The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1920-03-04
PRES. CRANE PRAISES
SPIRIT OF AMERICA
sx3oHo ADDRxss D1xYv111p A.
AUD11O1IUlG WH1N Y11N01
800031AIB WERE ISSUED 10
936Ax1v11 or OOLDID8D N
W10 MADE OV1D1H1
0Ao2u1oD.

The following Ia an address made by
Major A. G. Crane, president of the Mi
not Normal school. at the exercises at
the Auditorium February 22 when the
presentation of French Memorial Ger
tificates was made to the relatives of
deceased American soldiers Of Minot and
vicinity.
Citisens of Minot
We are gathered here today to COM
memorate exemplary service. 1t Is the
anniversary of the birthday Of Wash
1ngtOn. 1t Is In memory of those who
gave the supreme gift that the govern
ment he started might continue. At this
season our public schools ARE calling to
the minds of the children the heroic
deeds of Washington. his exemplary
life and character. his craftsmanship,
his patriotism, his stalwart American
ism.
Yesterday I saw children in our pub
lie schools pay tribute to the flag, to the
ideas for which it stands and rehearse
IN mimic pageantry the stirring times Of
the Revolution and the Constitutional
Convention. ! saw sparkling in the
eyes of the children, the kindling fires
OF patriotism, of loyalty to duty. of love
OF the right. / saw them storm in mimic
protest against treasonous statements
of un-American doctrine. I heard them
rejoice in childish shout and song for
the triumph of right, for the blessings
of liberty and the land we live in!
saw children of many nationalities un-
conscious of any distinctions or differ
ences, all truly children of America in
the spirit If not in blood. All over our
land the same picture is being repeated.
Washington's birthday is indeed a day
for glorious rejoicing. This year we
rejoice not only for the deeds Of Wash
ington's time, but for the more recent
ones of the immediate past. It is a day
for the contemplation of great tasks
completed. 1t is the boast Of achieve
ment We are proud not of what we
aspire to do, but of what they did. Let
not him that girdeth on his harness
boast himself as he that putteth it or"
Those in whose honor we are gathered
today have achieved. For them there is
no possibility of failure, no haunting
fear of weakness and incapacity when
the crisis shall arise. no dread that they
will show yellow in the time of trial.
They have stood the test They have
made history.
1t is for US today. not forgetting the
price that was paid. to consider the ac-
complishment. 1t is for us to glory in
the achievement, to pay our tribute to
them and theirs by rejoicing in the her
itage and the blessings which they
bought so dearly.
In material accomplishments in the
World War, America astonished herself.
Self-cOnfident. proud perhaps conceited,
almost blatant in boasting of our pow
ers. yet we exceeded our own eXpecta-
tons. When we entered the war we
had no soldiers, no ships. no artillery.
no small arms, no airships. We had
people who believed in peace, in reason
ableness, in the power of free discus
sion of ideas. in progress by thought
and agreement. We believed in demo-
cratic rights of man. We were an in
dividualistic people, jealous of our
rights intolerant of regulation and sus-
picious of leadership, disjointed mob
of individuals gathered from all nations.
speaking many languages, ,fninstructed
in American principles and customs.
We entered the War, we turned our
factories of peace into producers of in
struments of war, we manufactured the
artillery. the small arms. the multitude
nous mountains of supplies. We trans