Evening journal., 1918-11-22
NATIONAL LIFE
MUST reflect
WAR TRIUMPHS
tContInued From First Page.

lie was i-rnitted, and hundreds Of per-
sons, as many as could crowd into the
room, heard the Secretary Of War speak
! Mr.. Baker was given a tremendous ova-
tlon and was frequently interrupted by
applause.
In introducing Secretary Baker, Gen.
eral dupont referred to him as zone OF
the greatest men in the United States
during the past two or three years,
and added,
THE answer OF two weeks ago shows
how well he has done his work With
his manifold duties, all OF which he has
handled well, he has consented to come
here to talk 10 us. II gives me great
pleasure to introduce Secretary Newton
ID. Baker"
The audleEce sprang TO their feet to
greet the secretary, who spoke as fol-
lows:
"There ought TO be no mystery about
my coming here tonight to address
such an organization as the National
Consumers League, which, like many
other volunteer organizations, has done
so much in aiding the winning Of a
great war for the accomplishment OF
definite results.
1.-The reason for our winning the
war was due TO the vlrility and sound
ness Of the people who took an active
part in It. And / would like TO appraise
the cause Of the soundness Of the Amer
lean people who participated in the
great struggle.
"The things that have gone to make
us strong and virile people are the
-. 4 81 "a
magnify; they are the things for which
the Consumers League has battled for
in season and out Of season, and the
things which they have had written on
the statute books and have a consider
able part in the making Of the virility
OF the American people.
"If we had In the past overworked
American toilers and had taken chill
dren into the workshops and factories
had there not been a rising standard OF
living in America for those who toll,
we would not have had the strong
minds and bodies with which 70 meet
the emergency just past.
"And should such a crisis come again,
we should see TO It that we will be
able 10 present such a handsome pic
ture as America presented In the last
year and a half.
Il notice many distinguished foreign
ers here In the audience tonight and
! hope they will not misunderstood me
for the praise which / desire TO give
this nation. Nobody has more reverence
than | have for the superb sacrifice OF
France and Great Britain. l intend no
comparison whatever with other ma
hm n
en- crosses in France can doubt the ut
most devotion on the part Of that coun-
try.
"The mere triumph we have won on
the battlefield is in vain and useless
unless the fruits Of victory are caught
I'D and brought into our lives Tor the
principles OF justice and right.
AT the beginning OF the war we were
called upon TO bring all our manpower.
industrial power. financial power ana
moral power to concentrate upon SIN
gle purpose. We were successful IN
this but Il caused many surprises.
"The first was that our people OF all
nationalities, races and creeds were so
filled with the cement Of democracy
that all former differences disappeared
secondly, in getting together our
army we took a cross-section OF the
whole young life Of America.
I'VE based military service on the
common duty Of citizenship, AVOIDING
the loss Of a recruiting campaign, and
securing an army with cool clear
vision unclOuded by emOtionalism ana
with unmixed motives. In a year and
n half we had more than two million
nen actually engaged in the greatest
battle in history. o
"On November II we had si00,OOOOOO
worth Of American engines and cars IN
France 10 carry our troops TO the front
line trenches and we built 4,5OO niles
OF telegraph and telephone lines for the
transmltment OF our own messages.
when the battle that ended the war
came, our men, made up Of raw ma
terial. were on equal terms with the
veteran soldiers OF our Allies and stood
shoulder to shoulder in the vindlcation
Of the principles Of a common civiliza-
ton
I'VE had a remarkable army com
posed of young men, sturdy men ana
happy men with an immense elevation
OF spirit. They were men who not only
learned to fight like heroes but also
learned TO live like gentlemen.
This was made possible becausce
our communities backed-s such volunteer
agencies as the Y. NJ. c.. A., Red Cross,
knights Of Columbus, Young Mems He
brew Association and other organiza-
lions.
1T proved that II Just ordinary
American young men are given an op-
pOrtunity they will develop a spontane-
pus tendency upward. It was the great
sst demonstration Of a volunteer EFFORT
10 accomplish things that has ever oc-
,urred in the United States. And all
his was done without laws and regula-
lions. but by keeping constantly in
mind the ideals for which we were
struggling.
There was also great progress In
public health during the past fifteen
years which made itself evident dur
ing the war.
81 do not know what the casualty
lists ultimately will show. but at pres
snt IL Is the first war in the history
OF the world in which the deaths from
disease are substantially less than those
on the field OF battle II we omit the n
nuenza epidemic. which affected not
only soldiers. but the whole world, less