Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-07-11

4
that Hoboken was beautiful.
Il have really. though 1 have tried
/ On the other side Of the water to con-
ceal it, been the most homesick man II
the American expeditionary force ane
it is with feelings that 1t would bt
vain for me to try to express that
find myself in this beloved countr!
] again. I do not say that because
lack in admiration Of other countries.
There have been many things thai
| softened my homesickness. One Of the
chief things that softened it was the
very generous welcome that they ex.
tended to me as your representative or
the other side of the water. And 1t was
still more softened by the pride thai
I had in discovering that America ha6
at last convinced the world Of hel
true character.
81 was welcome because they ha6
seen with their own eyes what Amer.
lea had done for the world. They had
deemed her selfish. They had deem
ed her devoted to material interests
And they had seen her boys come
across the water with vision even
more beautiful than that which they
conceived when they had entertained
dreams of liberty and peace.
And then had the pride of finding
out by personal observation Of the kind
80 hol II
ed the seas with the kind Of men who
had taken them over, without whom
they could not have got to Europe and
then when got there saw that army
Of men, that army of clean men, that
army Of men devoted to the high in
terests Of humanity, that army that
one was glad to point out and say
There are my fellow countrymen.'
"Home Along With You." I
at softens the homesickness q good
deal to have so much Of home along
with you, and these boys were con-
stantly reminding me Of home. They
did not walk the streets like anybody
else. I do not mean that they walked
the streets elf-assertively. They did
not. They walked the streets as II
they knew that they belonged where
yer free men lived, that they were
welcome in the great republic of
France and were comrades with the
other armies that had helped to win
the great battle aid to show the great
sacrifice. Because it is a wonderful
thing for this nation. hitherto isolat-
ed from the large affairs Of the world,
to win not only the universal conf
dence Of the people Of the world, but
their universal affection.
"And that, and nothing less than
that, Is what has happened. Wherever
it was suggested that troops should be
sent and it was desired that troops Of
occupation should excite no prejudice,
no uneasiness on the part Of those to
whom they were sent, the men who
represented the other nations came to
me and asked me to send American
soldiers. They not only implied, but
they said, that the presence Of AIneri-
can soldiers would be known not to
mean anything except friendly protec-
tion and assistance. Do you wonder
that it made our hearts swell with
pride to realize these things?
But while these things in some de-
gree softened my homesickness, they
made me all the more eager to get
home where the rest Of the folks live:
to get home where the great dynamo
of national energy was situated, to
get home where the great purposes Of
national action were formed, and to be
allowed to take part In the counsels
and in the actions which were formed,
and to be taken by this great nation,
which from first to last has followed
the vision of the men who set 1t up
and created it. We have had our eyes
very close upon our tasks at times,
but whenever we lifted them, as we
were accustomed to lift them, to dis
tant horizon, we were aware that all
the peoples of the earth had turned
their faces toward us as those who
were the friends. Of freedom and Of
right, and whenever we thought Of ma
tional- policy and its relation upon the
affairs Of the world, we knew we were
under bond to do the large thing and
the right thing.
Fail to See Vision.
1T is a privilege therefore, beyond
all computation for a man, whether In
great capacity or a small, to take
part in the council. and in the resolu-
tions Of a people like this. 1 am afraid
some people, some persons do net un-
derstand that vision. They do not see
it. They have looked too much upon
the ground. They have thought too
much of the interests that were near
them, and they have not listened to
the voices of their neighbors.
II have never had a moments doubt
as to where the heart and purpose of
this people lay. When any one on the
other side of the water has raised the
question, Will America come in and
nelp! L nave Sdlli, VI SOuiS DC HIiiSi :
lea will come in and help She can
not do anything else. She will not dis
appoint any high hope that has been
formed Of her. Least Of all will she in
this day of new born liberty all over
the world fall to extend her hand of
support and assistance to those who
have heen made free
Is Just Peace.
"The governor has spoken Of great
task ended. Yes. the formation Of the
peace Is ended, but it creates only a
new task just begun. I believe you
will see that it is a just peace and a
peace which, II 1t can be preserved
will save the world from unnecessary
| bloodshed.
And now the great task is to pre-