The Republican journal., 1918-09-19
Congressman Peters Vividly
Describes War Conditions.
A Heart to Heart Talk Too Serious for
A Newspaper Report.

worth, Representative OF the Third Maine
District, was the guest Tuesday evening
of Waldo County citizens at a meeting in
the Third Maine Regiment armory at the
Belfast Opera House. The details were
arranged by Bernes o. Norton, who Sc
cured the assistance of the Belfast Band
for an excellent patriotic concert. The
armory decorations also added to the pa
triotic spirit and on the platform were
representatives of all political beliefs, met
in our one common and all important in
terest-war. The reception of Mr.. Peters
was enthusiastic in the extreme for
Belfast audience He was greeted with
applause, which was also frequent
throughout his splendid address and at
it's close the majority were eager for
more of the word pictures of the intelli-
gent and wide awake man, who took his
hearers over the wonderful trip he has
just returned from.
Mr.. Peters was introduced by Mayor
C. w. Wescott, who also took occasion
to speak on the city's and county's posi-
ton in the w. S. S. and Fighting Fourth
drives.
The reading public realized as they left
the hall that they had learned more of
the vital conditions of the world war in
this short address than they could find
for months in the current literature and
newspapers. He realized that he was
speaking to his own loyal American peo-
pie and gave facts and figures of intense
interest that he requested the newspaper
reporters present not to make note of, as
they were not common property.
l. CONGRESSMAN Peters left this country
July 18th, as a member Of the Naval
Affairs Committee of the N ational House
of Representatives, and with party of
13 had the great honor to represent Maine
on this successful trip.
For the comfort of his hearers he gave
reassuring and detailed descriptions of
how the transportation of our troops and
supplies are safeguarded, leaving the i'm
preston that if there is loss of life in
crossing the ocean it is purely from I'M
avoidable accident, as in the case of the
Mt. Vernon. All the routes of the trans
ports are made by one man and the ships,
etc, are run in clock work precision,
allowing the naval department to know
the exact position at all times of the
transports with the American soldiers
and marines. What he learned of the
care, attention, feeding, etc, of our men
over there was also most reassuring
While as nation we dread the ability
of Germanys secret service, Mr.. Peters
says our own secret service is the bright
est and best in the world. Nothing can
be made public in regard to it, but the U.
S. possesses it's influence. He told of the
wonderful work of the Allied Navies in
North Sea and in the English Channel
and predicted that the time will come
when the German submarines will be
obliged to 60 over land to reach the open
sea and then they will have very diff
cult task to do destructive work. as our
methods of defense are now carried on
scientifically,
He spoke of the commissions inter-
view with Lloyd George at the office of
| the British Government, where on two
occasions war had been declared against
America. The prime minister urged
the commission to use its influence IN
/ building less merchant and more war
Ships They could assure him that Amer
ica was building both. Mr.. Peters said
some of the best destroyers over there
were pointed out to him, and he said,
"Where were they buiit2" And the re-
ply came, "In Bath, Maine, United States
of America"
He said our country is doing good work
over there in the flying squadrons; that
the Liberty engine is the best kind in the
world today and experts acknowledge it.
The greater part of current criticism is
German propaganda.
1t was encouraging to see the American
troops as they ''were erinning and having
bully good time" His visit to Gen.
Pershing was described with intense in
terest as he is now Americas beloved
hero The one message this great man
wants taken to his home country is the
necessity of men and more men until the
war is BROUGHT to glorious victory. With
a little hesitation he said he hoped the
war would end year from this fall. The
commission were arrested and taken to
the city hall in small place while on
the way to visit Gen. Pershing. They
depended on a Boston boy 70 explain
that they were Americans and guests of
the British Government, but he faile
them. He said he could ''talk with a girl
all right" but this was different matter.
He spoke of the wonderful work our
men are doing in construction, etc, and
said in one instance of papering and
painting building, it was done by the
marines in three days when the lowest
estimate of native men was given as
three months.
4 He gave full credit to our hospitals,
surgeons, Red Cross, Y. M. C. A. and
Salvation Army and took the occasion to
,,roe all tn do their mart in the coming