Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-01-30
MISS C'REILLY
TELLS OF WAR WORK

A large audience greeted Miss Mary
Boyle OReilly at the City Opera house
Tuesday evening on her second appear
ance in Waterville as a lecturer. Miss
O'Reilly's experiences during three
years in war work. are thrilling in the
extreme and were most interestingly
told. She said in part: Il am asked 10
tell the truth abe ut the war. 1t can
not, or rather, it should not be done.
Even from five miles behind the front
tie conditions are 50 terrible that for
three years / said almost daily, "Sher-
man was right; unit. big Irishman
carried down re lines of communica
ton this word You are wrong, sister,
the generals son ackwonl, dyes that his
father understated the case"
General Pershing, commander-in-
chief Of the American expeditionary
force says, This war is being fought
by women. 1t is the women who suffer
and who lend us courage. Women are
the ones to whom honor will be due
when the war is over and they will de-
serve that honor for their aid in es-
tablishing democracy"
1t
GUM is not only unconquered but is
unconquerable. 1t was never SO free
of German influence as it is today.
Cut off from all the allies il learns its
war news from allied air-men When
the Italians entered the war and re-
JOiCing was impossible for the Belgians,
they celebrated by appearing in the
streets. sucking macaroni. On the first
OF August when one nation sacrificed
its honor and another fought to keep
its word Belgium remembers by each
man and woman wearing on his coat "a
scrap Of town paper. Under the iron
heel Relgians are yet Rclgians.
When n dead Belgian prisoner is car
ried from the Royal palace of Brussels
a procession of mourning countrymen
rms instantly behind the fore hearse
When bodies of Prussian troops march
through the streets reckless Belgians
find way to ''inadvertantly" scatter
chloride of lime across their tracks.
There are forty million peoplu home
less on the roads of Europe, yet this Is
not peoples war, not a race war. not
a war for land. 1t is a war brought on
by generation of diplomats" intri-
cuing in tn, war. Now that the mill
tarists have forced the war for which
they schemed the nations involved
must fight to the finish or cease to he
independent They cannot throw off
the militarism which brushes them.
Hence. We the republicans, must throw
our weight into the scale Europe
bowed beneath a titanic Injustice cam
R1nt 1,,&
ciate. Even the children realize the
ircalcuable wrong that has been done
them.
l have friend. French nilitnry Of
f1cer. who when returning from France.
met group of children coming home
from school. AS they plodded along q
lonely read. an eremy's shell burst I'M
eNpcctedly nearby. Panic stricken
they We're comforted by the oldest child
who pleaded that the little party
should kreel at n wayside shrine and
say an evening PRAYER before ventur-
ing on the dangerous road ahead.
AS they knclt this little girl began,
+ Our Father WHO art in Heaven" the
others Joining with her. Presently she
said, Give us this day our daily bread
ard forgive US our trespasses -
No response came from the children
She opened her eyes and said severely
Eve must finish our prayer" and
again she repeated, Give us this day
our daily bread"
At that moment a young Belgian Of
ficer coming up behind the artillery
captain uncovered his heaC and re-
sponded. "As we forgive those who
trespass against us" and turning the
Frenchman recognized Albert, the
King, the only Belgian who w-s pre-
pared to pray the Lords prayer.
When the prisoners train dragged
back from the Marine Bordeaux among
the captured was German officer who
carried papers signed by the Kaiser
which proved that he was to have been
the German Governor of Paris
Reaching a way station half way tc
Bordeaux the prison train was side
tracked. AS it was Sunday morning
slightly wounded French artillerymen
dragged together some ammunition
boxes to build an altar. A soldier priest
vested and pr" pared to celebrate mass
Comrades. he announced, with a
tn|Hlcal SIihfe toward Inc gun cap
tain. We will now pray for the peace
Of the German artillerymen whom our
last shot annihilated."
| Near Malincs in the midst of the
campaign of frightfulness Belgian
: landstrum. dead beat and heartbroken
toiled night ard day making and mark
ing the graves Of their enemies. we
al not hoches" they explained. Their
women Will seek the graves of these
men after the war" These are the vic
tors whatever the military results and
they are our allies.