Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-04-15
CANADIAN ARMY
OFFICER GIVES
STIRRING TALK
Major Carson Mccormick Addresses
goo Liberty Loan Workers
at Noon Session.
SERVING SINCE START WAR
Delivers Vivid Account of Events
"0ver There" and Urges
All to Purchase Bonds.

The 200 men and women who at
tended the Rock Island club lunch
con today, had the privilege of hear
ing what many considered the best
war address delivered in Rock Is
land, since America has been in the
struggle. The speaker was Major
Carson Mccormick, of the Third
Canadian infantry battalion, and he
brought to Rock Island a message
that will not soon be forgotten by
those who were fortunate enough
to hear him.
Major Mccormick was among the
first to offer his services in Aug
ust, 1914, and having served six
years in the Canadian militia, he
was at once commissioned. His
preliminary training in Canada was
short, as the cry for men in those
early days was urgent, and it was
not long before his regiment was
sent across. More training followed
at the great British training station
at Salisbury Plains, England.
Major Mccormick told many
amusing incidents of their training
in this English camp, and revealed
to his audience the willing spirit
of the Canadian soldier, whom he
declared was the same type of SOL
der as the Americans. Before his
men were sent across the chan
mel. they were reviewed by the king.
Arriving on French soil, they spent
two and half days touring France,
finally arriving at their billets be-
hind the front line trenches.
Major Mccormick is a splendid
appearing officer, and looks every
inch a soldier. He won his aud
fence at once when he said, Il am
here to demonstrate to you that
man can live three years in the
front line trenches, and come back
a man" Major Mccormick has
seen some of the worst fighting of
the war, having been at the sec
ond battle of Yprez, when the Ger
mans first used the poison gas
against the Canadian troops.
He warned the American people
against the danger of too much
criticism of the government in
Washington. stop your petty crit
icism of the administration" he
shouted. Cut out the politics and
get on with the war. This may not
be a democratic nation, but you
have a democratic administration
in power now, and it is up to you
to back the government"
Welcome Americans.
His description of the scene In
the British billets. when news of
Americas declaration Of war was
received, was stirring. 81 was sta
toned before Ypres in April of last
year, just before this country took
up the fight" he said. "a group of
fellow officers were sitting in a dug
out, studying plans for the often
sive. which we had been rehearsing
for weeks. and which was soon to
be opened. A messenger rushed in
and handed the colonel a dispatch.
We were all anxious as he read it,
for we were impatiently awaiting
word for the opening of the big
show
Suddenly the colonel turned to
us and said, Gentlemen, l have the
honor to announce to you that
America is our ally Then one Of
the men, who was something of a
musician. sat down at an old
piano and started to play The Star
Spangled Banner Ladies' and
gentlemen, you have probably heard
your national anthem a great many
more times than Ishave. but I am
sure that you never heard it under
as stirring circumstances as | die
that night, in our dugout Just be-
hind the front line trenches with
the sound of the guns in our ears"
Il was in Paris just before Gen
eral Pershing and his staff landed
in France. The French people
were war weary and the situation
the pOpulace was grave.
But French sentiment changed
overnight, when the vanguard of
the American army stepped on
French soil"
Line to Hold.
Speaking of the present war con-
diticns, he said: Don't worry
minute about the British and
French line breaking on the west
ern front. There is not a chance
in the world. We are falling back
today, there is no question of that.
But our business is to eliminate the
Hun, and we are doing that faster
today than at any time in the last
three and a half. years. The old
world has got to be made a decent
place to live in and safe place for