The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-07-19

Germans were 10 De always IOIceu
back, back, were never to thrust sue
cessfdlly forward again. And yet
there was no confident hope.
Anxious men and women. leading
spirits of France, attended the cele-
bration of the Fourth of July last year
In Paris out of generous courtesy
with no heart for festivity. little zest
of hope. But they came away with
something new at their hearts; they
have themselves told us so.
Tells of Feeling Men Created
The mere sight of our men-of their
vigor. of the confidence that showed
itself in every movement of their stall
wart figures and every turn of their
swinging march, in their steady com
pretending eyes and easy discipline.
In the indomitable air that added
spirit to everything they did-made
everyone who saw them that memo
rable day realize that something had
happened that was much more than a
mere incident in the fighting, some
thing very different from the mere ar
rival of fresh troops.
A great moral force had flung itself
into the struggle. The fine physical
force of those spirited men spoke of
something more than bodily vigor.
They carried the great ideals of 4
free people at their hearts and with
that vision were unconquerable. Their
very presence brought reinsurance
their fighting made victory certain.
They were recognized as crusaders.
and as their thousands swelled to mil
lions their strength was seen to mean
salvation. And they were fit men to
carry such hope and make good the
assurance it forecast. Finer men never
went into battle; and their officers
were worthy of them.
Comrades in Great Cause.
This is not the occasion upon which
to utter eulogy of the armies Amer
lea sent to France, but perhaps since ]
am speaking of their mission, I may
, speak also of the pride I shared with
every American who saw or dealt with
them there. They were the sort OF
men America would wish to be repre-
sented by, the sort of men every Amer
| lean would wish to claim as fellow
countrymen and comrades In a great
cause.
They were terrible in battle, and
gentle and helpful out of 1t. remember
ing the mothers and the sisters, the
wives and the little children at home
They were free men under arms, moi
| forgetting their ideals of duty In the
midst of tasks of violence. I am proud
| to have had the privilege Of being as
ISOLATED with them and of calling my
/ self their leader.
Duty to Quiet Fears of World.
And the compulsion of what they
stood for was upon us who represent
ed America at the peace table. It was
our duty to see to it that every de
cision we took part in contributed, Sc
! far as we were able to influence it, tC
/ quiet the fears and realize the. ,hAnpfss
Of the peoples who had been living In
that shadow, the nations that had
come by our assistance to their free
DOM 1t was our duty to do every
thing that it was within our power tc
do to make the triumph of fl eedom
and of right lasting triumph In the
assurance of which men might every
where live without fear.
Old entanglements of every kind
stood in the way-promises which gov
ernments had made to one another In
the days when might and right were
confused and the power of the victor
was without restraint. Engagements
which contemplated any disposition!
Of territory, any extensions of soy
ereignty that might seem to be to thu
interest of those who had the power
to insist upon them had been entered
into without thought of what the peo
plies concerned might wish or prof
by; and these could not always b,
hOnorably brushed aside. 1t was no
easy to graft the new order of idea
on the old, and some of the fruits o
the grating may, I fear, for time
be bitter.
Thrust Upon Conference.