The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-11-13
AMERICAN KNIGHTHOOD
by OTTO II. KAHN

| American lighting men have made
| good everywhere from Cantignv t.
~eGJlH ElGgN mazda ts4As+a lf,ss Ia nd 4f
/ h" sf'sf57 tfttd III tbs. air. worthy corn.
/ radios ~ the war-sn9@Oucd heroes OF
! France and Great Britain. worthy de.
/ tenders of American honor, eager ar.
! ttsians IT American glory. When foi
/ the first time the American army went
! into action as a separate unit under
/ the direct command of General Perish
! ing. Marshal roeh allotted them ter
days for the accompl ishment of the
| task Set ter them. /. o, the election OF
/ the German army from the ST. Mihie
salient, Thcy did It in thirty hours
and made a complete and perfect lnt
of It
! ! have had the privilege of seeine
/ those splendid boys OF ours in al
situations and circumstances, from
( their camps in America TO the front
/ in t'rance-~tho boys ana their EQUALLY
splendid leaders. The sacrc1 inspira-
! tt"a Of what / have thus seen will
stay with me TO nay last day. / confess
! ] md 1t hara to speak to them with.
/ out Il catch in my throat and mois;-
! ture in my eyes. see them before me
strong. ardent; keen and quick witted
I Kindly ana clean ana modest and freq
from bpasti4g, good -numored and
good natured, willingly subm issive tC
unaccustonled discipline: uncomp plain
irgly enduring all Planners of hard
ships and disComforts. utterly con
temptuous of danger. daring to fault
holding life cheap for the honor and
glory of America. What true Ameri-
can can think Of them or picture them
without having his heart overflow
with grateful and anectionate pride ?
AS ! observed our army our there, -
felt that in them in the mass OF
them, representing as they do all
America, there had returned the spirit
of knlghthcod. / measure my words.
am not exaEgorating. IT | had 10
tnd one single word with which to
charaCteriHe' our boys. I SHOULD select
the adjective "kpightly"
\ French officer who commanded
a body of French troops fighting
tiorcely and almost hopolessly in Bel
leau wood near Chateau Thierry.
tsince then officially designated by
the French as the Wood of the Mar
inc Rrgade), told me that when they
had arrived almost Vt the point OF to-
tai exhaustion, on the Attn or 9Th Of
June suddenly the Americans appear
ed rushing to the rescue. one OF their
officers hurried mp To him salnted and
said in oNecrably pronounced French
just six words. "Vous~-fatigues, vous
--partir, notre job. You-~tired, you
get away. our Job"
And right nobly did they do their
job. Need / ask whether we shall do
ours?
The Job now before us is to raise
the needed funds to enable the or
Plantations included in the United
War Work Caunaigu TO do sheirs No
one who has not had occasions to see
our army over ther~, can fully realize
how much of comfort. Of cheer Of
home feeling these organizations are
bringing to our boys. For these boys
with all their knightly virtues are very
human They are healthy young ami
mails with strong anDetitcs for food
and for recreation. They viii attack
a dish OF american ice cream or a
hot drink with zest inferior only to
that with which they attack Il Ger
man machine gun nest They will
crowd into an entertainment hut, a
i'-r-ture room WITH an eagerness COM
para bic TO that with which they storm
enemy positions. And they have an
Intense and touching longing for
home.
The feeling OF the long distance
separating them from home is the one
hardest TO get accustomed and resign