Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-05-03
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Memorial Day in Atlanta

lariy fortunate in securing a windoW
/ in a high building. al the crossing OF
/ Whitehall and Alabama streets, We
: were both aged ladies and the propri
l etor was very kind to give us SooC
seats during the passing of the entire
! parade on April 26. / have seen SD many
/ of these parades during the past fiftN
( years that can mark the changes
etc.
This year the war absorbs every
thing and the greatest interest was ex-
cited in Witnessing the fine young sol
diers who came in TO Atlanta to pa.-
ticipate in the exercises of the day
They held the center OF the stage.
After the young soldiers came the
school children. and these school chill
dren had been carefully drilled. The
different Atlanta schools had each pa
. triotic colors and banners, and the dis
play of their colors, and the regular
marching step was very entertaining 10
US. There were a consi derable number
! Of the old veterans Of the Civil war
for the Conf ederate Soldiers Home IS
located near Atlanta. So many readers
of The Semi-Weekly Journal reside IN
] other states that [ mention the location
of the home supported by the state, for
their benefit.
AS we mad reason TO believe that those
young soldiers would 40 to France at
an early day, we were anxious to see
them receive the honors of Memorial
day. Near us sat a middle-aged lady
who told US that her only son had been
expecting to start every day for several
weeks, and of course we could under
stand her feelings and could feel deei
/ sympathy as the tears glistened in Der
eyes.
These soldier boys had a good time. II
it should be the last marching they will
! do. in the capital city of Georgia. They
were looking so fit and well kept that
/ il was equally gratifying to onlookers
saw much of such marching and
drilling i'm the early days of the Civil
war. In spite of myself my mind goes
back TO those earlier days. / am trust
| ing and praying the Dear Lord that
We may find that peace may come early
to these boys and their kindred, who
are so anxious about them.
The Courageous Frenchmen
In common with the great majority
| of Americans who are solicitous con-
corning the bloody contest in Europe
/ and especially of those who can hardly
wait for the trains which will bring
! the war news twice a day, ! spent many
hours OF tense anxiety during the last
! ten days. The German drive was the
most terrific of all the German attacks
/ since the beginning of the war in 1914
/ nearly four years ago. Since the Ameri-
| can soldiers have been gathering over
there our interest has increased an hun.
dred fold, and l am frank to confess my
/ pathy with the French people has
always been great France is a republic
| like the United States of America. and
| If France can be saved from the invad
\ ing Teutons, we are anxious, more thar
anxious, TO be assured of the deliver.
ance of the French republic More thar
/ all. our American republic. can never
| fully repay the debt of gratitude we
/ owe TO the French soldiers who came
/ with Marquis dc la Fayette to assist
/ the struggling American colonies wher
our forefsthers were battling to throw
| on the yoke OF George III in the wal
| of the American Revolution.
| In the present warfare last week one
/ of Great Britains armies broke dowr
and fell back. They were pushed back
! they were in confusion In that awful
/ time Of suspense and trial IL was the
war-wOrn and weary French soldiers
| who rushed to the rescue. Poor ole
/ France is already "bled white" but
France understands what a German vic
tory would mean to the French re
| public ....,.o ..
without a moments delay the French
soldiers kept back the Teuton aggres
/ sors until the British forces coulC
! steady themselves once more. 1t wa.
| French valor that saved the fifth British
army from a signal defeat.
How long France can hold out /.
the question of the hour There are saiC
| to be 10000 American soldiers i'm Eu
| rope, and one old lady is hoping tina
the gallant Frenchmen will be well sus
tanned by the. assistance of the Ameri
| can Soldiery