Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-10-01
sTRlDuvE PAID TO IOWA MEN At
MASS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE
FALLEN IN FRANCE.
~sAvIoR OF HOMES
AND AVENGERS OF DEAD"
France Aeelainns Her Love Fer Iowa
Regiment and Thanks Officers and
Men Of Ranks-Addrsss Forwarded
TO Iowa by Colonel ssnnstt-ssrviess
Held on Aug. Is.
,pceial to Times Republican.

Special to Times. Republican.
Des Moines, Oct. 1.-"Avengers OF
our dead, savior Of our homes and our
liberty, noble heroes fallen on the field
Of honor, and oil OF you my brothers
and my friends OF the lSsth. France.
acclaims, loves and thanks you."
Thus did Father Rotge. former mem
Der of the faculty of the University OF
France, now interpreter for the 1Ssth
infantry regiment, Iowa's noble regi-
ment of the Rainbow division. pay
tribute to the Iowa men at the mass
for these soldiers OF the 1ssth fallen
in France held at an overseas church
Aug. %.
Col. F.. r. Bennett, commander OF
the 1SSth, has forwarded a copy OF
Father Rotges address to Lafayette
Young, chairman OF the state council
Of defense. Colonel Bennett says
Father Rotge is a splendid man, alb
solutely fearless and that he serves the
men in every possible way on the
front line in battle and elsewhere.
His address follows:
After the hard and glorious light
ing you have been thru so valiantly Tor
the cause Of liberty and right, it Is
good. it is just, to think of the glorious
departed, to pay a public tribute OF
homage and gratitude to the officers
and men Of our regiment fallen on the
field Of honor.
Those noble heroes who illustrated
forever this brave regiment have a
right indeed to our regrets. to our
homage because they fulfilled the
greatest thing in the world, the great
est sacrifice for the noblest cause.
These noble heroes have departed
in the vigor and beauty Of youth and
our hearts are rent and our eyes are
full of tears as We think of their ar
dent generous youth cut down, OF
their families in tears, Of their coun-
try in mourning. We regret and we
mourn them as our best friends, our
brothers devotedly and tenderly loved.
But comrades those regrets and
tears, tho proper and necessary. are
not and must not be regrets and tears
of despair without any hope and any
comfort. The bodies Of our heroes
sleep on over the hill or down in the
valleys in some peaceful part of our
cemeteries in the shade Of the cross;
but their immortal souls. are still liv-
ing. Ever they are living. more than
evel. Martyrs to the noblest cause,
they are with God enjoying the blessed
immortality. They see and they know.
Their ardent intelligence their coura-
seous will, their generous and deep
hearts are now crowned and filled.
"The words of the gospel can be
truly applied to them The one who
lost his life gets it again
III it is painful to our hearts the
sacrifice Of our heroes is fine indeed.
They are worthy our homage and gra-
titude. They deserve. as the poet says.
We cast handfuls Of lilies on their
tombs.'
Thru their generous sacrifice they
saved France, the right and liberty Of
the world. Thanks to them the bar
barous and criminal Germany will be
defeated and punished. Thanks to
them, Liberty. Justice and Right will
again take the first place among the
peoples. The reign OF Force will be
over, the reign Of Justice will begin.
Avengers Of Our Dead"
And among those illustrious heroes.
those glorious soldiers Of Right. we
salute with respect and emotion the
officers and men of the 16sth infantry.
fallen in the field Of honor
Soldiers of the regiment in Lor-
raine. in Champagne. on the banks OF
the Marne and the Ourcq you stopped
and drove back the barbarian German.
And your obstinate and fearless
courage was not diminished either by
the physical or moral sufferings.
Neither the mud Of Lorraine trenches
nor the dust Of Champagne and Marine
roads, neither the fire nor the steel
could stop you during the six months
YOU suffered everything to win and
you won.
The enemy is falling back defeated;