The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-05-10
Stimulating and Inspiring Adj
dress Delivered to People
of Pensacola.
IN INTEREST OF
THE RED CROSS
Brought Message of Comfort as
Well as a Warming
and Appeal.

A wonderful stimulating and inspir-
ing message was delivered to the peo-
pie of Pensacola yesterday afternoon
when Captain E. Lucas Guest, OF the
British army, spoke at the city hall ia
the interest of the American Red
Cross.
Captain Guest, who is a native OF
South Africa, and a member of the
first contingent of the British army TO
oppose the Huns, is a Captain in the
Prince of Wales Volunteers, South Lam
cashire Regiment. and though but
thirty-six years Of age, has been in the
service since the age OF sixteen.
He brought a message Of comfort as
we'll as warning. of inspiration as well
as appeal. he left his auditors with
higher courage, greater faith. a more
abiding sense OF reliance on the men
who are now defending freedam at the
front.
His opening words to the people OF
Pensacola were those of comradely un-
derstanding. I'VE are altogether in tnis
great fight" he said. II am not mucn
of speaker. / should much rather go
over the top than stand here before you
and attempt TO deliver 10 you a mes
sage from the allies. But when / re-
member that for which we are fight
ing-Liberty and Freed0m-T take cour-
age.
Il feel it great honor to speak for
the Red Cross. have seen its work
at the front, come close to It,. and
know how great is the service which
It renders. Close to the battle lines its
work of mercy finds its way. and it
knows service to humanity in its high4
est form.
THE Red Cross societies OF the Brit
ish and America are identical in their
work. When the war started with that
little army OF fS0.000-that contempti-
BILE army at which the Kaiser snered,
had il not been for the Red Cross, one
can hardly say what the outcome
would have been. When we met the
Hun nthe battle of the Marine the cas-
ualties were much greater than had
previously been estimated, and ii was
here that the Red Cross did its first
great act of mercy in this war, the inn
portance OF which cannot possibly be
estimated.
The Red Cross came TO save, and IL
its service 1t stopped at no sacrifice
Public buildings and private homes
were alike given over to the use OF the
wounded and utilized as hospitals
Il recall a private home in London
turned over to the Red Cross. Here
through many generations had been
collected priceless treasures, pictures
articles and furnishings of the highest
value. These were thrust out OF the
way. to make rooms for the WORK of
mercy. for ministrations to the wound
ed andth dying.
rooaTI !, laI,r oF
she who had known no want, no care,
no deprivation in all OF her sheltered
life-how she, who had given up her
home, having been entirely unframed
in nursing, gave herself to the most
menial tasks, on her knees scrubbing
floors, doing the most loyvly work
there was to do, that she might serve
Here Captain Guest described. as only
an eye witness could what battle real
ly is. In language so simple, with IN
tention OF the most Conversations,
with no imagery, but in termt that all
might understand, he pictured the de-
struction of the artillery fire. he de-
scribed the terrible barrage. the slow
advance under the terrific lombard
ment Of the German howitzers, tha
havoc wrought by shot and shell.
In describing the awful carnage, the
terrible condition Of the battle ground
ne spoke Of the early days when the
English were fighting under such tre-
odds and he declared that
here was a time when the ammunition
vas so scarce, at the opening OF hos
ilities. when for the artillery four
'ounds OF ammunition per gun per day
vas all that was possible to provide.
Now" however" said Captain Guest,
all that is changed. There is enough
ammunition in France to carry on this
var for twenty years"
In speaking of the terrific havoc
wrought by the artillery Of the Huns,
le said: 1T is like nothing that can
,e described. roar OF fire and steel
hat, somehow. men get through So
ora is the soil by the shells thas
here is not an inch Of the surface
which is not rendered almost impas-
able Great holes, each Of which
would hold twenty men, a surface so
Orn that wooden tracks have TO be