The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-19
Harry Lauder Songs a Feature
Of the Luncheon.
Frank p. MacLennan Tells of
Good Times With Bard.
TOGETHER ONCE At 2 A. M.
Scotch Comedian Tried To
Teach TOpekan To Sing.
Henry Bennett, President of
Club, Presided at Affair.

His voice low and even. driving a
terrific power in its modulation. Harry
Lauder, greatest of Scotch COM
edians and man of laughter and sor-
row cemented the hearts of 200 To-
peka Rotarians and their wives and
friends at noon today at the Chamber
of Commerce with the torn hearts of
Europe And truly it was an
impassioned plea that the little min
strel man" made for Americas great
est strength in the cause of democracy.
There was something in the face of
the specta cIed man of diminutive
stature as he stood before the speakers
table at the Chamber of Commerce
that brought Jumps to the throats and
tears to the eyes of his audience. 1t
was a face that spoke clearly the fact
that thru the little mound, The grave
of his son, Capt. John Lauder, in Flan-
ders field he has given his heart to
England just as Anna Held the
famous comedienne, has given her
heart to France.
TT is not for glory or riches that
we are fighting this war. 1t is for
liberty Men are dying for that word
today They are dying that you and
may continue to enjoy liberty. Behind
those gray walls of cannon in France
today stand the best manhoodsthat the
world has ever known. The allies are
opening new world that future gen.
erations may walk erect in the hap
piness of liberty. And the Goddess of
Liberty is still standing in New York.
Don't let it crumble down"
That was LADDERS plea He ended
that plea by asserting that 1t is not
for Americans to grow weary and
forget because the war is far away.
He decried the crowds that collect
around the bulletin boards of alien
language newspapers and demanded
that German born and German sym
pathizers assert themselves in this
country. Execution, he said, is the
just punishment for spies. for spies
are rebels and the punishment OF
rebels is death. a
Bagpipers at c. of c.
At the Chamber of Commerce to-
day Lauder was preceded by scores
who crowded into the room. Entering,
he was preceded by six killed bag
pipers who marched around tne nan
amid cheers from the Rotarians.
Then came round after round of ap-
plause. B. p. Bartlett, Marco Morrow
and Ray Lattner sang Rotary, the
song written by Lauder. 1t was re-
peated not twice but many times
LADDERS talk was preceded by short
reminiscence by Frank P. MacLen-
nan, editor of the State Journal,
and Introduction by Henry Ben
nett, president of the Topeka Rotary
club. Mr.. MacLennan recalled that
both Lauder and he were of the
MacLennan clan of Scotland. Lauder s
mother being a MacLennan and his
entire name being Henry MacLennan
Lauder Mr.. MacLennans talk ap-
pears at the end of this article on
Lauder arose amid another storm of
applause after the introduction by
a
ing and sorrow, spoken in quaint
way as only Harry Lauder could
speak it.
Don't believe the peace talk you
hear Every mention of peace is a
form of German propaganda There
can be no peace until Germany asks
for it and wants to know what the al
lies will do with the nation.
Lauder stopped long enough in his
talk of the European war to recall a
bit of unknown Revolutionary history.
Fought Prussia in '76.
1T wasn't England that the armies
of the Revolutionary war fought, he
said. TT was the Prussian King
George who sought to Prussianize the
American colonies and the colonies
wouldn't stand for it. Germany calls
you the spawn of England. The spawn
of England, Well, it's a good spawn.
No one has any fault to find with you
but Germany, and Germany is find
ing fault with the whole world And
in finding fault that man in Potsdam
is trying to domineer the whole world.
That is the fundamental cause of this
war Maybe you don't know it, but
that is the first cause.
And of all the tentacles of the
British empire, America is the great
est and strongest tentacle England is
your mother and she gave YOU the red
blood in you veins"
Goes After Pro- Germans
Switching back to the foreign resi-
dents cf this country, Lauder asserted