Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1919-07-24
words" Colonel Minor said.

Then he told something. when we
got to Calais we were told by the
British that we werc too late" he said,
81 heard so much of that talk that
told one of the British generals was
going to make report on it and asked
to be taken away from that sector"
This Britisher turned pale, Colonel
Minor declared, and so far as the
American fighting force in that vicin-
ity was concerned, there was no more
talk of making the best possible peace
terms with victorious Germany.
But Colonel Minor was not. willing
to claim the victory for the armed
men. He ascribed the glory to the
men and women at home, No matter
low strict was the censorship about
the German army, the news got out
in spite of the strictest prohibitions.
And the people at home saw sights
they had never seen. There was the
evidence of unlimited resources in
men and money and these which were
furnished from home made the kaiser
quit when he might have fought on
for months.
Colonel Minor made nothing Of a
partisan appeal for the league Of ma
tions. but he declared the country
could not justify itself in asking quer-
ulously whether our President was
doing the constitutional thing in leav-
ing the bounds of the country to par
ticipate in world problems. 1t was
necessary, Colonel Minor saw it. Many
precedents have been smashed. The
Job is not yet finished, but he had
faith in North Carolina. and its. power
to adjust itself to this great new world
into which the war led the nation.
Governor Beckett was introduced by
Walter L. Parsons of Rockingham.
The crowd by this time had become
immense and the babies had opened
up. Bickett's voice had been roughly
handled. He could scarcely speak
when he began.
-"Pitiful is the poverty of language
in the presence of battles, and
wounds, and graves, he said, con-
Tossing his embarrassment in the COM
panionship of the great soldiers.
"The boys have brought back a
rescued and revitalized self-respect,"
he said, touching the events leading
up to the war. 1.-THE emperor of Ger
many made the most solemn promise
to respect the rules Of civilized war
fare" he said, "the very while he was
playing for time to hatch out more
serpents of the sea. Had we not gone
into this war as nation we should
have been forever the mark for inter
} national contempt. Before the war
every principality felt it part of its
, national duty to growl at the United
, the country who does not thrill when
he says he is an American citizen
And the conversion Of this interna
: tional contempt into worldwide re-
, spect and admiration is worth all that
the war cost"
, He then whispered that he, too, was
hoarse. He knew it and would not
hide it. But he recalled that he told
the soldiers prophetically two years
, ago that 80 per cent of them would
come back. Their corporeal presence
was the splendid fulillment of his
J faith. He promised the boys, too, thai
; he would give each piece of pie and
} the sweetest girl in the world. Both
, pie and girl were there. He wonder
J ed if Solomon would not have pro
tested had he been present and limit
, ed to 700 selections from the excess
: of femininity.
[ Beckett was getting his CROWD
r amused, but the voice refused to func
) ton. He had gone far enough in the
. array of war benefits which have
: come to the country to list nationa
respect as chief among them. He
) was getting hoarser. Seeing platoon
: or two of negro troops he looked ovel
i. the amphitheater and said the kaiser
r cash and cunning combined could no
= tempt one negro soldier. The GROVE
6 cheered that Justify. The blacl
). boys themselves received the tribute
e silently.
$ He had gone far enough to hint tina
Il the league of nations is an expression
d c. the universal conscience on tn
i question of war when he quit. TIT
i speech that he would have made Of
the league is yet to be delivered. Tn
h voice failed and. waving the crowd t.
r the tables, he dismissed it in time 7
Il get the dinner. Then came terrifi
rain.
l. The airplane did not come but be
r. tween showers Rockingham saw
e through.