Republican farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1810-1920, 1918-05-24
5000 WELCOME I
ROOSEVELT AT
STATE ARMORY
Assistant Secretary of Navy
Thrills Audience With His
Patriotic Speech.
IN CAPITOL DURING
PAST FIVE YEARS
W. D. Mckenzie Reviews
War Situation and Tells
Of German Conspiracy.
Tuesday, May 81

Nearly 5000 persons gathered at
the State Armory last evening to listen
to the remarks by the assistant sec
rotary of the navy, Franklin D.
DR.. William Douglas Mac
Kenzie and Clifford B. Wilson, who
was chairman of the meeting, which
was arranged by the Bridgeport War
Bureau. The Liberty Chorus, com
posed of so male voices rendered sew
era1 patriotic numbers, while the
Wheeler & Wilson band gave many
selections during the long wait be-
fore the meeting and between the
talks.
The guests of honor, who previous
to the .Armory meeting, were in at
tendance at the Red Cross dinner
at the Stratfield hotel, were escorted
to the armory by the Naval unit az
Black Rock, under Captain H. L.
Dyer. Fully. 1900 persons were on
the outside of the hotel lined up on
either side of the entrance and di-
rectly. across the street. from the en-
trance to get a. glimpse of the assis-
tant secretary. Loud cheers arose
when he appeared at the. door ready
to take the auto awaiting. to convey
him to the rally.
Chairman Walter B. Lashar; of tho
Citizens Committee, during the pres.
ent drive opened the meeting and
after. telling a bit of the. history d
the local chapter of the Red Cross
excused himself as he was scheduled
- 20
meeting in the Stratfeld and ther
introduced the permanent chairma.
of the meeting, Mayor Clifford B
Wilson. -
After a few remarks by Mayor viii
son, the assistant secretary of Thu
navy was introduced and in part h,
said
ct have been in Washington f1vt
years in one of the departments O
the machine called the United State
government. 1 can see why the Rel
Cross is being conducted by that biz
machine because it is the same re
lationship existing between the indi
vidual. Men go into the trenche
under officers who look out for thei
welfare and these officers are neces
sary to make that great fighting ma
all home connection from the mel
such as writing letters home and tn
like there will be no officer in tn
| world who could DIDO anything will
the men. There is a certain thin
an officer cannot touch and that
the spirit of the home. 1t is some
thing little more human than cal
be obtained in any other than tn
semi-official organization, sustaine
| by the free gifts of the people.
This drive is going to be splen
did success. Every community is go
ing to repeat what it has done befor
and it is going to do more. We no
only want the dollar in this effort bu
we want the individual behind tn
dollar and that only will make thi
drive the greatest of successes. Their
is no question now but the Who'll
country is aflame. In the last Libert
loan two states containing the larges
population of people with Germa
birth in this country gave surprisin
amount of their money in the loan.
William Douglas Mackenzie, tn
last speaker on the program, reviews
the war and told of the Germa
heads conspiring to start the worl
conflict by setting the time at a secre
conference in Potsdam on July |
1914. He also said all the atrocitie
carried out by the German soldier
and officers had been planned for
advance. He then urged the aud
fences that when they subscribe t
give a little for the boys over Their
who are giving everything they wi
win victory for US on the righteous
ness of God.