The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-04-22
NOT ONE LIFE TO Be
LOST UNNECESSARILY

| Gen. PerShin@ Says He VIII Not
Sacrifice The Life of One Ameri-
| can Unless it is Really Necessary, y
Congressman Johnson Told Audi
| enCe at Opera House.
Notwithstanding the unfavorable
weather conditions which preceded
! the patriotic meeting at the Grand
Opera House yesterday, the place was
filled TO hear Congressman Johnson,
of the State of Washington, relate
his experience and tell of the scenes
he beheld on the battlefields of Eu-
rope. The meeting opened with a
selection by the orchestra OF Zion NJ.
E. Church, after which Mr.. George
w. WoolfOrd, chairman of the Lib
erty Loan Committee for Dorchester
county, read report from each dis
trict. He then introduced Judge w.
Laird Henry, the presiding officer.
Judge Henry. with a few brief re-
marks, introduced the speaker Of the
occasion, Con gresham Johnson, Of
the State of Washington. The rep
resentative of the Western State be-
gan by making an appeal for sub
scriptions to the Third Liberty Loan.
He made mention of what had been
done in his home, which greatly sur
priSed him, and filled him with great
admiration for the cleyernesS his
wife exhibited. His family had sub
scribed for the first and second is
sues, and again for the third, and af-
ter they had taken out the last bonds
his wife informed them that she sub
Scribed to $500 worth of bonds and
paid for them BY strict enonomy with
the food served at the Johnson table.
Congressman Johnson then pro-
ceeded to give 4 vivid account of his
trip to the battlefields and the front
line trenches of France. He, and
nine other congressman, upon their
own initiative, left the United States
last Fall to visit the scene of action
in Europe, and confer with the
heads OF the Allied countries and the
generals commanding the military
forces. The American party landed
at Liverpool and went on to London,
where they were met by people prom
inent in military and civilian life.
The night before they arrived there
had been an, air raid, and London
life had again known the terror OF
the visit of a Zeppelin. The follow
ing day, while riding around the
city, he saw the funeral of a mother
and five of her seven children, who
were victims OF the raid.
From London the Congressman
went to Paris, and according to MI.
Johnson, the fashionable French
capital presents a mournful appear
ance. All of the women are at work
early in the morning, the men, who
are to be seen, are inYalided home,
awaiting the time when they must re-
turn to the trenches, and the city is
dirty and ill-kept.
The congressman then visited the
batlefields of Ferdun, Gpres, and
other places where men fought and
died in order that monarches might
fall before demCcracieS. The speak
er spoke at length about the bat
tie OF the Marine, and the fields of
desolation and devastation they saw;
the cities which We're laid in ruins
and the apparent hopelessneSs of the
whole situation.
Congressman Johnson also visited
Belgium, and here he stopped to pay
tribute to King Albert, through
whose grim determination the coun-
try has decided to fight to the end,
but never to give up. Congressman
Johnson told of the invasion of this
peaceful land, and said that, barring
the atrocities, there was one crime
for which Germany would never be
forgiven. When the vast horde of
Germans marched through Belgium
they divided the people, sending the
healthy women in one direction and
the strong men in another. They
then commandment all the food sup
plies and the well-fed German soldf>
ers marched away having the old
men and women, and the little chill
dren, to StarVe to death.
Congressman Johnson went fur
| Their to explain battles in the skies,
and his visit to the firing line where
he, and the rest of his party, hid in
the trenches, while the bullets whiz-
zed over their heads. AS he was
| leaving the muddy trenches, he lost
an overshoe, and, much to his sur
prise, Belgian soldier offered, in
good English, to get it for him. He
was almost dumbfounded, when the
| man told him that he lived in Wash
ington, only about twenty miles
from the home of the Congressman.
The Congressional party met and
| talked with the military men of the
Allied Governments, and they not
only seemed glad to see the Ameri-
cans, but they were anxious to an
swer all questions and show them ev-
cry courtesy. They held conferen-
I ces with General Joffre, General
Foch and others prominent in the
affairs of the armies fighting the
| Huns. During their interview with
General Pershing, head of the Ameri-
can EXpeditionary Forces, he said
| emphatically that he would not sac
| rifice one life unless it was abso-
lutely necessary.
There was a solo by Miss Helen
| Phillips, and also one by Mr.. Chas.
| NJ. Paul.