The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-05-22

gentlemen recently say we must get
100000 men ready. Why limit it to
5,0OO.OO0?
Il have asked the congress of the
United States to name no limit be-
cause the congress intends 1 am sure
az we all intend, that every ship that
can carry men or supplies shall go
laden upon every voyage with every
man and every supply she can carry.
And. we are not to be diverted
from the grim purpose of winning the
war by any insincere approaches up
on the subject of peace. l can say
with a clear conscience that 1 have
tested those intimations and have
found them insincere. 1 now recog-
nize them for what they are, an op-
portunity to have free hand particu-
larly in the East to carry out purposes
or conquest and exploitation.
Every. proposal with regard to
concession in the West, involves a
reservation with regard to the East.
Now. so far as 1 am concerned, / in
tend to stand by Russia as we'll as
France"
A voice from the audience inter-
rupted with: God bless YOU"
THE helpless and the friendless are
the very ones that need friends and
succor; and II any man in Germany
thinks we are going to sacrifice any
body for our own sake, tell them
now they are mistoken.
For the glory of this war. my fell
low citizens, In SD far as we are con-
cerned. Is that it Is. perhaps, for the
first time In history, an unselfish war.
| could not be proud to fight for sell
fish purpose. but / can be proud to
fight for mankind. II they wish peace
let them come forward through ac-
credited representatives and lay their
terms on the table. We have laid ours
and they know what they are.
But behind all this grim purpose,
my friends. lies the opportunity to
demonstrate not only force which will
be demonstrated to the utmost, but
the opportunity to demonstrate char
acter and it is that opportunity that
we have most conspicuously in the
work of the Red Cross.
Have you formed picture in
your imagination Of what this war is
doing for us ana for the world? In
my own mind am convinced that
not 100 years of peace could have
knitted this nation together as the
single year OF war has knitted it to-
gether, and better even than that. ii
possible. it is knitting the world to-
gether.
Look at the picture. In the center
OF the scene. four nations engaged
against the world. and at every point
OF vantage, showing that they are
seeking selfish ACKNOWLEDGEMENT; and
against them. 90 governments repre-
senting the greater part of the popu-
lation of the world drawn together
into new sense of community of in
terest, new sense of community of
purpose. new sense Of unity of life.
THE secretary OF war told me an
interesting incident the other day. He
said when he was in Italy a member
of the Italian government was ex-
planning to him the many reasons why
Italy felt near to the Unied States
IF you want to try an interesting
experiment go up to any one of these
troop trains and ask i'm English how
many of them have been in America
and see what happens.
He tried the experiment. He went
up to troop train and he said: How
many Of you boys have been in Amer
: lea" and he said 1t seemed to him as
J If half Of them sprang up Me from
} San Francisco; me from New York.
all over There was part of the hea
OF America In the Italian army. Peo-
pie who had been knitted together by
association in the United States. Peo-
pie who had lived among us were
lighting for their native Italy.
Friendship is the element that will
ever hold the world together. And the
Red Cross while people are suffering
the terror and deprivations of this
war is going to he one Of the greatest
'nstrumentalities of friendship the
world ever knew.
My friends. a great day OF duty
has come. and duty finds many n soul
as no kind of work can ever find it.