Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1919-02-27

across the 1ea in mo spirit OF crusad-
ers. and they found Shat. these wsre
strange men. reckless OF danger not
only. but reckless because they SEEM
ed 20 see something, that made that
danger worth while. Men have tes-
titled TO me In Europe that our men
were possessed by something that
they could only call religious fer
vor. They were not like any OF the
other soldiers. They had q vision.
they had dream. and. fighting in the
dream they turned the whole tide of
battle and II never came back.
Tribute Of Humcrist.
One OF our American hamorists
meeting the criticism that American
soldiers we're not trained long enough.
said:
"N takes only half as long to train
an American soldier az any other, be-
cause you only have to train him one
way. and he did only go one way.
and he never came back until he could
do It when he pleased"
And now do you realize that this
confidence we have established
throughout the world imposes "a bur-
den upon us-if you choose to call
1t burden. It is one OF those bur
dens which any nation onght to be
proud to carry. Any man who resists
tho present tides that run In the
world will find himself thrown upon
shore 20 high and barren that II
will seem az IL he had been separated
from his human kind forever.
The Europe that left the other
| day was full OF something that 1t had
never felt fill it's heart so full before.
It was full OF hope. The Europe of
tn esecond year of the war, the Eu.
rope OF the third year OF the war, was
sinking to sort of stubborn desper-
alton. They did not see any great
1 thing to be achieved even when the
war should be won. They hoped
there would be some salvage: they
hoped that they could clear their ter
| ritories OF invading armies: they
hoped they could set up their homes
and start their industries afresh. But
they thought it would simp!- be the
resumption of the old life that Eu-
rope had-led in fear, led in anxiety,
led in constant suspicious watchful-
ness. T. ey never dreamed that it
f, would be a Europe OF settled peace
and of justified hope.
All Peoples Buoyed Up.
And now these ideals have wrought
this new magic. that all the peoples
OF Europe are buoyed up and conn.
dent In the spirit OF hope. because
they believe that we are at the eve
OF a new age in the world whom ma
tfons win understand one another.
when nations will support one anoth.
er in every just cause. when nations
will unite every moral and every ply.
sical strength to see that the right
-Aall prevail.
III America were at this juncture to
fail the world. what would come of
ltE l do not mean any disrespect to
any other great people when I say
that America is the hope of the world.
I and IL she does not justify that hope
the results are unthinkable. Men will
be thrown back upon the bitterness
OF disappointment not only. but the
bitterness OF despair. All nations
Will be set up as hostile camps again !:
the men at the peace conference will
go home with their heads upon their
breasts. knowing that they have fail.
ed1for they we're hidden not to come
home from there until they did some
thing more than sign treaty of
peace.
j Suppose we sign the treaty OF peace
and that 1t is the most satisfactory
treaty OF peace that the confusing ele-
ments OF the modern world will at
ford and go home and think about orr
labors; we will know that we have
left written upon the historic table at
versailles. upon which Vergeness and
Benjamin Franklin wrote their names.
nothing but modern scrap Of paper
No nations united to defend. no great
forces combined to make it good. no
assurance given to the downtrodden
and fearful people OF the world that
they shall be safe. Any man who
thinks that America will take part
in giving the world any such rebuff
and disappointment as that does not
know America
Challenge to Critics.
l invite him to test the sentiments
OF the nation. We set this up to make
men free, and we did not confine our
conception and purpose to America.
and now we will make men free. Ii
We did not do that. the fame of Amer
lea would be gone and all her powers
would be dissipated. She then would
have to keep her power for those mar.
row. selfish, provincial purposes which
seem so dear to some minds that have
no sweep beyond the nearest horizon
| should welcome no sweeter chal
lenge than that. have fighting blood
in me and 1t is sometimes a delight
to let 1t have scope, but IL II is a
challenge on this occasion it will be
] an indulgence. Think OF the picture
think OF the utter blackness that
would fall on the world-America has
failed. America made little essay
at generosity and then withdrew
America said: I'VE are your friends, 81
but it was only for TODAY. not for to.