New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-04-24

world. The National Guard, some of
them from New Britain, are over
there,-you know 1 was in the Ma
tonal Guard several years, and I pre-
sumo some Of you men were too;
some of you probably served in the
Spanish war.
Il was talking with an American
general over there. I said to him,
Who would believe that the National
Guard of Connecticut would ever be
fighting over here against the Ger
mans [ said, If you had told any
body that five years ago Or even when
the boys went to the Mexican border,
you would have been denounced as a
crazy man. He said, Who would
ever have believed that any of this
could come to pass.
well, now, gentlemen, the stu
alton is very much more serious than
we here. three thousand miles away,
realize. We do. not know; we are
like the man who was asked to buy
a Liberty Bond, and wanted to know
what for. He was told, To help sup
por the war He was asked if he
did not know about the war. He
said, Yes, I heard something about
it but did not get any Details We
are o good deal like that; we have
heard about the war but have no de-
tails. Believe me, if you go over
there where every time a door slams
it isn't q door but the bursting Of
a shell, you would begin to get some
Of the details.
The situation is very serious. The
fate of France, the fate of England,
fo ia nd fot 70 Of
is trembling in the balance. 1t all
depends on whether the line on the
Western front bends or breaks. Un-
less We can build ships and airplanes
and guns and send men and every
thing they ned and hurry, we are
beaten. Winning or losing depends
upon hurrying and building ships and
ships and more ships
England and France are looking
to us; without us they are beaten, and
they know it. This is our job, and
we have tackled the biggest job thai
ever was attempted in the history OF
the world. It is case of putting OUT
hand to the pillow and of not looking
back. We must go on or go under.
"And it all takes money. It costs
$156 to equip a soldier to go to
France and then he has to have two
or three more pairs Of shoes a year
and two Or three more rifles, shirts,
socks and undercloths and by the end
of the year an entire new uniform.
Tt costs money to transport him
across and three or four tons of
freight to maintain him and furnish
him with ammunition. Coffee, not an
expensive part of the rations, but 1T
takes nearly 100000 pounds of cof-
fee a month for the troops under
arms. I visited a bakery in France
where they bake 100000 pounds of
bread in a day and that was one Of
five bakeries in that place.
This loan will be a success If we
people realize that by subscribing to
it we are directly protecting our own
business interests, our homes and our
lives.
''It is a question of backing up the
government with a. clear declaration,
that we will give everything needed
to rid the world forever of this ter
rib1e German menace. Any weaken
ing or any slackening on our part is
worth more to the Kaiser than the
greatest victory in the field. And
this: we did not enter this
" ar for any other purpose than self
SAASo@ w
France, to help England, or redeem
Belgium We entered this war for
the preservation of our constitution.
our honor, our independence, our
existence as a nation.
ut is a case. gentlemen. OF lend
ing your money to the government at
a good rate Of interest, on the best
security in the world, or, later paying |
il In indemnity to Germany.
81 appreciate the opportunity OF |
to you men-men and worn- |
en-very much. I see many young |
women here, and the young women |
engaged in our industries is one OF |
the things Of which America should |
be proud.
Now, what we can do Is to lend |
our money and subscribe to the Lib
erty Loan. Any. sacrifice we make
m subscribing is nothing to what the
boys make, who are at the front line
under fire, and ready to give their
ives at any time that they are de-
T. anded.''