The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1918-12-13

Tells Of Troop Shipments
A year ago we had sent 145,91S men
overseas Since then we have sent
1,95O.513 an average of 162, 542 each
month, the number in fact rising In
May last to 1851. In June to 27S. 760,
In July to 3O7, 1S2, and continuing TO
reach similar figures in August and
September-in August 2S9,5IO and in
September 257,438.
No such movement of troops ever
took place before, across 1900 miles
of sea, followed by adequate equip
ment and supplies. and carried safely
through extraordinary dangers Of at
tack-dangers which were alike
strange and infinitely more difficult to
guard against. In all this movement
only 79S men were lost by enemy at
tacks-630 of whom were upon a
single English transport which was
sunk near the Orkney Islands.
/ need not tell you what lay back
Of this great movement of men and
material. 1t is not invidious to say
that back of 1t lay a supporting or
ganization of the industries of the
country and all its productive activi-
ties more complete, more thorough In
method and effective In results, more
spirited and unanimous in purpose
and effort than any other great bel
lIgerent had ever been able to effect
We profited greatly by the experience
OF the nations which had already been
engaged for nearly three years in the
exigent and exacttGg business. their
proficiency taxed to the utmost. We
were the pupils.
U. S. Learns Quickly.
But we learned quickly and acted
with a promptness and readiness of
cooperation that justify our great
pride that we were able to serve the
world with unparalleled energy and
quick accomplishment.
But 1t is not the physical scale and
executive efficiency of preparation,
supply. equipment and dispatch that
I would dwell upon, but the mettle
and quality Of the officers and men
we sent over and of the sailors who
kept the seas, and the spirit of the
nation that stood behind them.
No soldiers or sailors ever proved
themselves more quickly ready for the
test of battle or acquitted themselves
with more splendid courage and
achievement when put to the test
Those of US who played some part In
directing the great processes by which
the war was pushed irreslstibly for
ward TO the final triumph may now
forget all that and delight our
thoughts with the story of what our
men did.
Proud of U. S. Heroes.
Their officers understood the grim
and exacting task they had undertake
en- and performed with audacity, eff
cheney and unhesltating courage that
touch the story OF convoy and battle
with imperlshable distinction at every
turn, whether the enterprise were great
or small-from their chiefs. Pershing
and Sims down to the youngest lieu
tenant; and their men were worthy of
them-such men as hardly need to be
commanded, and go to their terrible
adventure blithely and with the quick
intelligence of those who know just
what 1t is they would accomplish. l
am proud to be the fellow countryman
of men of such stuff and valor.
Those of us who stayed at home did
our duty; the war could not have been
won or the gallant men who fought it
given their opportunity TO win it other
wise; but for many a long day we shall
think ourselves ''accursed we were not
there and hold our manhoOdS cheap
while any speaks that fought"
with these at st. AIihiel or Thierry.
The memory of those days of triumph
ant battle Will go with these fortunate
men to their graves; and each Will
have his favOrite memory. "Old men
forget; yet all shall be forgot, but he'll
remember with advantages what feats
he did that day.
Why to Be Thankful.
What we all thank God for with
deepest gratitude is that our men went
In force into the line of battle just at
the critical moment when the whole
fate of the world seemed to hang In
the balance and threw their fresh
strength into the ranks of freedom in
time to turn the whole tide and sweep
of the fateful struggle-turn it once
for all, so that thenceforth 1t was back,
back, back for their enemies, always
back, never again forward After that
it was only a scant four months before
the commanders of the central empires
knew themselves beaten; and now
their very empires are in liquidation
And throughout it all how fine the
spirit of the nation was. What unity
of purpose, what untiring zeal What
elevation of purpose ran through all its
splendid display of strength, its untir-
ing accomplishment. i have said that
those of us who stayed at home TO do
the work of organization and supply
will always wish that we had been with
the men whom we sustained by our
labor; but we can never be ashamed.
1t has been an inspiring thing to be
here in the midst of fine men who had
turned aside from every private inter-
est Of their own and devoted the whole
of their trained capacity TO the tasks
that supplied the sinews of the whole
great undertaking The patriotism,
the unSelfishness, the thoroughgoing
devotion and distinguished capacity
that marked their toilsome labors, day
after day. month after month, have
made them fit mates and comrades of
the men in the trenches and on the