Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-05-30
Presiddnt Wilson
Pays Tribute to
Dead War Heroes

washington, May --trtSiuen' VIZ
sons Memorial Day addgess at Sures-
nes cemetery today. foliows:
mir. Ambassador. Ladies and Cen
tlemen. Fellow Countrymen: No one
with u heart In his breast. no A<,cr-
lean. no lover of humanity can stand
In the presence Of these graves with
out the most profound emotion. These
men who lie here arcAmen Of unique
breed. Their like has not been seen
since the far days OF the Crusades,
Never before have men crossed the
seas to fight for humanity which they
did not deem was part their own. And
when they came. they found comrades
for their courage and their devotion.
They found armies Of liberty already
In the field-men who, tho they had
gone thru three years OF fierce trial,
seemed to be just discovering, not for
a moment losing, the high temper of
the great affair. men seasoned in the
bloody service of liberty. Joining with
these the men Of America gave the
greatest of all gifts, the gift Of life and
the gift of spirit.
1T will always be a treasured MEM
ory on the part Of those who knew and
loved these men that the testimony
that everybody who saw when in action
their unflinching courage, their ardor.
their full consciousness of the high
cause they had come to serve and their
constant vision Of the issue. 1t is de-
lightful to learn from those who saw
these men fight that they had touch
Of the high spirit Of religion. that they
knew they were exhibiting a spirit as
Nh 4x,,; hoe nf
us who know and love America know
they were discovering to the whole
world their spirit and devotion Of the
motherland. 1t was America who
came in the person Of these men and
who will forever be grateful she was so
represented.
But 1t would be no profit to us to
eulogize these ilustrious dead IL we
did not take to heart the lesson they
taught us. They are dead. They have
let US see to it that that cause shall
not be betrayed
1T is our privilege and our high
duty TO consecrate ourselves afresii OH
a day like this for the objects for
which they fought. 1t is not necessary
that I should rehearse to you what
these objects were. These men did not
come across the sea merely to defeat
Germany and her associated powers
in the war. They came to defeat for
ever the things for which the central
powers stood. The sort Of power they
meant to assert In the work, the sell
fish domination which they meant to
establish: and they came, moreover tc
see to it that there should never be
war like this again. 1t Is for us. par
ticularly for us who are civilized, to
use our proper weapons of counsel and
agreement to see to it that there never
Is such a war again. The nation that
should not fling out this common con-
cord of council would betray the hui
man race.
$50 II ie our duty, to maintain the
safeguards to see to it that the moth
ers of America and of France and
England and of Italy and Belgium and
all suffering nations should never he
called upon for this sacrifice again.
This can be done, and it must be done
and it will be done.
''The things these men have LETT us
is the greatest instrument which we
have inst erected in the league OF ma
tfons, The league of nations is the
covenant or government iidt thCoS
men shall not :'aye died In vain.
"You are aware, as l am aware thar
the airs of an older day are beginning
to stir again. that the standards of an
older order are trying to assert them
selves again. There is here and again
an effort to assert in the council OF
nations the old method of bargain
which was the root Of this war, and
any man who counsels these things
advocates a renewal Of the sacrifice
which these men have made. For II
this is not the final battle for right
there will be another that will be final.
Let these gentlemen who suppose that
it is possible for them to accomplish
this return to an order of which we
arc ashamed and which we are ready
to forget realize they can not accom-
plish it. The peoples Of the world are
aware that the peoples OF the world
are in the saddle. Private councils OF
statesmen can not hereafter determine
the destinies Of nations"