Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-05-31
MEMORIAL DAY IS.
OBSERVED HERE; DR..
W|LLET IS SPEAKER
NOTED CHICAGO EDUCATOR DE.
LINERS PATRIOTIC ADDRESS BE.
FORE LARGE AUDIENCE GATH
Erred AT ARMoRY L.


honor Of the dead who have rendered
pat riotic service 10 the country. The
Heinrich military band played two
selections, which We're enthu3iastieal-
" received and Rev Carl Stackman
offered an invocation, praying for the
soldiers at the front, country and
citizens and the men who have
fought in the past to preserve the
country
Jason F. Richardson, Jr, president
of the Memorial Association. read
Governor Lowden's' proclamation, set
ting aside May 30. for Memorial day
in Illinois, and made short talk
Following the presidents talk. Mi
chael J Hanifen, who for forty years
has been necrOlOgist Of the G. A. r..
read the list OF veterans who have
answered the last call since last Me-
mortal Day, and made short talk,
telling the number of men who en-
listed from La Sale county at the
beginning of the Ciyil war. and of
how the ranks were thinning faster
with each year
The address Of The afternoon was
made by Or Herbert L. Willet, of the
University of Chicago, an orator of
national fame and one who has spoken
in Ottawa on three different occasions
and always takes his audience by
storm His talk yesterday was just
as pleasing ana just as enthusiasts
cally received as were his previous
talks in Ottawa, and the people hear
ing him will be ready To greet and
hear him talk again on his next APP
pearance here. A number OF times
during his address DR. Wiilet was in
teTrnpied BY prolonged applause
The noted Chicago educator com
menced his address ly naming the
rel letter days in the calendar, the
days known as holidays, which are
c0nmemorated either from patriotic
or religious purposes, taking them
one by one and tepng why each day
had been made national holiday and
declared that Memorial Day, The day
for rememberances, memorials. sen
tinents Of patriotism. for love of the
nation, was almost as old as the Am
er can race Itself. and was more
greatly loved by the American people
han ANY national holiday except
Christmas, and that even Christmas
dii not grip the heart like Memorial
Day. ON this day the people of the
nation do not offer sacrifices like the
Greeks in ancient times used to offer
up as fitting memorials, but we strew
flowers on The grave Of our dead sol
diers. to show our appreciation OF
them
He declared America had lived afar
from the struggles Of the world be
ing a peaceful nation rathey than one
Of conquest. and that the moment OF
war had stolen upon the American
people almost unprepared, after a
\whOe life Of peace and good will, fal
away from thoughts of war or con
quest
lie traced the direct influence Of
Frederick The Great and B!smlrk, the
two ideals and heroes Of the German
people. on the great wars of the
world ana compared the difference
be ween these Two men, who We're in
wars entirely for conquest, and to
gain more lands for Germany at any
price, with Washington and Lincoln.
who have been doliZed and reverenc.
ed by the people of the United States,
WHO fought noble wars for humanity
and liberty with no thought of con.
quest.
The American wars were discussed
one by one, showing the influence of
Frederick the Great on the wars and
how he had been the primary cause
OF almost all these wars The Revo.
u'ionary war. he said, was not a war
with England, but war with a very
small fragment of England urged
upon the people of England by a
block headed German ruling the
throne Of England He related the
historic facts Of the war. how the
soldiers who travelled to the thirteen
colonies to fight for England. we're
mereenary German soldiers, who had
Travelled to the states to fight. not
from prompting Of right, but for
reasons Of conquest and personal
gain. The people of England, and
England proper. were. only half IN.
terested in the war, and It would have
been entirely impossible for thirteen
small colonies To fight with. and
whip a nation ~ large as Great Bri
tain. had the English people generally
wished 10 fight with America
He spoke Of the good feeling that
has always existed between the Unit
ed States and Canada. and told how
since the Revolutionary war. there
had never been 4 fortress or soldier
on any part Of the three thousand
miles of borler between the tWo M
tions, declaring II would be impossi
bic for any nation n have ten miles
81 border lanl along German territory