Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-11-16
Armistice Dag and Its
Meaning

anniversary OF the dTlnlStlC6 with
Germany. will you permit me to say
a few words relative to the attitude
of some of our people toward that
great event?
Let it be remembered, in the first
place, that had not the armistice
been signed, a major operation
Metz as the final objective, which
with American divisions. The
Eighty-eighth division was concen-
trated between Toul and Commercy
with the division headquarters at
Lagney, point about 35 miles south
and a little west Of Metz. On our
right and left. and slightly in ad-
vance, were other American divi-
sions.
Less than half way to Metz was
the Pant-a- Mousson hill, our first
objective. What would have been
our losses up to the time of the rush
for the objective is a matter of idle
speculation, but a knowledge Of the
topography of the hill itself must
lead us all to a conclusion that a
charge up its incline, unrelieved by
any kind of natural protection,
with It's crest held and firmly in
trenched, would have brought about
one of the most bloody slaughters
of the world war. Charge after
charge would have been made, with
unspeakable slaughter of good
American manhood, before the en-
emy had been compelled to retire.
On this very hill, thousands of men
from this middle western country
would have made the supreme sacri-
flee. since two infantry regiments
of the Eighty-eig had been Sc
lected for the shock, and they were
made up of men mainly from this
section Few would have returned
Not only those, but thousands more
would have met a like fate. Be
yond this objective was a distance
of perhaps IS miles to the city or
Metz. The country was COMPARE
lively open. Over this expance the
chances are few men would have
been lost, but again in the envelop-
ing movement around Metz, scores
and thousands Of lives would have
been sacrificed, not to speak OF the
losses of the days of fighting before
the strong Notifications crumbled,
OF her occupants were starved lnto
submission. I do not think II TOO
mech to say that in this and OPERA
tions In other sectors. the loss OF
life of American soldiers would have
eoualed the number now on the ron
of American dead.
The terms of the armist1ce were
promulgated by our allied high com,
mand, and all its terms were acceoeu
to. the terms of the peace t-eaty
were dictated by our peace commas
sion and were signed by the German
Observation-Disclosures. without the chatg-
ing of a single word; Germany mas
maid the first installment or ner
debt; she has destroyed her 1leet,
she has demobilized her army; sne
has set up a government, the IoLth
Of which is In conformity with the
dictates Of our accredited represen,,
tatjyes. In fact, she has done all
that has been asked of her. what
are these things she mas Done eA-
cept a complete, unequlVocai anu
reyocable admission to. and pelore
the world that she is completely de-
feated and at the mercy OF us ana
our allies? Can General Harries, or
anyone else, go before the mothers
NJ the bows in olive drab and tell
them that it was the duty of them
to sacrifice their boys lives to peat
hruise. mangle and destroy the men
of a country, who, by her acts, has
so eloouently and forcibly admitted
complete defeat?
If we have not, according 10
humane principles, completed our
work in the war with Germany on
the battle fields, then it is our duty
now that we see it, to don the
uniforms, shoulder the guns, and go
out and complete the task. we
have either done our duty. or we
have not. II we have not, we should,
regardless of the cost. l venture
the assertion that there is not man,
he he general or humble citizen, VINO
would say that justice or humanity
dictates such measures. He VINO pc
lives with General Harries is bound
by the reason and the logic or ms
belief to say that the United states
of America Is in duty bound to cali
her boys back into the service ana
send them again across the seas 20
complete the task they left unfin-
ished over there.
Who is the more capable or know
ing whether the war came 10
timely and proper end. Marshai
Foch, Marshal Haig and General
Pershing, who We're over there ana
saw and participated in it all or
General Harries, who went to Gerllh
after the fighting was over, and Mr..
IRE. who was, for time, chairman
of the Second District Exemption
board of the city of Omaha, and
later became one of Omaha's city
commissioners?
How many men who did their bit
anywhere in the threaters of opera
ton arc there who will say that the
war did not come to an end timely
and auspiciously for us all? Not
many, you may be sure. And the
men know whereof they speak. They
met Fritz and they know, and they
know that he knows, he is hopelesslv
defeated, and all the world knows he
is defeated. / confess [ am unable
to follow the reasoning of man. or
set of men, who want to continue a
war which has been won. and every
body and every nation in the, world
knows and admits the truth of IT,
even to the enemy.
JOHN w. YEAGER,
IN THE BEST OF HUMOR.