Rock Island Argus., 1919-10-24
NOTED PRIMATE
THANKS FOR AID
GIVEN BELGIUM
Cardinal Mercier Says He Is Soul
of Nation Coming To Express
Its Gratitude.

anu dWeiIS piIluSs DuL his IdCe III
with a kindly and winsome smile
in happy response to the great
ovation rendered him, Cardinal
Mercier yesterday afternon extend
ed greetings to thousands of peO-
pie, many of them his countrymen,
who had gathered from four cities
and from two states to hear him.
The vast audience gathered
about the site of the new Sacred
Heart church at Thirteenth street
and Seventeenth avenue, Moline,
was reYerently silent for a mo-
ment, then broke into cheers and
applause as he came forward on
the platform. His manner was
quiet, yet forceful, and his words
bore only a slight trace of the ac-
cent of his own language as he
spoke in English, then followed
Us address with a brief word in
Flemish to native Belgians in the
audience.
He was welcomed by the mayors
of the cities, Mayor Skinner pre-
siding, Bishop E. NJ. Dunno, rep
resentative of the Red Cross and
of the people. In response he said:
You are loyal citizens. yet you
do not forget the mother country.
For this I am proud Of you. l was
anxious to come here to thank you
for all you have done for our peo-
pie. We are very poor people
poorer than you may have sup
posed. If we had not received
food, clothing and milk from you,
many mothers and children would
have starved. You should be con-
soled that you have preserved
them from starvation"
Not To Be Praised.
Cardinal MERCER told of having
received many letters from his
compatriots before he left for this
country, asking him to pay a trib-
ute of gratitude to Americans for
their service to Belgium. Il do not
come to be praised" he said, but
as a representative of the soul of
Belgium to thank you"
He spoke of the eageTness with
which he had looked forward, even
before he left Belgium, to his visit
to this community, where he had
so many countTymen, and paid
splendid tribute to the Belgians of
this community. Il knew that 1
had a great many COmpatriots here,
but there are more than 1 sup
posed" he said. He paid a tribute
to Herbert Hoover, as represent
ative of the great middle west.
In a magnificent eulogy of the
conduct of this country in the war,
he said, Your nation ratified the
challenge, you shall not pass.
When those words were spoken, it
was the feeling of your nation also
which was expressed. l knew my
people, and / knew that it was not
for one day. one week, one year, /
but it was through 40 years of suf-
fering and privatiOn that they had
defed them power of oppression.
All of Belgium was worthy of you
as you were worthy of them"
By special request Cardinal Mer-
cier then spoke briefly in the Flem-
ish tongue, expressing his pleas
ure at this meeting with his COM
patriots. and the pride he felt in
their industry and achievements
mere.
Mayor Skinner Speaks.
Mayor c. ?. Skinner, in welCom-
ing Cardinal Mercier to the COM
munity, paid tribute to the nation
which he represented, and to the
industry and loyalty of the Bel
gians of this country. There is
room for more 100 per cent Ameri-
can Belgians," he said.
. -, szpt
the cardinal a reminiscence of
Americas idols, his heroism that
of Washington, his stature and ten
derness that of Lincoln, his de-
termination that of Grant, and his
resolute courage that of Roosevelt. !
Mayor Lee Dougherty welcomed
the cardinal for Davenport. He
said. Words are feeble in the pres
ence Of one whom the whole world
honors, the pride of his nation, |
the distinguished citizen of little |
Belgium, who in the face of death |
and destruction hurled the chal- |
lenge to the foe, You shall not |
pass
Your nation is bleeding and suf- /
fering, but yseur honor still lives. |
III BEhdlL VI lAlG NLttECAlS VI DthNClA~
port, I greet you and extend to you !
a thousand welcomes"
Mayor DOugherty spoke of the |
pride with which Iowa could re-
gard her contributions. in men, |
munitions and industrial products /
to the war for democracy, and re-
ferred to the state as the birth
place of Hoover.
Scott for Rock Island.
City Attorney John X. Scott, rep
resenting the city of Rock Island |
in the absence of Mayor Schriver,
who is in Nebraska on business,
said, THE presence of these thou
sands is an evidence that all men
love loyalty, devotion and heroism.
You. Cardinal MercieT. have per
sonfied them all. When you re-
turn to your country, there will be
a rainbow of love reaching out to
you across the sea from America"
Dr. G. A. Johnson. in behalf of
the people of East Moline. refer
ring to the 25 per cent Belgian
population of his city. said that in
the Belgians of America, demOc-
racy was exemplifed as it was
fought for on the battlefield
Bishop Dunhe. welcoming Cardi-
nal Mercier in behalf of the Peo-
ria diocese. referred to the journey Il