Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1918-07-17

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armies have crossed the Rhine
The speaker paid a tribute to
England, whom he referred to as
the friend, the knight and the de-
fender OF the liberty Of all nations.
"And Ireland. l should be the last
to forget Ireland, loved in France
and always looked upon as our
brothers, of the same Celtic fam
ily," he said. eve like TO beg these
people to be quite worthy of their
sons over there. 1t is not when the
house is burning to sit down and
discuss domestic troubles. And
the house of civilization is now
burning.
What has helped France most
during this struggle" Lieutenant
Perigord said, sis the sympathy of
the American people. Americans
volunteered in the Foreign Legion;
they made their presence felt in
the skies of Europe. And the Am
erican Red Cross! Wherever there
has been a home in sorrow or dis
tress, there the American Red
Cross has been. But still these are
not the things that have held
France most. One morning a
mighty voice crossed the seas. AS
it crossed the mighty ocean, it
seemed to take some of the sub
stance of the waves to itself. 1t
was the voice of your president,
placing the ends and aims of this
war on the highest plane imagin-
able; it was the voice of a man
whose patience and forebearance
have never been seen by the Am
erican people. Wherever the name
of Woodrow Wilson is not spoken
with respect it is spoken with fear.
His state papers are read from our
schools; they are read from every
church; they are carried into our
camps. Woodrow Wilson is writ
ing the Declaration of Independ-
ence of all the world"
Lieutenant Perigord related his
share in the battle for the fort at
Verdum, mot to beg for glory" he
said, "but because | must tell you
the truth about France.
"You have been told that the
French are an irreligious people;
you have judged French women by
the styles, often spoiled in coming
over. | tell you the French nation
is not an irreligious nation. In the
first year of the war that great
crown prince who had taken no.
thing but furniture, pictures,
trinkets, and silverware, decided to
take a city. My commanding Of
ficer came to me and explained that
a brigade would have to be sacri-
feed in order to delay the German
army until reserves could be
brought up at five o'clock. Your
brigade has been selected he said.
'Perigord, you are a soldier and a
priest. You must tell your men,
$50 l called the 5000 men out
into field, and as soldier to sold
Ter, l explained the situation to
them. Not one man mumured. DO
you wish my blessing l said. And
every man fell to his knees. Those
men threw themselves into the gap
facing the Huns. Twice they fell
back with terrible losses. One COM
pany of Germans had entered the
fort. The General came and asked
us to rally for one more drive. We
charged and threw them back. The
company of Germans became our
prisoners, and Verdum was saved.
Out of that 5000 men 1900 came
back. And the first act of those
men was to fall on their kness and
ask for a service of thanksgiving.
Lieutenant Perigord referred
to Russia, just waking, blinded by
the light of Freedom. eve must
lead him on to Justice and Free
dom, or Germany will lead him to
Slavery and Perdition," he said.
"Be thankful, today, that you are
helping save the world freedom,
for the sake of your honor, your
independence. Had you failed you
were a nation dishonored forever.
Oceans today are not barriers |;
they are bridges. Ten million men
don't make up an army; they are
a crowd-a mob. How often have
you been invaded, morally, intel
lectually, and physically already !
You bear that flag, the purest of
the nations. You were about to
hand it down defled. But your
children can still lift their heads
and more proudly than ever say,