Le MeschaceÌbeÌ. [volume] ([Lucy] La.) 1853-1942, 1918-05-25

to your own vanity; but II you give
until it hurts then your heartblooG
goes into it.
And think what we have here; We
call it the American Red Cross, bui
it is merely a branch of a great in
ternational organization which is not
recognized by the statutes of each oil
the civilized governments Of the world
but 1t is recognized by international
agreement and treaty as the recog
nized and accepted instrumentality OF
mercy and succor. And one OF the
deepest strains that rests upon the
reputation of the German army is that
they have not respected the Red Cross
THAT goes to the root of the mat
ter. They have not respected the in.
strumentality that they themselves
participated In setting up as the thing
which no man was to touch, because
it was the expression of common hu,
manity. We are members by being
members of the American Red Cross,
of a great fraternity and comradeship
which extends all over the world and
this cross which these ladies bore to-
day is an emblem of Christianity it.
self.
"It fills my Imagination, ladies and
gentlemen, to think of the women all
over this country who are busy tonight
and are busy every night and every
day doing the work Of the Red Cross.
busy with great eagerness to find
out the most serEiceable thing to do,
busy with a forgetfulness of all the
old frivolities of their social relation
ship, ready to curtail the duties of
the household in order that they may
contribute to this common work that
all their hearts are engaged in and
in doing which their hearts become ae-
Quainted with each other.
How People Are Drawn.
when you think of this you realize
how the people of the United States
are being drawn together into a great
intimate family, whose heart Is being
used for the service of the soldiers
not only, but for the service of civil
ians, where they suffer and are lost
in a maze Of distresses and distrac-
tions.
And you have then this noble pic
ture of justice and mercy as the two
servants of liberty. For only where
men are free do they think the
thoughts of comradeship; only where
they are free do they think the
thoughts of sympathy; only where
they are free do they realize their
dependence upon one another and
their comradeship in a common inter
est and common necessity.
'T heard a story told the other day
that was ridiculous, but 1t is worth
repeating because it contains the
germ Of truth. An Indian was en-
listed in the army. He returned to
the reservation on furlough. He was
asked what he thought of it. He said,
Not much good; too much salute;
not much shoot Then he was asked,
Are you going back?'
Yes
"'Well, do you know what you are
fighting for?
eyes, me know; fight to make
whole damn world safe for democratic
party
''He had evidently misunderstood
some innocent sentence of my own.
But after all, although there Is no
party purpose in 1t, he got it right as
far as the word party to make the
whole world democratic in the sense
Of community of interest and Of pur-
pose and if you ladies and gentlemen
could read some of the touching dis
patches which come through official
channels, for even through these chan
nels there come voices of humanity
that are infinitely pahetic, if you
could catch some of these voices that
speak the utter longing of oppressed
and helpless peoples all over the world
20 hear something like the battle
hymn of the republic, to hear the feet
If the great hosts of liberty going to
set them free, to set their minds free,
set their lives free, set their children
rec, you would know what comes into
he heart of those who are trying to
contribute all the brains and power
hey have to this great enterprise of
liberty. / summon you to the COM
l summon you in this next
week to say how much and how sim
.erely and how unanimously you sus-
ain the heart of the world
The president was introduced by
dr. Dodge, who said that the presi-
lent had asked for the privilege" of |
marching in Saturdays parade when
zone of the committee had dared" to
invite him.
The president, Mr.. Dodge declared,
J the spokesman of all the great spir- |
tual forces of the world.
The president was preceded by Hen
y P. Dawson, chairman of the Red |
ross, who spoke of the work of the
rganization. Mr.. Dawson referred
D the president as the leading figure
f the world.