Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-09
YANKEE TROOPS
INSPIRE HOPEN
GREAT BRITAIN
Mines Correspondent Views
Coming as Great Event
in World History

SSzzson.-'I had the good fortune
N station on one of our main rail-
wsys day or two ago to see por-
ton of those American legions VINO
are now rushing across the Atlanuc
to our aid, and it may be worth
while to record the feeling they
sroused in one who, as it happened
saw them for the first time" writes
: correspondent to the Times. IT
1sls," he continued, "a striking ana
snheartening sight. Here were these
Rs-ave fellows, whose average age
semed to be about 20. men IRON
Mew Jersey, from Tennessee anu
S'exas, beyond the Mississippis roll
g flood. from California and the
WNcific seaboard, who had Travelled
,hany thousands of miles by lano
and sea from their far-distant homes
which some would never see
again-full of vigor and elan' mus
cular and we'll set up, alert ana IN
telligent, like a band OF hardy atn
letes, eager only to reacn Lne neto
of battle in Flanders or IN rance'
AS material for powertui artiy,
thew seemed to lack nothing. Iney
that brought them across the Atlan-
tic within a few hours; but no rest
no nause; they seemed to gruose
every moment that delayed them
from the great task on which tnelr
hearts were set. Seventeen tralhe'
Containing 500 or 700 men apiece
were to pass at stated intervals our
ing the day and night; and TINS was
cnly a portion of those VINO hao
rived. We ought, said one OF tne
gallant fellows, to have peen hene
two years ago; but here we are n.y.,
and thousands more are following
MS we mean business, said an
other: we are out to win one 1eit
one was standing in the presence Oh
one of the great achievements OIL
history. Xerxes is renowned oe-
cause he led his Persian horaes
across the Hellespont to the ATTACK
of Greece.
Hannibal is handed down to fame
because he led his Carthaslnlan
levies across the heights OF Mouns
Cents, and reached the gates OF
Rome. Caesar himself is held 10
lave done great things when ne IN
vaded the shores of inhospitaole
Eritain. hut what were these things
to the transport of millions of men,
first long distances by land, ana
then 900 miles across the seVerlng
ocean. in spite of submarines, to be
trained and fitted for the great en-
counter? AS one of the men from
Texas said, who was loud in ms
admiration of our green fields ana
refreshing showers and well-lalo
trees, Three years ago 1t would nave
seemed impossible that this could
happen. We had no army, no
thought of war, least of all a EURO
pean war II is indeed colossal
achievement, and the spirit in which
they are undertaking it is as great
as is the deed. They have come
with no selfish aim or object; not
for them the dream of annexing this
or that; they are come to fight Tor
a great ideal, to battle for the peace
and freedom of the world. and as
one gazed at their eager faces one
felt that America had gained ner
soul, and was showing by her exam
Pile, how souls are won. The age or
chivalry, after all, is not passed, and
here were men all glowing with a
fine emotion. engaged in great en-
prise as striking as, and far more
useful than, that of the old Cru
saders 500 years ago. Yes, it was
indeed a striking sight-not a
drunken man to be seen-and as
they filed down the platform to re-
seive the passing benediction of a
sandwich and a cup of coffee. one
could not help wishing that the Kali
ser could be there, and there would
be no more of his cheap speers at
the forces of America In the face
of such sight one could not doubt
on which side victory would incline.
When the Archbishop of York en-
tered on his mission to the United
States a short time ago. he chose as
the text of his first sermon" And
they beckoned to their partners in
the other ship that they should come
and help them, and they came"
Yes, they came, and they are coming
brethren now for ever, in
brotherhood whose ties are sealed
and ratified by common efforts for a
common end.