Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-05-31
MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVED
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Continued from Page 10)
trained? Yes. but for only a few
months as against the years Of train
ing Of the seasoned German troops.
Then why did they win? I'll tell
YOU. Germany was fighting to en-
, slave the world. America was fight
ing to make it free. Germany was
fighting for the sake Of conquest.
America was fighting for principles.
In speech few days ago in Au-
susta the speaker said: "I'n never
forget what l heard speaker say
a. great Convention of the League
TO Enforce Peace held in Philadel-
phia about a year ago. This man had
travelled all over our country during
the war and his business vas to
speak to American soldiers in the
Cantonments. He knew what he was
talking about, and he said with a
burning eloquence, which l can hear
again tonight:
Some people will tell you that
it's waste of time to instruct our
soldiers in the ideals for which Amer
lca is fighting, but | say to YOU that
is by far the most practical part of
their equipment. A soldier battling
for a great principle will fight like a
hero. and. if need be. die gladly.
thanking God that his life is ending
in fine and noble service. but the
soldier who is made to fight only for
for loot and pillage and to enslave
other peoples will die cursing God
and his commander
Let no man misunderstood our re-
lation to this crisis We did not go
into this war on account of the loss
of property. enormous and serious as
that was. We were not prompted by
impulses of revenge, hate or avarice.
We do not want one dollar of indem-
nifty for ourselves or one foot Of ter
ritory from any nation on the face of
the earth. We are fighting to guar
antee our rights to exercise free and
absolute sovereignty over our own
land. independent of the dictates or
domination Of any foreign power.
We did not propose to be the vasSal
CT the House of Hohenzollern. We
stand for the principle that every
people on tho face of the earth with
national instincts should be allowed
10 determine its own form of govern
ment and live in peace and safety
under it. This is the fundamental
spirit that governs this Nation in it's
relations with the other nations of the
world. In defense of this spirit we
drew the sword of democracy. We
will WELD that sword with all the
power of the combined resources of
this Nation until we have laid low
and made powerless the accursed
spirit of Prussian militarism. The
atrocities of Germany were designed
to put fear into the heart of the hui
man race: in place of that they have
filled it with fury. They have thrust
the sword in her hand. The only
way to establish an era of permanent
peace is for the sword of democracy
to destroy the spirit of Prussianism
which seeks to crush the world that
it may have domination over it.
Prussianism relies upon might and
recognizes nothing but power. With
power we fought it at any cost until
it was brought to the realization that
our power was greater than it's power
this is the only means within our
grasp to win peace.
We fought the Imperial German
government. to compel it to abandon
a course of action We deemed intol
cradle TO civilized free peoples. To
do less than our utmost to win this
war is to do less than our utmost for
peace. The only hope for Germany is
that we would do less than all we can
to compel enduring peace. She knew
full well that against the United
States of America. fully armed and
resolute on the side of her enemies,
she can not stand.
On the field of Gettysburg was
fought the greatest battle in the his
tory of the human race. In the
American battle line there were boys.
perhaps some of our fathers and
loved ones: they were fighting for
YOU and for me. to make the world
safe for your children and mine
and our children's children.
have tried to indicate this day
teaches us to venerate the memory
OF those that were the Union blue.
1t teaches US something else. The
watchword of today is service
The Mohammedan says the great
philosophy of life is obedience to law.
We confess the virtue of obedience
to law. but we believe that in life
there is more than the virtue of
| obedience to the exact law. When
Jesus walked among men he said,
| Life is more than meat and the
! body is more than raiment' and
there is a declaration of the true
! philosophy of life that gives salts
faction and on which humanity can
rest with solace and comfort do
not deny the satisfaction of appe-
lite. but when our appetites are
gratified we still say life is more
( than meat. l would not deny ele-
gance OF raiment and vet whens the
body is clothed in beautiful raj
ment, still we say that the body is
! more than a rack on which to hang
! fine linen. Let me illustrate: David
! Livingston left the entertainments of
the civilization of England and bu-
lied his life in the wildS of Africa,
among savage people whom he
had to teach a language 10 commune
cate with them.
After spending the years of his life
in, nio1