The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-04-04

on the happy-go-lucky air and waved
your goodbye, wondering perhaps II
you would ever see the old home sta.
tion again. You willingly went
forth to give yourself to the good OF
humanity and to your nation.
To Bring New Era.
"When it comes to the period OF
achievement I cannot know that. Nc
one can know that who remained be.
hind. We can know the benefits OF
it; but we cannot know the expert.
ence of it. 1t belongs peculiarly tc
those who did the deed. You have
achieved magnificently. What you
have done will greatly change the
world. AS the reformation brought
in a new era, so this achievement
which you have accomplished will
bring in a new era and perhaps the
greatest era in the worlds history
You went forth as crusaders and you
carried the spirit of Americanism
and democracy to the nations. No
where in all the armies of the world
was there the same spirit which ex.
listed in the American army. That
SPAIlL OOI " OCI tAO OAlSOA oAo SAS
man in the ranks shows particularly
the Americanism of today. / heard
two or three Of the men here tonight
ask conrad If he knew colonel OF
major so-and-so. In the armies Of
the world there is fellowship be.
tween officer and men. You carried
this spirit into the world today and
it has been like seed and is already
springing into life. 1t is leavening
force which will in time leaven the
whole lump. 1t is expressed in the
words of Prince Ito Of Japan who said
to one Of our ambassadors, "You rule
your country, BY the Golden Rule .
and 1t is the Goldon Rule beside the
rule of other countries, and you come
back thinking that America is the
best place on the face of the earth.
THAT brings me to, the return
Nobody can know the real meaning
Of the return as you who have gone
forth. You come back again after
a long absence. The same friends
are there who saw you go. With
moistened eyes they welcome you
home again. Who con tell the thrill
Of the home base like one who has
gone forth in the spirit of renuncia,
tion. The war correspondent Moca,
sin tells us how the French people re.
ceive their soldiers. He tells how he
climbed up the steps Of the French
opera house in Paris and watched the
people as they swarmed out in the
square to greet a regiment Of re.
turned warriors. The faces of the
people were marked with lines, theil
hair oftentimes whitened. The wal
had left deep lines and evidences OF
hardship: but it is different with us
we have not suffered in the same
way as the French or Belgian peo.
pie. We see in their suffering the
evidences of what you protected us
from. However, the heart that beats
in the breast is the same 1t is the
same mother heart that is moved the
world over. The same sisters the
with love and respect and pride in
you who have gone forth so bravely
and have now come back with the
glow Of health and vigor and man.
hood upon you, and may the richest
service and success ever attend you
as you launch out in the old home
life again"
Country Owes Bows Much.
Mr.. Russell, in closing a most in
spring talk, said:
"Your country owes you much
Humanity owes you much. All state!
and the Congress of the United State.
are moving along parallel lines il
shaping legislation for your benefit
At the same time don't forget thai
we all owe our country much. W.
are indebted to it for all we are OF
hope to be. l recall to mind youl
appearance as in squads and hall
companies as you hay-foot-straw
footed it for the depot, going away
to the training camps, and notwith
standing our pride and hope in yor
we had to admit to ourselves tha,
your appearance was anything but
martial. And the pessimisist and pro.
German-and we had them, sneerec
"What can that bunch do to the Ger
mans?" And that was true all ovel
the country. But when you came bach
and marched over the same streets
with heads erect, shoulders thrown
back, stepping as one man the pess1
mist and pro-German was gone and
the question on the lips of your ad
miring friends was "What didn't they
do to the Boshes?"
1T moulded and welded and hum
ored your individually and collecting
into as fine body of fighting mer
as the world has ever seen,-fit tc
-. u
the glorious Frenchman and the in.
domitable Britain. 1t taught you
greater respect for authority II
taught you self-reliance and it also
taught you the value of team work. II
taught you that the man with shev,
rons on his arm today, may have the
bars on his shoulder tomorrow. You
will soon lay aside those uniforms tc
be donned again only on Memorial
days, and return to your various