Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1919-03-29

meeting OF the Mems club Of Park
church. on Friday evening. Some Of
tie states at present In the Union of
the United States signed The Consti-
tuition believing that they had the
right to withdraw from the Union at
any time. This question was settled
by four years of costly war in the
negative. We want no such question
to arise regarding the league of ma
tons" This was Mr.. Freeman's at
titIde regarding the league after he
had thoroughly outlined the draft of
the league in detail
Preceding Tar. Freeman's address
| there was a short business session OF
the club at which William L. Fletcher
presided Reports were read ana rou-
tine business was Transacted. A
Guartette from the Bass CIcf rendered
several selections. AT the conclu-
sion of Mr.. Freemans address the
club gave him a rising vote Of thanks
and also extended the shIhe courtesy
to the quartette. Refreshments were
served by the committee.
/ MIR. Freeman spoke as follows:
MIR. President, Members of the
Club, and their Friends:
am deeply grateful for your invi-
tation to come to Norwich tonight. I
appreciate this opportunity TO meet
personally the members IF this club,
and to say few words to you upon
the great problem tha- is now con-
fronting our country.
AS your representative in the 65th
congress, when that congress was
called together in extraordinary ses-
sion, with the words Of our president
ringing in our ears and echo1ng in our
hearts, there is one choice that we
cannot make. that we are incapable
of making. we will not choose the path
of submission" your representative,
with knowledge of the situation
abroad, and with keen realization
of the suffering and hardship. and ire
n endous Losses of war. voted for the
resolution of war. We are a peace
| loving nation. We have established
a government of the people. by the
! people, truly democratic government,
1t has been wonderfully successful and
government Of the United States has
done more for the welfare CT its peo-
lie, and more for the enlightenment OF
the world than any Other government
ever established on earth. Cur nation
is rich in agriculture. rich in manu- :
f. cture. rich in the arts and sciences
| rich in learning, rich IL freedom. We
1 have no disputes over any of our
boundary AMI we have no desire fot
tie acquisition or conquest of terri
tory. We had no large standing
amy, our men were all employed in
the arts of peace. the maintenance OF
our navy was in no sense Il drain up
On the treme;1ous resources of our ma.
ton. We had become one OF the lead
Ing nations o. the world. There were
internal troubles in Mexico which hat
caused us some annoyance and loss
cs but the administratio considered
,, that these could be adjusted withou
recourse 10 waS But for three year!
,, q terrible war had been raging II
! Europe. We knew from the begin
ring that it was a battle between au
tocratic nations on the orc side ant
democratic nations on the other, ant
j., finally we realized tina. it was ou
solemn duty to give our aid and sup
port to those natior< who were fight
ing for our ideals. Accordingly OF
the 9Th day Of April, 1917. we declared
.. that state of war existed between
, the United States of America and thu
, Imperial German government, and t.
; the successful prosecution Of that wa
we pledged all that we are. and al
! that we have. How faithful the 65tl
: congress fulfilled that pledge is wei
+ known to all of you. Within a few
! weeks this democratic na5ion ha
adopted the plan of CONSUMPTION, wit
the result that within a year we ha
" nearly two million troops upon the so
, of France. and nearly two million NOR
III training in this country. The re
. suit was inevitable. and On the lit
/ OF last November hostllit:es cease
With defeat of Germany anC. the sign
. Ing of the armiStice
h I have always been attracted NOR
g or less to the dreamer If dreams. A
n young boy I remember reading wit
,, interest and wonder the story write
S by Jules Verne entitled Invent
: Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,
|. and 1 have lived to know that sub
d marines crossed and recroased tn
ocean, and have seen the DeutSchlan
e at Baltimore. and in our own harho
V in New London. l remember as
: hoy reading the dime stories {
Charles Reade and his s-eann horse {
e the prairies. Today motor driven We
iicles are SO numerous and driven S
: rapidly everywhere. anG if we wer
asked to define the difference betwee
8 tn quick and the dead. we might b
tempted to reply, the quick are thos
who get out of the way of automo
lilies, the dead are those who don
, Even in my less than fifty years
have seen develop the telephone an
n electric light. and today the wireless
e and airship are coming into gener:
5, use What wonder is it then that re
= cent events at Paris have recalled |
It my mind, and to the minds of all {
you the lines written by the Pc,
n Tennyson, when the Wa Drum
q Reat No Longer. and the tie Flag
y Are FurIed.'
e In the parliament of man tho Fec
: Grafton of the world"
e We haYe just passed through a
Il awful war-casualties oe the ALI,
$ amount to 20.000,00O of which 5000
COO were deaths-casualtie of o,
: enemies amounted to 100000
y which 100000 were deaths. Billion
= upon billions of money have BET
!. wasted and destroyed. suffering u,
e told has been endured, ard we 6
!. realize that If another war of tn
= kind should break out. that the su
'e feting and hardships would be tel
fclG increased. Representatives
- the great powers have assembled
Paris for the purpose of preparing
treaty of peace. and are roW endea'
oring to orsa nize if possible a leag
Of nations that may make future wa
impossible. On the 18th IF Februa
an agreement OF a league CT natio
was promulgated to the world. and t
pl esident of the United States h
asked this nation to accept it as orr
iGally drafted. I believe this to
the greatest, the most momento
question ever presented to the Unit
4 States of America. and we must re
der a decision upon this question wi
all the intelligence which the tive
! tttth century can command. There
no doubt that there is among t
j American people an ovI, whelmil
j sentiment to enter into compact tn
will prevent war with ell !tS dead