El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-05-11

ONE Of the most wonderful speeches
" FL Pasoans ever had an oppor-
tunity to hear was made Friday night
in Liberty hall before 500 people by
Lieut.. Paul Perigord of the French
army. Lieut.. Perigord seemed in
spired at times. and the dominating
love Of France which expressed itself
almost in spite Of him. coupled with
the real insight into real conditions
OF the war gained by the priest SOL
der first hand in the trenches. held
his listeners in a spell which was
broken only by applause.
Winchester Cooley was chairman Of
the meeting. and Lieut.. Perigord was
introduced by his fellow priest Rev.
FIR. A r. Upton.
In a splendid opening accepting
gracefully the tribute paid him by
the prolonged applause. and defeating
IL to the cause in which all civiliza-
ton is engaged, the young Lieutenant
began by speaking Of the American
army in France
Pershing's Words Rouse France.
France is still talking Of what her
people say is the greatest speech OF
the war, spoken in four words by the
general whom Americans and French
love equally we'll When Gen. PERISH
ing vas in Paris he visited the tomb
Of Lafayette, and instead of the ex-
tended speech which his French es-
cort and aides expected he leaned
over the tomb in the little cemetery,
and whispered Lafayette, we are
here
That speech is ringing through
France still and typifies the spirit
with which the American people have
invested their little army in France
are in this struggle 1 love to think
Of France and the United States as
twin sisters, born almost at the same
time, and the two greatest repub-
lies in the world Like America,
France has loved liberty. equality and
fraternity. sometimes TO excess. but
through all her history in the past
hundred years, she has been a sturdy
protector Of the weak.
Dead Occupy Acres.
During the past three years Of this
awful war, France has modified and
put in the fighting line 100000 men.
Two million OF them occupy acres and
acres Of ground. marked only by thou
sands and thousands Of little white
crosses. To do as much proportion
ately. the United States would have
TO place in France an army of $780,
900 men, and think Of the stir some Of
your people are making over the lit
tie million and a half Of men in your
training camps.
Splendid Mothers Of France.
and when think Of the millions of
cur brave boys who have fallen in this
war, and OF the millions who still
stand ready to die if need be. I can't
help but think Of the splendid moth
ers Of France Too often over here a
woman's love is expressed By a desire
to keep her boy out of the army. safe
in the security Of his home, while
some other mothers son goes out to
fight his battles for him But L know,
and the men Of France know, that a
mothers love is best when IL is ready
10 sacrifice itself on the altar Of
patriotism. That is what the women
Of France are doing. and their spirit
is typified in the case Of an old
woman who broke through our ranks
one day during parade, TO seize the
fringe Of our nag. which I was car
rying. and kiss il. and bury her face
in its folds. She had lost her four
sons and her husband in the battle Of
the day before. and her only comfort
was the flag for which they had given
their lives
That is why France viii never be
conquered, and her armies viii always
be victorious as long as her noble
women face the dread possibilities OF
battle with the firmness and courage
Of the past
Can't Call These Victories.
And please never speak TO a
French or a British soldier Of a Ger
man victory. There has never been
German victory since the war be-
gan Whenever Germany has submit
ted the decision TO a fair and honest
combat Of arms she has always been
defeated, and she always VIII be. as
long as French and British armies
defend the western front. A soldier
can't call the violation Belgium a vic
tory, or the plumber Of Rumania, or
the Of
moral undermining Of the great child
giant OF Russia. blind in the light OF
her new found liberty. We can't call
those victories.
England Always Generous in War.
Noble England has always been
generous in war, and as long as she
stands she will be the bulWark Of
freedom. For centuries almost she
was Frances enemy. and even in the
bitterest struggle, could say Of the
French, "our gentle enemy" She is
now, and every viii be the defender
Of liberty. AS for Ireland. France has
always loved the Irish and has al
ways offered them a home. but all we
can say to ireland now is. that she
make herself worthy OF her brave boys
at the front When this war is won
there viii be liberty for everyone
and Ireland viii not be left out.
TOO Proud" Almost DenIes Flag.
For months and even years. France.
slowly being eXterminated i'm the
trenches, looked over the seas 10 her
great sister republic. and wondered
when help would come. When the
president said. we are too proud TO
fight do YOU know how the world
interpreted it, The world thought Il
meant, We are too selfish to fight
In those dark days. America nearly
dragged the folds of the greatest flag
In the world won by the blood Of
your forefathers in democracy's baby
fight for liberty. into the dust You
almost defiled that flag. and France
wept 10 see her sister republic 90
blindly on. unheeding the call of lib
erty and humanity
4. :. Invaded. Too.
How often your dreamers and pa
cifists cried that this was none Of
YOUR fight and urged YOU TO wait for
the fight to be brought to America.
How many times has America been
invaded in this war; Belgium was
invaded territOrially. so was northern
France and Bumania. But Belgium
has never been invaded spiritually
or morally. But the United states
has been invaded spiritually. morally
and politically so many times that
even Woodrow Wilson, the most
peace loving president I'm your his
tory. could not stand It any longer"
Following Lieut. Perigord's speech.
J. N. NealOn made an appeal to Fl
Paso to get busy in the war savings
stamp campaign
NenIon Gets Response.
"El Paso is IN danger Of being
branded as a Stacker city" said Mr.
Nealon. with the campaign a third
gone, we have raised one-eiEhth our
quota. FL PasO was asked to buy