Bogalusa enterprise and American. (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??, 1919-08-07
W. P. Cooke Makes
Stirring Address

principal speaker at the greatest day
N the histo~v of Buffalo, N. Y. when
the great Homecoming celebration
was staged there few days ago. The
yrpat+e crovsd rnat ever assembled
in Buffalo attended the celebration.
The chairman of the celebration in
troduced Mr.. Cooke as the INSPIRED
leader of their financial army over
here while the military army was
over there" He also praised him
highly for the great financial drives,
Mr.. Cooke having handled several of
the Liberty Loan drives. The citi-
zens of Bogalusa will read with in
terest his address, which we take
from the Buffalo Express:
MIR. Cookies Address
"The City of Buffalo is extend
| ing an official welcome to her sol
diers and sailors returning from the
great war. Throughout all this city
the hearts of our good people are
/ filled with pride and satisfaction in
your courage and achievements and
with gratitude and thanksgiving over
your safe return. It is my privilege
this morning to express to you some
thing of the warmth of esteem in
which your fellow citizens hold you,
of their appreciation of your great
service, and of the sincerity Of the
welcome which each and every one
of them is extending to you today.
'Much could be said and written
and much will be said and written of
your service. of your exploits, of
your travels, of your hardshipS and
sufferings, and of your courage and
victories. l want to emphasize just
one feature of the service you have
rendered your city and country, and
that is the promptness and cheerful
ness with which you answered your
country's call.
"The people of this. country had
been called money-mad It had been
said of US that we were soft and
would never fight for anything but
gain. Our enemies apparently be
Iieved that of us and hence they felt
safe in heaping insult after insult
upon US, and then what happened?
The world saw a great people arise
in it's might, without thought of con-
quests or gain, but at an enormous
cost in blood and treasure, and enter
the great struggle for an ideal, for
the perpetuation of the liberty their
fathers fought for and which they
cherished. And the world saw that
great nation of peace-loving men and
women in an unbelievably short space
of time equip and train an army of
three million men the finest army
the world has ever seen, and trans
port two million of them across the
1 ocean, protected by our splendid
navy. And the world saw that army
take it's place 5000 miles from home
with the veterans of the armies of
Europe, and, making for itself glo-
rious record, have it's full share in
| the victory over the worlds greatest
military machine.
Tribute to Heroes
"And how was all this accomplish
ed? Only because you and men like
you all over this fair land responded
INSTANTLY to the country's call.
You left your business or employ
ment, sacrificed not only what you
! had, but the opportunities of the flu
Eture.
''You left your families, left them
4 not only lonelA and full of anxiety
over your health and safety, but in
many cases without assurances of
adequate support in your absence.
on endured the hard training of
camp life and risked your health
i from exposure.
''You crossed the seas and fought
amid all the dangers and brutalities
of modern warfare.
"'You risked your Lives for your
country's honor. How great that risk
was is attested by the fact that more
| than 600 of our men will never come
back and the thought of them and
their sacrifices and of their loved
ones is the only sadness in our hearts
today
"And what has been accomplished
| by all that you have done?
GU are all of you better men
and better citizens for your expert
ence. You have a closer knowledge
of the great value of liberty and of
self government and greater will
ingness to oppose anything that
threatens them, whether it be for
| eign enemy or disturber or coward
n our midst.
'The people at home are all better
men and women because of your ex-
ample Of loyalty and patriotism and
are the more ready to work with you
over here for the kind of liberty, of
decency and of self-government that
you fought for over there.
"Iou have demonstrated that
America was not soft, that she was
not money-mad, that America is a
nation that cherishes ideals more
than material prosperity
'"That America is willing to fight
| for liberty, not only for herself, but
for the world
you carried the flag across the
seas and brought it back unsullied by
compromise or defeat, but glorified
by victory and carrying for all time
to come luster and new meaning.
"You have upheld the fair name
of your city. You have writer a
SPLENDID page in the history Of vour
state. and more than all you have
helped to place your country in a new
and higher position of honor among
the nations of the world.
We people who stayed at home
are proud of your courage and of
your patriotism. We realize that YOU
have been fighting for us and we
| are dpaDiv sensible of fba oh1iaa 49,.