The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-12-26
SPOKE TO THE SOLDIERS
IN THE OPEN AIR XMAS

affection. Now the whole people Of
the United States are now waiting to
welcome you home with an acclaim
which probably has never greeted any
other army Because our country is
like this country, we have been so
proud of the stand taken, for which
this war was entered by the United
States"
Knew What Was Expected.
eYou knew what we expected Of
you and you did it. 1 know what you
and the people at home expected of
me; and 1 am happy to say, my fell
low cOuntrymen, that l do not find in
the hearts of great leaders with whom
it is my privilege now to cooperate,
any difference of principle or of funda-
mental purpose. 1t happened that it
was the privilege of America to pro-
sent the chart for peace and now the
process of settlement has been rem
dered comparatively simple by the
fact that all the nations concerned
have accepted that chart and by the
application of these principles the
world will now know that the nations
that fought this war as we'll as the sol
dierS who represented them are ready
to make good, not only in the asser-
tiOn of their own interests but make
good in the establishment of peace
upon the permanent foundation of
right and of justice. Because this is
not war in which the soldiers of the
free nations have Obeyed masters. You
have commanders, but you have no
masters. Your very commanders rep
resent you in representing the nation
of which you constitute SO distin-
guished part. And the kind of peo-
pie and everybody concerned in the
settlement knows that it must be a
peoples peace and that nothing must
be done in the settlement of the issues
as the great achievements of the
armies of the United States and the
allies.
No Retreat.
"It is difficult, very difficult, men, in
any formal speech like this, to show
you my real heart. You men probably
do not realize with what anxious at
tentiOn and care we have followed ev
cry step you have advanced and how
proud we are that every step was in
advance and not in retreat. That ev-
cry time you set your face in any di-
rection you kept your faces in that
direction. A thrill has gone through
| my heart as it has gone through the
heart of every American with almost
every gun that was fired and every
| stroke that was struck in the gallant
| fighting that you have done, and there
| has been only one regret in America
| and that was the regret that every
| France, too. 1t has been a hard thing
| to perform tasks in the United States.
1t has been hard thing to take part
in directing what you did without COM
| ing over and helping you do it. 1t has
| taken a lot of moral courage to stay
/ at home, but we arc proud to back
! you UP everywhere it was possible to
back you up. and now l am happy to
| find what splendid names you have
made for yourselves aInng the civil
| ian population of France as well as
| among your comrades in the armies of
| France, and it is a fine testimony to
you men that these people like you
! and love You and trust you: and the
| finest part Of it all is that you deserve
| their trust
81 feel conrad 'Ghi; with you today
I which is delightful ns ! look down
upon these und' "tIr'i}ed fields and
] think of the terrific #r res through
which you have Q IN as.d realize how
! the quiet of peace, tht tranquility Of
settled hopes have descend d unon US.
and while it is hard f.r away from
home to confident. - ven q Merry
l'Christmas. ! can. t!,'niS, confidently
promise you q i!;3.Dy \ " Year, and
1 can from the bottom Of lay .,"art say
God bless you"
| In speech 1T & reception i@nuere0
him at the Hotel D.. Wiz IT Ehall
mont, he said:
81 feel that | have been peculiarly y
hOnOred in the generous reception vol
| have given me and It is the more de
lightful because it so obviously comes
from the heart and | cannot but be
lieve that it is an instructive response
to the feeling that is in my own breast
because | think that even you wh'
Ifeel contact with our soldiers canno1
but realize the depth and sincerity OF
the feeling of the United Stltes fOl
| France. 1t is an ancient friendship
but it has been renewed and has takCl
on new youth. II is 81 friendship
which is not only tentative but one
based upon communion of nrincipi.
Yanks Feel at Home.
! 'YOu have spoken very generously
and beautifully of the relations whicl
have sprung up between yOurSelvC
and our soldiers That is because
they came not only to associate them
selves with you as the champion OF
liberty, but they came with persona
affections in their hearts for the peo
pie of France and it must have beer
that which you realized. They did no
come as strangers in their thoughts
They brought with them something
that made them feel at home the mo
ment they were at Havre or Brest il
France. SO | am. very much moved
by being thus drawn as they have
been, into your midst and into yOul
| nd yiSh 70 n,aIy