The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1919-04-03


In a speech that fairly rams with
patriotism and that was filled with
the highest praise for the achieve
ments Of the American armies in
France, Carter Glass. secretary Of the
treasury. fred the opening broadslde
for the Victory Liberty Loan at the
Minneapolis Auditorium the night Of
March 20.
After painting a stirring picture OF
the record made by our citizen sol.
diery against the best of the German
empire, Mr.. Glass declared that the
fathers and mothers Of America who
gave 1000, 900 sons to die II need bs
in their country's cause will not has
gle over the material cost of saving
the SOU Of civilization from the per
dition OF Prussian tyranny"
Mr.. Glass spoke in a hall packed
with Victory Liberty Loan workers
from all parts OF the northwest and
delegates to the Better Business con-
vention. His remarks were punctuat-
ed with liberal applause and every
word vas carefully followed by the big
throng. The secretary Ike in par:
as follows:
When | am told Of the difficultiea
which will beset the Victory Loan I
refuse to lose faith in the enduring pa
triotism Of the American people.
But, I am told that we must ap-
proach the problem Of future loans in
q distinctly cold-blooded mood. Some
men tell me II WILL be impossible again
to appeal TO the patriotism of the
American people. Frankly, gentle
men, | should despair Of my country
If these things we're exactly true. l
should doubt our ability to cope with
the problems Of peace II so quickly We
should forget the obligations OF war.
| wonder II those who talk in this
fashion speak considerably? They
tell about the sacrifices the American
there is a metallic tone and in their
mind unconscious austerity.
What Are Our Sacrifces7
What is meant by the sacrifices
Of war for American Where are our
devastated fields and ruined cities?
Where Our cathedrals destroyed?
Where our deiled women and starved
children and wrecked men? Where on
this wide continent does hunger stalk
abroad or pestilentIal disease claim
Its thousands OF victims? Is 1t, then,
a serious sacrifice to invest ones
money in the interest-bearing obliga-
tons of ones government in order to
make everlastingly secure the nations
freedom as well as the nations prop
erty?
Our allies fought for US nearly
three years before we began to fight
with them. For nearly that period OF
time the United States profted ire
mendously, in a commercial and in
dustrial sense, by the European war.
Immense fortunes were made; pros
perity pervaded u land. Francs and
Britain lost millions OF men killed and
millions Of others wounded. Less than
sixty thousand American heroes sleep
beneath the sod OF France. These
men made the supreme sacrifice:
Should we dishonor their memories or
diminish the glory Of their service by
pausing in the cheerful performance
OF an imperative duty?
When men undertake to compute
the sacrifices Of a war for freedom in
terms OF commerce | would like them
to get a vision Of some things | saw
not long ago on the far-flung battle.
fronts Of France and Belgium.
would like to take them to the battle
field Of Ypres, which will live in song
and story. through time and eternity,
as the most memorable of which his
tory will ever give account. There
they might perceive the real meaning
OF sacrifice. There they could see
what human heroism endured for the
liberty Of the ace here aud the wide
world over. Here by night and day, in
fair weather and foul. fighting their
way step by step. waist deep in mud
and mire, chilled to the bone, these
incompatible heroes. these crusaders
in the cause Of liberty. fought their
way through uncomfortable obstacles
and drove the enemy of the heights
from which the Hun had literally
viewed the Promised Land: Great
God! What q moment was that foi
civilization; and how beyond the imag
tnatiou Of man to picture human en-