Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-12-03
Continued from Pas. one)

| stood behind them. No soldiers or sail
ors ever proved themselves more quick
ly ready for the test OF battle or &C.
quilted themselves with more splendid
| courage and achievement when put to
the test. Those Of US who played some
part in directing the great processes
by which the war was pushed irresist-
IDLY forward to the final triumph may
now forget all that and delight our
thoughts with the story OF what our
men did. Their officers understood the
| grim and exacting task they had un-
dertaken and performed with audaci-
ty, efficiency and unhesitating courage
that touch the story of convoy and bat
tie with imperishable distinction at ev.
cry turn. whether the enterprise were
| great or small-from their chiefs.
Persh,ng and Sims, down to the young
est lieutenantS: and their men were
worthy of them, such men as hardly
| need to be commanded and go to their
terrible adventure blithely and with the
quicl. intelligence of those who know
just what it is they would accomplish.
| I am proud to be the fellow country
man Of men of such stuff and valour.
Those of us who stayed at home did
our duty; the war could not have been
won or the gallant men who fought it
given the opportunity to win it other
wise; but for many long day we shall
| think ourselves "accursed we were not
there and hQld our manhood cheap
while any speaks that fought" with
those at st. Mihiel or Thierry. The
nrr,N ne -
battle will go with those fortunate men
| to their graves; and each will have his
favorite memory, "old men forget: vet
all shall be forgot, but he'll remember
with advantages what feats he did that
day.
America Turned Tide
I What We all thank God for with deep
est gratitude Is that our men went in
force into the line of battle just at the
| critical moment when the whole fate of
| the world seemed to hang in the bal
ance and threw their fresh strength into
| the ranks of freedom In time to turn
the whole tide and sweep of the fateful
struggle-turn it once for call so that
henceforth 1t was back, back, back for
4
forward! After that it was only a scant
four months before the commanders Of
the Central Empires knew themselves
beaten; and now their very empires are
in liquidation!
And throughout it all. how fine the
spirit Of the nation was: what unity
of purpose, what untiring zeal! What
elevation Of purpose ran through all
it's splendid display of strength, its
untiring accomplishment. have said
that those of us who stayed at home
to do the work of organization and
supply win always wish that we had
been with the men whom we sustained
by our labor; but we can never be
ashamed. 1t has been an inspiring
thing to be here in the midst of fine
men who had turned aside from every
private interest Of their own and de-
voted the whole of their trained ca =,
pacity to the tasks that supplied the
sinews of the whole great undertake
ing!
Untirine Work Of stay.at. Homes
| The patriotism, the unselfishness
the thorough going and distinguished
| capacity that marked their toilsome
labors day after day, month after
month. have made them fit mates and
comrades Of the men in the trenches
and on the sea. And not the men here
in Washington only. They have but
directed the vast achievement.
Throughout innumerable factories,
upon innumerable farms. in the
depths Of coal mines and iron mines,
and copper mines, wherever the stuffs
of industry were to be obtained and
prepared. in the shipyards. on the
railways, at the docks. on the sea. in
every labor that was needed to sus-
tain the battle lines, men have WED
with each other to do their part and
do it well. They can look any man
alarms in the face and say we also
strove to win and gave the best that
was in Us to make fleets and armies
sure Of their triumph.
Women Proved Equals
And what shall we say of the
women-of their instant intelligence.
quickening every task that they
touched their capacity for organi-
cation and cooperation, which gave
their action discipline and enhanced
the effectiveness Of everything they
attempted: their aptitude at tasks to
which they had never before set their
hands; their utter self sacrifice alike
in what they did and what they gave?
Their contribution to the great Result
is beyond appraisal. They have added
q new lustre to the annals OF Ameri,
can womanhOod.
The least tribute we can pay them
is to make them the equals of men
III political rights as they have proved
themselves their equals in every
field OF practical work they have en-
tered. whether for themselves or for
their country. These great days of
completed achievements would be
sadly marred were we to omit that
act Of justice. Besides the immense
practical services they have rendered,
the women Of the country have been
the moving spirits in the systematic
economics by which our people have
voluntarily assisted to supply the
suffering peoples of the world and the
armies upon every front with food
and everything else that we had that
might serve the common cause.
The details Of such a story can
never be fully written. but we carry
them in our hearts and thank God
that we can say that we are kins-
men Of such.
And now we are sure Of the great
triumph for which every sacrifice
was made. 1t has come. come in its