The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-11

Our redoubtable soldiers and marines
had already closed up the gap the
enemy had succeeded in opening for
theid advance upon Paris--had al
ready turned the tide OF battle back
towards the frontiers of France and
begun the rout that was to save
Europe and the world. Thereafter
the Germans were TO be always forced
back, back, were never to thrust sue
cessfully forward again. And yet
there was no confident hope. Anxious
men and women, leading spirits OF
France. attended the celebration OF
the Fourth of July last year in Paris
out of generous courtesy--with no
heart for festivity, little zest for nope.
But they came away with something
new at their hearts:
They have themselves told US so.
The mere sight OF our men-of
their vigor, of the confidence that
showed itself in every movement OF
their stalwart figures and everyturn-
Of their swinging march, in their
steady comprehending eyes and easy
discipline, in the indomitabie air
that added spirit to everything they
did. make every one who saw them
that memorable day realize that some
thing had happened that was much
fighting, something different from the
mere arrival Of fresh troops. A great
moral force had flung itself into the
struggle
More Than Bodily vigoe.
This nne physical force of those
spirited men spoke of something more
than bodily vigor. They carried the
great ideals OF q free people At their
hearts and with that Vision were un-
conquerable. Their presence brought
reinsurance; their lighting made VIC
tory certain.
They were recognised ~ crusaders.
and IL their Thousands swelled to mil
lions their strength was seen to mean
salvation. And they were At men to
carry such a hope and make good the
assurance 1t forecast Finer men
never went into battle, and their ON
GERS were worthy of them. This h
not the occasion upon which to utter
an eulogy OF the armies America sent
to France. but, perhaps, since l am
speaking of their mission, may speak
also of the pride shared with every
American who saw or dealt with them
there. They were the sort of men
America would wish to be represented
by, the sort OF men every American
would wish to claim as fellow country
men and comrades In a great cause.
They were terrible in battle. and
gentle and helpful out Of IT. remem-
bering the mothers and the sisters.
the wives and tho little children at
home. They were free men under
arms. not forgetting vheir ideals of
duty in the midst of tasks OF violence.
l am proud to have had the privil-
eye of being associated with them and
re De-
speak now OF what they meant to the
men by whose sides they fought and
to the people with whom they mingled
with such utter simplicity. as friends
who asked only to be OF service They
were for all the visabie embodiment
OF America. What they did made
America and all that she stood for a
living reality in the thoughts not only
OF the people OF France, but also of
tens of millions Of men ard women
throughout all the toiiing Mathis of
a world standing everywhere In peril
OF it's freedom and of the loss of every
thing IL held dear, in deadly fear that
its bonds were never to be loosed. its
hopes forever to be Knocked and dis
appointed. And the complusion of
what they stood for was upon us who
represented America at the peace
table.
It was ur duty to see to It that
every decision We took part In con-
tributed so far as we were able to
influence II, to quiet the fears and
realize the hopes of the peoples who
had been living in that Sha dow. the
nations that had come by our assist
ance to their freedom. II was our
duty to do everything that IL was with
in our power to do to make the
triumph of freedom and OF right a
lasting triumph in the assurance of
which men might everywhere live
without fear.
Old entanglements OF every kind
stood In the way--promises which
governments had made TO one another
in tho days when might and right
were confused and the power of the
victor was without restraint. En-
gagements which any dispositions of
territory and extensions OF sovereignty
that might seem to be to the interest
of those who had the power to insist
upon them. had been entered into
without thought of what the peoples
concerned might wish or profit by:
and these could not always be honor
ably brushed aside.
1t was not easy to graft the new
order OF ideas on the old and som e
of the fruits OF the grating may. I
fear, for time be better. But, with
few exceptions. the men who sat with
us at the peace table desired as sin
cerely as we did to get away from
the bad influences. the iliegitimate
purposes, the demoralizing ambitions,
the international counsels and expc-
dents out of which the sinister de-
signs of Germany had sprung as a
natural growth
Principles Arc Accepted.
II had been our privilege to for
mulate the principles which were ac-
cepted as the basis Of the peace, but
We had come In to hasten and assure
the victory and insisted upon them,
but because they were readily ac-
ceded to as the principles to which
honorable and enlightened minds
everywhere had been bred. They
spoke the conscience OF the world
as well as the conscience OF America.
and am happy to pay my tribute
OF respect and gratitude to the able,
forward looking men with whom II
was my privilege to Cooperate for
their unfailing spirit Of CO operation.
their constant effort to accommodate
the interests they represented to the
principles we were all welt agreed
upon.