Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-07-16


non, or remaining on this side the waters in
the various camps. preparing and 60 a man
hoping. yes and praying that they might be
called TO face the hated Hun the field of
battle; and yet again with all these the great
body of American citizens here gathered, the
largest in number this city has ever seen,
whose heroic and accomplishing actions in
the gifts Of money and time, and food and
sons and daughters stood as the great bull
wark that made the mighty buffer for all the
soldiers who went forth.
TIC all these | address my remarks this glo-
rious Fourth Of July. II has been a mighty
unity OF effort. every man and woman feeling
the great responsibility and all with hands
united and hearts beating in unison putting
tune and misfortune, through the sunshine of
victory or the rains OF defeat, never for
moment easing up on their allotted work. but
night and day striving that democracy might
gain the asccndency autoeraey for all
ages 20 come.
This unity Of effort has presented itAelf %
my mind ~ a wheel. every part Of which 49,
its place and part in the functionine Of tiiE
whole. The wheel reyoiyed on the axle Of
American history. The past of our country
has made for rigid and stable citizenry,
capable Of supporting the nation when a great
crisis should rOrae. II was this feeling Of pride
IN our foisiathsrs, and their deeds; Il was
this example Gf the soldiers of other wars
il was the knowledge of the righteousness that
has ever heen uppermost in our history that
has constituted the axle which the wheel
Of the conflict revoived. On this axle revolyed
ing that the world today recognizes the
deciding factor of the war. The hub was the
mass OF civilians who at the moment Of the
declaration Of war threw all former differences
TO the winds and with united voice shout
ed till IL was heard in Berlin, autoeracy is
doomed the face of the earth.
Then again, as in former days. was the
world privileged TO see the. sublime spectacle
Of sacrifice. You Of Vernon county gave In
unstinted manner your sons and daughters,
your husbands and fathers, your wealth and
your time, your food and yaur industries
Your liberty loans the marvel Of the
world money flowed from your pockets like
water from a gushing spring you uncOmplian-
ingly ate your barley bread whatever that is.
have never had TO eat IL. You stinted on
sugar, my sugar bowl always full. Your
spirit Of sacrifice gave each of us boys white
bread. eighteen ounces n day. good meat and
fresh, pound day, pound and q quarter
of potatoes and all other components necessary
and more than necessary, TO make strong men
Never in all the worlds history was a wheel
constructed with stronger hub. And from
this you sent out hundreds of spokes. each one
ending in a tire that felt immediate contact
Of the enemy To eI 1merate all the spokes
Of this wheel would be impossible. There were
the various spokes Of the welfare work. One
incident alone will give him to their doings.
Al the battle of Chateau Thierry the Field
Hospitals Of the 32nd Division were situated
In the heart Of the city itself for time, one
hospital functioning in partly wrecked school
house and another under elumD Of trees in
what once a small park. IL Tained in
cessantly and the grass In the park soon gave
way TO sea OF mud. The hospitals were
hardly set up till the wounded and Rassed be-
gan 10 arrive At time counted twenty
three ambulances in a string waiting 10 I'M
load their burden Of pain The equipment Of
medical supplies carried By the hospitals and
sufficient In normal times soon became ex-
hausted. The situation getting desperate.
II was here that the Red Cross stepped In and
making a nonstop run 10 Paris, brought up
among other necessities seven three-ton truck
loads Of the bandages ard sponEes and cotton
that the hands of the gentle women Of Amer
lea had made. And this is hut an incident.
Then there the spokes Of your Liberty
leans, Of your Z. N. &. A. drives. Of your Sal
ystion Army dOughnuts, of yoer business men
giving their complete time to the government
AZ 81 90 per year, Of your muuition factories
working p hours day. of ye1r force Of la
borers on canioHnents. Of your ship builders
and other manufacturers. There were the
spukes Of your farmers working harder than
ever not for gain. S-f that the armies Of the
Allies might be iv5. There we've the student
bodies Of young men cuder aye tcr he army
ana yet ia college preparing for the time when
they should be Old enough 10 80 in The regular
force.
These and hundreds If luther spokcs held in
firm grasp the tire of that gigantic wheel
The reason the American soldier pct up such
good scrap WAS the strength and stability OF
the forces back 81 the fighting man. Now The
tire ef this heel waE made up ~ two eie-
ments, on ore side the sea forces Who
manned the ships carrying the two million
and more soldiers, the sailors Whe ever kept
EiWiiaUf watch over the ocean lanes ana Win
trained eyes and tense nerves out matching
the harbaruus submarine warfare.
And now before me are gathered and t0ta,-
are receiving the pIa1dits Of their fellOwmer
the soldiers that stood at the very perimeter OF
this complex wheel Many Of you It's true
never got beyond our home shores. but your
hearts were over there, and it's my JOY to
count you az part Of the tire. The Kaiser
knew just how many Of you there we're and
knew further that you would be across
and II was one Of the deciding factors in max
ing him throw up The sponge Then here are
the men who pushed that tire beyond the
trenches and duR0uts of northern France;
whose names will ever be linked with Alsaee
Chateau Thierry. and swoissons. and JuyiR
ny, and Fismes and the ArRonne and the
Meuse. those who know the sound Of shrapnei
and the hiss Of the machine gun bullet.
Who won the war; Did | have time
would speak the part Allies had 10 the con-
hict Bat our part Of the wen by the
united effort Of a patriotic Americanism eui-
mHating in the dOughboy. filed with his en-
thHsiasm and energy Frenehman told me
AZ Chateau Thierry that the American spirit
would settle the question. ! asked him
Why? He said. / saw a douRhbOy going over
the top eating bread and jam, and was
that jam eating boy multiplied a million times
with his gun IN one hand and with nerve
enough TO keep his health in good condition
BY eating whsn he hungry. that won this
war.