The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-12-18
FOUR MINUTE MEN ENJOY
 PRIVILEDCE OF SILENCE
 AND BRIDGEPORT WELCOME
They Visit Factories Hear Ad dresses by Distinguished Sol
 ders Attend Special Pero at POls Given In Their Honor and Decide to Pc rpetuate Their Organization William V. Dee President.

'Never before in the life of any community has so much oratorical ability been pent up in one room," said Justice George W. Wheeler of . this city in opening his short address l at the dinner rendered to the Four | Minute Men of Connecticut last night. | As the expression goes, Justice | Wheeler hit the nail on the head. l Close to 400 Four Minute Men filled | the main restaurant of the Stratfeld, | and the oratorical ability mentioned by Justice Wheeler threatened to break loose at a moments notice. l Only the promise of a special enter tainment at Polls theater later in the evening, held some of the more az gress1ve 15 minute, Four Minute Men in check. Michael J. Flanagan and Bill Steinke, Al LaYery and many others thinking of the numerous oc- casions they had stood in the wings of some stage and waited for the word of the stage manager to go on with their message, squirmed in their chairs, but finally thought discretion the better part of Valor, and remain ed seated.
 The dinner last night, which was the preliminary to the final round of entertainment given the men who had placed before the American pub lie for over a year, the truth of Ger man lies and propaganda, and who had done more than any other body of those not actually engaged in war work, to aid the cause of Democracy, was short and to most of the dele gates sweet.
 After a hearty meal had been serv- ed, former Mayor of Bridgeport Ed ward T. Buckingham, started the graduation exercises" but only a few diplomas were given out last night. The remainder of the gradu- ates will receive theirs by mail. Will liam H.-Ingersoll, national director of Four Minute Men was given the first diploma.
 Benjamin R. Bigelow, one of Bridgeport's most prominent Four Minute Men, was one of those for i tunate enough to receive his dipIo- ma last night. After being pre- sented with the precious document, MT. Bigelow was called upon to let | loose some of that pent up oratorical ability-but it was not four min ute speech that MT. Bigelow deliver l ed. It was a poem, entitled "The Huns" which he had written for the occasion and which was received with rounds of applause and cheers. It was as follows:
 They laid Belgium low By the force of their blow,
 They plundered, they killed, they de-
 spoiled;
 They deported her sons | At the points of their guns
 While the world at the horror re-
 coiled.
 In their bloody advance Through fair northern France Every way, every means, was en-
 ployed
 In a system so vast
 That the world stood aghast
 Till her cities and towns were de. stroyed.
 Their pirate U boats
 Leaped at innocent throats
 Till the ocean itself felt the shame, To slay and to stain To wreck with havoc and pain To crush was her cowardly game. Their money rushed in
 Where their arms failed to win; Sacred treaties were torn into shreds, Yet they called to the Lord
 To add force to their sword
 And send blessings down on their
 heads.
 What ye SOW ye must reap, Though ye pray and ye weep
 And when the Huns have counted
 the cost,
 They may earnestly pray
 Every hour of the day
 Wrong cannot Iive-they are lost. Their honor they stained
 For the fruits that they gained With nothing too cruel or too base, And because of this war
 They'll be known ever more
 As the Huns, as the ostracized race | Justice Wheeler in his short ad- dress urged the Four Minute Men of Connecticut to fight on for the ideals they have preached to the American l that despite the fact that thew ar was over, their power to do good in help ing the peoples of this country to a true realization of the liberty they enjoy and the teaching of American ism was not over.
 A fitting tribute was paid to State Director of Four Minute Men Morris E. filling, by William V. Dee, chair man of the Four Minute Men ot Bridgeport, and Mir filling was pre- sented with a diploma.
 Following the dinner at The Strat- field the delegates in convention here were entertained as guests of MT. s. z l Pol at the Main street theatre where a one-act war playlet, entitled "Ovel ere and Over There" was presented. | was a special production for the con | vention, arranged by William V. Dee and as the hero of thep lay, Private J. J. Davis of this city, wearer of tho Croix de Guerre, scored a decided success. The play was realistic and II support of Private Davis were mem
 bers of the Connecticut State Guard
 Judge A. B. Beers of this city ap peared on the stage and grasping tht
 udHu O1 lIo veteran O1 lAe EuFOpeal
 war, the veteran of the Civil War said
 '"The men of America have met full.
 thew ar's demands
 Judge Beers in continuing his ad
 dress praised the Four Minute Mel
 for the work they have done, and pail
 fitting tribute to the soldiers of Eng
 land, France, Belgium and Italy.
 This was part of tableaux arrang