Norwich bulletin., 1918-12-03

equipment and supplies, and carried l safely through extraordinary dangers of attack-dangers which were alike | strange and infinitely diff1cultyto guard | against. In all this movement only | 75S men were lost by enemy attacks $50 of them were upon single English l transport which was sunk near the l Orkney Islands.
 I need not tell you what lay back of this great movement of men and mate rial It is not inyidious to say that back of it lay a supporting organiza- tion of the industries of the country and of all its productive activities more complete, more thorough in method and elective in results, more spirited and unanimous in purpose and effort than any other great belligerent had ever been able to effect
 We profited greatly by the experience of the nations which had already been engaged for nearly three years in the exigent and exacting business, their
 every resource and every executive proficiency taxed to the utmost. We were the pupils, but we learned quickly and acted with promptness and a readiness of cooperation that justify
 our great pride that we were able to
 serve the world with unparalleled en-
 ergy and quick accomplishment.
 | But it is not the physical scale and
 executive efficiency of preparation,
 supply equipment and despatch that
 would dwell upon, but the mettle and
 quality of the officers and U.en we sent
 over and of the sailors who kept the
 seas, and the spirit of the nation that
 stood behind them. No soldiers or sail
 CTS ever proved themselves more quickly ready for the test of battle or acquitted themselves with more splen- did courage and achievement when put to the test. Those of us who played some part in directing the great processes by which the war was push
 ed irresistibly forward to the final
 triumph may now forget all that and delight our thoughts with the story
 of what our men did
 Their officers understood the grim
 and exactiny task they had under
 taken and performed with audacity,
 efficiency and unhesitating courage that touch the the story of convoy and
 battle with imperishable distinction at
 every turn, whether the enterprise
 were great or smaIl-from their chiefs, l Pershing and Sims. down to the youngest lieutenant; and their men were worthy of them-such men as hardly need to be commanded and go to
 their terrible adventure blithely and
 with the quick intelligence of those whC
 know just what it is they would ac-
 complish. I am proud to be the fel-
 low countryman of men of such stuff
 and valor. Those of us who stayed al
 home did our duty; the war could no'
 have been won or the gallant me1
 who fought it given their Opportuni . ty to win it otherwise; but for many
 a long day we shall think ourselve!
 "accurs'd we were not there, ana , hold our manhood cheap while an. , speaks that fought" with these at St Mihiel or Theirry. Ths memory O < those days Of triumphant battle vii go down with these fortunate men u : their graves; and each will have hi
 favorite memory. "Old men forget; ye ' all shall be forgot. but he'll remembe l, with advantages what feats he di n that day!"
 i What we all thank God for wit = deepest gratitude is that our me- = went in force into the line of battl a just at the critical moment when tn
 whole fate of the world seemed t e hang in the balance and threw thei e fresh strength into the ranks of free s dom in time to turn the whole tid - and sweep Of the fatefui struggle e turn it once for all, so that thence - forth it was back, back, back fc e their enemies, always back, never agai
 forwardl After that it was only 1t scant four months before the com n manders of the Central Empires kne' ,- themselves beaten: and now their yer ;e empires are in nquidatfon'
 IS And through it all, how fine th n spirit of the nation was. What unit " of purpose. what untiring zeali NWhs " elevation of purpose ran through a -e it's splendid display of strength an
 ! untiring accomplishments. I have Sai n that those of us who stayed at hon ,n to do the work of orga niZation an s- supply will always wish thta we ha a been with the men whom we sustaine 1- by our labor; but we can never l
 ashamed. It has been an inspirir te thing to be Eere in the midst of fir At men who had turned aside from evel IT private interest of their own and d. ad voted the whole of their trained c; 10 pacity to ths tasks that supplied fi of sinews of the whole great undertal ne ingi The patriotism. the unselfishnes ,n the thorough-going devotion and di "a tinguished capacity that marked the i- tcilsome l2bors day after day. mon
 after month. have made them fit mat
 and comrades of the men in u -' trenches and on the sea, and not tl he men here in Washington only. Tn od have but directed the vast achiev al ment. Throughout innuInerable ia ne tories, upon innumerable farms, fin | he depths of coal mines and iron min at and copper mines, wherever the stu. e. of food were to be obtained and pr ou pared, in the ship yards. on the ra ns ways, at the docks, on the sea. ch every labor that was needed to su ur tain the battlelineS men have vi ve with each other to do their part a as do it we'll They can look any man a n; arms in the face and say. We al of strove to win and gave the best th ,ss was in us % make our fleets a a armies sure of triumph:
 or And what shall we say of the " ne men1of their instant intelligent is- quickening every task that they touc lrt ed; their capacity for organizati it and cooperation. which gave their g is ton discipline and enacted the efft nd tiveness of everything they atteml ut ed; their aptitude at tasks to wili to they had never before set their hanC
 their utter se,f-sacrifice alike in WI en they did and in what they gave? Tn mt contribution to the great result is l .ch yond appraisal They have added in new lustre to the annals of Americ 60, wonanhood.
 to The latest tribute we can pay in nd is to make them the equals of men in political rights as they have prov ant them selves their equals in every fl oss of practical work they have enter ate ,trhether foy f1,rzIreefrzes o- for fI,