New-York tribune., 1919-01-30


night TO honor our returning soldiers
and consider the project of erecting 3
memorial that will symbolic their
glory. am greatly honored that |
have been selected to interpret their
views. My merits may be as small
and my demerits as great as any critic
may suggest, but | am here by your
gracious invitation and | ca wherefore
fairly invoke Brook yns spirit of hos
pitaiity and fairness.
''lf there is any one here present who
thinks that ! should not have been
selected for this great honor | disarm
criticism by stating that agree with
him without accepting his premises.
And to this | add that any one who
would attempt to mar the spirit OF
our returning soldiers because of his
personal hostility to me is no true
American.
United in Hospitality
"Wc represent all clases of our So
cial life Tonight. eW are of all races;
creeds and parties, but we are all
Americans and we unite as one in bid
ding welcome to the returning soldiers.
They have fought the good fight; they
have finished their course; they have
kept faith; and thus added a new and
imperishable chapter of American his
tory. At present we cannot see clearly
the magnitude of the achievement. Our
vision is somewhat blurred by the many
details, some of which were disap..
pointing. as for example our lack of
preparedness. This is a familiar phe
nomonon in our history.
"Whcn the achievement of the Amer
lean army in 1918 shall be seen in its
due perspective Of time and results, we
shall then realize that a chapter of
imperi shable glory has been added to
the noble volume of Americas s achieve
ments. All great achievements must be
seen in such perspective.
New Glory Brought Here
"Of the infinitely potential future
Of our Republic there can be no doubt.
The prediction of the English histor-
ian, Green, seems destined to early
fulfillment: that the centre of political
gravity in the affairs of nations, which
has hitherto been found along the
banks OF the Rhine, the Danube, the
Seine and the Thames, is about to be
transferred to the Hudson and the
Mississippi. Such has been the achieve
ment wrought in part by these return
ing soldiers, and future generations
Will appreciate this fact better than
we can now POSSIBLY DO.
"Wlthout discussing the policy of
neutrality, which our government at
first followed, nor ntimating by impli-
cation that our government did not
select the wisest time to enter the
arena, yet in justice to the American
people assert there was never time
before the sinking of the Lusitania
that our people would not have sup
ported the government in declaration
of war, with reasonable unity of spirit.
American Courage Stands Out
I'm this greatest war of recorded his
tory, when heroism of men never
reached higher altitude, when the
very multiplicity of heroic actions
tended to obscure them from just rec
ognition, certain events were so su-
passingly great that they stand out as
. mountain peak above the lower
ranges.
Such high peak of courage was
Chateau Thierry. 1t was the bloody an
gle of this greater Gettysburg. Ger
many had again poured its millions
into the valley of the Marne in one
final desperate attempt to seize Paris.
The brave. but outnumbered soldiers
of France. as in the first engagement
Of the Marnc, slowly retreated under
very avalanche of death.
"The Germans crossed the Marine
and Paris seemed again TO be within
their grasp. And then the soldiers of
the United States met the mighty i'm
pact, threw back the Prussian Guard
and saved the day. We also recall with
pride the great victory Of our troops
in the Argonne.
Americans Rout Foe
Its sombre forest-clad hills had
stood Cor three long years as great
barrier between the German and TIE
French armies. Each had tried to
wrest it from the other But the loss
Of life to insure success was appalling.
America had the reservoir of man
hood to sustain the loss to secure great