The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1918-12-05
A Prize Essay for Peace Day.

as Peace LAY III all Cilc MdssdShuoo'''
High schools. All the pupils in the Som
eryille High school were required to
write, ESSAYS on the theme, the best one
in each class to be read before school
of 2. 500 pupils. Miss Charlotte B. Wads-
worth. a Junior, wrote the following,
which was selected from 300 by the spe-
cial committee. Miss Wadsworth is the
daughter of Mr.. Edward A. Wadsworth
of Belfast and is living with her grand
father, George w. Burkett, while attend
ing the Somerville High school,
Americas Part in the War.
Hundreds of years from now, school
children all over the civilized world will
be carefully memorizing the date April 6,
1917, that date which, to all of US means
and has meant so much. We need not
memorjze it: we have lived it. 1t was very
still in the great hall of Congress on that
sixth of April, 1917 Every available
seat was filled. The galleries were crowd
ed. the quiet was so intense 1T was al
most visible as President Wilson read
those momentous words, declaring war on
Germany.
Every possible effort had been put
forth to keep this nation out OF war, but
it was of no avail, and we cast In our lot
with the Allies, fighting to make the
world "safe for democracy.
Ruthless submarine warfare was the
osteusible reason for our entering the
war. but underlying this reason was the
Thought of what the possible defeat of
the Allies might mean to the world.
Even if there has been no submarine
warfare, surely the terrible cruelties in
flicted upon the people of Belgium by the
Germans served to show the world what
to expect at the hands of Germany. Our
Allies were in an extremely dangerous
position at the time OF Americas en-
trance into the war. Already the Ger
mans had been within twenty miles OF
Paris during the first offensive. Now at
the battle of Verdun, which gave birth to
the famous watChWord OF the french,
els ne passeront pass, the Germans
were checked They did not pass, and
Paris was saved.
Again in the second offensive last
spring the Germans were advancing and
still advancing. Again Paris was threat
ened The French and British were so
weary and worn out with fighting, 1t
seemed as though the enemy would pre-
vail.
Then came Chateau TERRY, often call
ed the Gettysburg of the world war"
On the south side of the river Marine,
that spot so fatal to the Germans, the
Americans were lined up The generals
commands were to "hold the line, but
they did more; they advanced and drove
the enemy entirely from his position.
Such has been the spirit of our troops.
The American password has been, as they
60 "over the top" Iusitania.' The Ger
mans have come to know and fear that
battle cry.
The defeat of the Germans st Chateau
TERRY again saved Paris, but more than
that, it taught the Germans that we were
to be the decisive factor in the world
struggle. Chateau TERRY was the turning
point of the war From that time the
Germans were retreating, retreatlng, until
they were back to the Belgian frontier,
where in 1914, they swarmed over the
border and devastated that neutral coun-
try. Belgium's brave king, Albert, has
again taken possession of his throne and
the wonderful bravery and endurance OF
the Belgians during the terrible struggle
will never be forgotten as long as the
world exists.
All TINS IlIDG AtneIlCd ) lIUOpS Wclc
arriving, disembarking, arriving, dsem-
barking, arriving as though on schedule
time on French soil.
The remarkable system in the carrying
on of our part of the war is model of
efficiency. In the late summer of 1913
there were two million men in France.
These were equipped, trained, and sent
"across" in one year and six months;
surely a remark bic record for nation
so entirely unpIepared for war as America
in the spring of 1917. Besides all this,
our Allies have been supplied with food,
munitions and shipbullding has been
big factor in winning the war.
Germany, meanwhile, had been grow
ing weaker and weaker RevoltS IN the
empire itself and food conditions, not to
mention the decreasing man power, made
the officials of Germany realize that
peace must be forthcoming and that it
must be peace without victory" for
them.
Bulgaria soon laid down her arms, real
iZing that to fight was useless. Soon
Turkey followed, and then Austria
Hungary. This was the final blow to
Germany.
Knowing herself defeated with her AL
lies, what could she hope to do without
them?
On the 9th day of November, 1918, Ger
many asked for an armistice, and then
followed one of the most dramatic scenes
in all history. Picture it for moment
1t is the autumn of 1870. An open
carriage passes along the road to Sedan.
In it sits the French emperor, worn
with pain and suffering He goes to sur
render his country to the Prussian king.
Followed by his staff, he enters the pres
ence of the Prussian ruler, who haughtily
remains seated "Sire, my sword" said
the French emperor, as he drew the blade
and presented the hilt. II take it.,
arrogantly replied the Prussian king.
The hauteur of that answer, the humi-
lation of the whole scene, burned deep
into the very soul of one of the young
French officers of the emperor's staff
He never forgot.
1t is November IL, 1918.
Not far from Sedan, three motor cars,
bearing the white flag of truce, advance
to the cross roads. They contain the
German delegation asking for peace.
Received by the French officers of the
staff, they are taken into the presence of
small, silver-haired men, who tense
and quiet, asks: "Your wish, gentlemen"
"We have come, Monsieur" said the
German spokesman, 'to arrange an ar
mistice."
And The terms are read to them bv this