The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-02-26
HUN OUTRAGES
ARE LAID BARE
War Zone Observer Brings
Striking Picture of Con
ditions in France
THERE WAS A
TOWN." RINGS YET
French Guides Words
Most Significant State
4. ment of Sufferings

Dan Reed, just home from France,
where he spent six weeks observing
war conditions along the whole front,
from the English channel to Switz-
erland; who billeted with American
soldiers in France and visited with
the great leaders produced by the
war, told 1000 Fargo people at the
Fargo auditorium Monday night that
every one of Americas hundred
million people must get into this war
If it is to be won.
The tremendous crowd that greet
ed Mr.. Reed cheered with enthus-
sasm his words on the, American
soldier morale. the words of cheer
from the French, and the great faith
the people OF France have in Amer
lea.
1--WE saw the place where once
had lain the beautiful hills of
France. These were all gone.
In their places were barbed wire
entanulements and great shell
craters. The only trace there
Was of the existence of many
small places was once in a while
a few bricks or a piece of curb
stone. Our French guide would
Say, there was q town. ] think
EH0&E TOUR WQFQ& VIII always
ring in my ears. They best de-
scribe conditions that exist"
In those words Mr. Reed described
the war zone that great "Over
There into which Americas young
manhood is being poured to set the
world free from militaris1n.
Story after story Of German bar
bafity; words Of praise for the VAL
orous French. the brave British and
Belgians: and words Of cheer for the
the service abroad, came In such
rapid succession that Mr.. Reed kept
his audience intensely interested
khfop bout.
r Reed, a Flint, Mich man.
ks IN Fargo under the direction
So 1he federal food adEninistFa tlons
and s address follows:
People Must Know Facts
It s not my intention to gloss
over any Of the unpleasantness /
90aaa over there" said Mr.. Reed.
until the people Of the United
States know the facts they
won't have the real spirit necessary
for backing up the soldiers. This
war wouldn't last very long If the
hundred million people OF this coun-
see conditions for themselves. There
wouldn't be any politics in this coun-
try al this time if the people knew
ell that IS going on there.
What ] will have to say to you
has not been censored in Washing
ton. / refused to go out and deliver
any written and censored speech.
am here to tell you in the very
plainest language can the things
you all ought to know.
First / want to tell you what
thrilling spectacle it was for me to
look down a fine French highway
and see thousands of clean-cut, clear
eyed young Americans passing along
with Old Glory floating above
them and to see them smile and
cheer as they passed. i saw these
boys starting on a six-mtle hike
leading to the trenches where they
were to learn how TO 60 over the top
Ito prepare themselves for the or
deal through which they will have to
pass. When / say ordeal I mean
the facing OF hand grenades, Of
poison gas, the cold Steel, liquid
fire, the dreadful monotony Of trench
life with its water and mud when
they dare not stick their heads
above ground without risking the
probability OF instant death from a
German bullet.
'sYou picture our boys over there
as being in sunny France Let me
tell you they are not in the sunny
part of France. They are billeted
In barns and they are working in
rain and snow and mud getting
ready to fight our battles for us.
"And these boys knew what they
were going into before they enlist
ed and they went cheerfully. You
want to see that our boys over there
have the best. They deserve the
best. say to you that of the most
noble deeds you can look forward to,
none car be no more noble than TO
protect and provide for those boys
through your effort here at homie
Unless we do this we must be brand-
ed towards and traitors to the bray-
est boys / have ever seen. And we
mustn't forget the mothers of these
boys here at home. The boys over
there are looking to us to protect
these mothers, who have seen the
boys grow from babes up t. strap
ping young men who have donnRd
t1e Uniform Of their country and
gone to war.
zone of the first boys ! saw
ever there was 3 Michigan boy.
His home Is IN Lansing. He said
to me, When you get back tell
mother you saw me and ! was
looking WE'LL And then he added
Tell her I've won out and that
i am coming back 20 her straight
and clean We had many such
messages given us BY boys to
bring back to their mothers.
"You probably have heard some
of these stories about our boys over
there not living right. You prob
ably can understand where a lot OF
those stories started"
'Germany," said two or three in
the audience
Germany, echoed the speaker.
Germany is using every possible
means 10 influence opinion in the
United States. She is spending
$500, 900 in Switzerland alone every
year To have such stories spread to
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