South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-25
LAPORTE IS GIVEN
ROUSING SEND-O
Home Guards, Headed by Ball.
Band Band, Participate
in Demonstration.

Citizens OF MiShaWaka paruclpat-
ed in a big patriotic demonstration
Sunday in the nature Of a farewell
to Private Leon Laporte, the young
Belgian soldier who has been il
Mishawaka since March spending
a furlough with his parents. Nj
and Mrs. Frans Laporte, SAP W.
Sixth st. Laporte has been three
and a half years in the trenches
Companys II, 1 and K, home
guards. met at the armory at 1873
o'clock, and headed by the Misha-
waka Wooden company band and
the police force, marched to the
LapOrte home. where a program
was given.
pep. Pros. a. &. Colpaert gave
an address in the course Of which
he said:
Germany first endeavored TO
bride the Belgian government. She
called her. as it were, behind the
curtain and asked her how mucn
will you take?' and the answer she
expected was thirty pieces Of sill
YER
The answer was given in no un-
certain terms at Liege. followed ~
that at Haelen and the User. This
answer has won for Belgium the
eternal honor, respect and admira
ton of the civilized world. A hand
ful of soldiers at Liege. inspired by
a great past Of cultured civilization,
upheld and defended their inherited
traditions at a moment when they
were most seriously threatened. We
need not dread comparing their eX-
plot to rhe deeds at Thermopylae
AT Liege as in Sparta, a handful IF
men saved the world.
With the memory OF this SUI
preme service rendered TO western
civilization Belgium has endured
all the sufferings and agonies that
cruel and remorseless neigh Dor
could impose. Her factories AMI
countless wheels of industry have
been pdralyzed: villages and towns
with great and glorious past have
been reduced TO a mass of ruins;
old men, innocent women and chill
dren have been tortured. logged
and killed. Young men have been
deported from their homes deprived
of all that was dear TO them. and
have been compelled TO work on
the soil of their enemy; rivers have
turned red with human blood AMI
fields have been covered with
corpses.
And all this has been done un-
l. IL.
necessity. 1t is this same plea 81
military necessity that Is being used
TO Justify the horrible air raids at
the cities of Paris and London. Z
was the same plea that was brought
forward TO justify the GROWING in
fanny of the sinking of the Lusitania.
But all these unspeakable out
RACES. sufferings and agonies haze
been endured by the Belgian people
with a patience worthy of their ira
ditions. No nation has been more
united to uphold the honor AMI
dignity of their country than the
Belgian nation.
so it is altogether fitting ana
proper that we should honor those
brave men who fought so valiantly
and acted so nobly.
ITO you. my friend, let me saw
this: Go back to that little strip
of land which is still in the hands
of your king and his people: go back
with "A new and firm determination
that no one shall take il away from
you. Go back and tell your COM
rades in the trenches that Uncle
Sam is coming and is coming fast.
Tell them that he has pledged him
self that Belgium shall be redeemed
and that her people shall be freed.
And tell them that Uncle Sam never
makes a promise which he does not
keep"
Mayor Ralph w. Gaylor highly
praised the Belgium people for the
many sacrifices they had made i'm
the cause Of right and justice. over
$50 was collected and given to La
porte 10 assist in defraying the eX-
penses Of his trip. Alfons BOregee,
a Belgium soldier who is IN AIisha-
waka on furlough was present at
the ceremonies. Fully .. 100 people
were at the Laporte home. Music
was provided by the Ba!l-Bani
band.
The parade escorted Laporte 70
the New York Central, where ne
took the 1855 train for New York