it.