Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-11-12
! President-Nect's
Armistice Day
| Address in Texas

i. Brownsville, Tex, Nov. IL - The
text of President Elect Harding's ad-
dress at the Armistice celebration
here follows in part:
November the eleventh has an
abiding significance to America and
l the world. For America it. sealed our
capacity to defend our national rights
and stamped our effectiveness in aid
ing to preserve the established order
of world civilizations for the world il
marked a new order for humanity,
and for all time it warns ambition
and madness for power that the
man or one peoples domination of
tthe world was never designed by
God and will never be tolerated by
mankind.
The day is especially interesting
to our own country because without
American participation it might
have been a later and different date
if indeed. there had been an Arm
istice day at all. We do not claim
to have won the war, but we helped
nightly and recorded undying glory
to American arms and gave the werld
a new understanding of the Ameri =
can spirit and a new measure OF
American resources.
Whatever the world may have
thought of US before, however in
correctly we may have been apprais-
ed. the world has come to know that
selfishness is not trait of our ma
tional character. that commereialisna
does not engross US, that neutrality
was conceived in fairness-not in
fear-and that when our national
rights are threatened and our ma
tienals are sacrificed, America is re-
solved to defend. and ever will.
More. we gave to humanity an ex-
ample of unselishness which it only
half appraised before misunder-
standings led to confusion.
We helped to win the war, IN
aided and unmortgaged. We fought
with the Allied powers. but we
only were an associated power and
We're never committed, if fully aware
of them, to the compacts of the ALI
ance. ~.
History will record it correctly, no
matter how much BEAUTIFUL sentiment
has beclouded our purposes in the
World war We did not fight to make
the world safe for democracy, though
We We're its best exemplars. Ner
aid we fight for humanity's sake, nc
matter how such a cause compelled
Democracy was threatened and hu-
! mainly was dying long before Amer
lean indignation called for the re-
public's defence. But we fought for
the one supreme cause which inspires
men to offer all fer country and flag
. and We fought as becomes a free
America and dropped the hatred, The
stif1ed greed. when the victory for
defense was won.
We proved anew that here is fret
and ample America, which does no,
ask. but freely gives. We were Amer.
! leans in the name before the Worle
War made us American in fact. No
Ia collection of peoples, but one
peoples with but one purpose zone
confidence, one pride, one aspiration
and one flag. -
We learned lesson too. of trans
cending importance. Righteousness
and unfaihng justice are not in them
selves a guaranty of national security
We must ever be strong in peaee
foremost in industry, eminent in ag
ficulture. ample in transportation
| Better transportation on land and al
adequate Merchant Marine would
have speeded our participation ane
shortened the conflict. l believe an
America eminent on the high seas. re-
\ G in 1f
be safer at home and greater in in.
fuence throughout the world.
Il like to think of an America whose
citizens are ever seeking the greater
| development and enlarged resources
and widened influence of the Repub.
lie, and / like to think of a govern
ment which protects its citizens
wherever they go on lawful mission
anywhere under the shining sun.
All the way from home in Ohio to
the furthermost port on the gulf
have seen among the people who came
to give us kindly greetings scores Of
stalwart, virile young Americans who
served their country so calamity and
effectively at home and overseas. One
| must have cause for renewed pride in
! the character of these men, in theil
readiness and capacity to serve, in the
! calm gertrude of their manhood in
! their new baptism of Americanism
/ These soldiers Of the republic, like
their fathers. believe in America Of
civil and human and religious liberty
they believe in an America of Amer
lean ideals. They believe IN America
first. for it is in America that theil