The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-02-24

cred it a privilege to shed it for a Hberty-loving people. Like Washington, he was a revolution ist. He was for constituted authority as long as that author ity voiced the will of the people, but he was against such author ity when it lost sight of the peo- pie and steeped itself in ~autocra- cy. At Mt. Vernon, Virginia, to- day, the birthday of the Father of Our Country, one of the prized relics of the shrine of freedom is the key of the Bas- tile, presented by Lafayette to Washington in memory of their friendship.
 Rochambeau came with the fleet of France, and strengthen ed at sea the waning power of the fighting Revolutionary Army. The memory of Washington and Rochambeau made more easy the sacrifice of the men, whose mem ories we honor today.
 France, my friends, has come through the war with the same unsullied record that we have. When the fatefuI days of the sum- mer of 1914 brought crisis upon crisis in the affirs of Europe. When the Austrian Ultimatum was sent to Serbia and Amaged- don was threatened, i<:r Edward Grey, Secretary of State for For eign Affairs for England, pro- posed to ask for the cooperation of the German Government with a view to the meditation of the Four Powers not directly inter ested in the Serbian question, namely, England. France. Italy and Germany.
 France was ready to accept this mediation. But on July 25; the German Ambassador at London went to the Foreign Office at London, and stated his govern ment refused to interfere and would let matters take their course.
 It was dark day for France , when the die was cast, but it was the darkness that comes before the dawn.
 Her foe thought France weak, but found her strong; she was considered surfeited with ease, but was found courageous in trial. Her enemies looked for disaster but found her a giant in strength. The Mailed Fist thought it would write the last page of French history, but in- stead of it wrote only the pro- logue to a glorious new chapter. There were those who thought France had forgotten her God, but behold, her champion dedi- cated her armies to the Almighty.
 She emptied' herself for the cause of Liberty.
 With an army of but 5S.5, ,0oO men in three classes, she recruit than 40,000,000 a nlobilized strength in the Army and Navy during the conflict of 8,655, 900.
 Her dead numbered 1,365,7S5. More than 3,400 were totally blinded, .43,00O suffered amputa- tions. Think of it my friends, three and one half per cent of her total population killed or missing; sixteen per cent of her war strength gone Had we suf- fered in the same proportion, we woud have had nearly four mil lion dead. These figures were prepared for my by the Chief of Stairs Office of our War Depart ment.
 In addition to supplying her own forces, France was called upon and responded willingly, to supply England, Italy, Roumania, Russia, Serbia, Belgium, Greece, Poland, Portugal, CzecRo-Slvakia, Finland, and others with what war materials they needed to keep up their mobilized strength effective.
 And when the United States threw her weight into the scales of Justice, and sent her great army to France, that country sup piled the forces of General Persh- ing with artillery beyond mum Der with 57.000 machine guns, with 2O6. 100000 cartridges, with 22,500 rifles, with f,600 vehicles, S07,0O0 gas masks. 94s,000 gas shells.
 She made possible the American Army's participation in the battle of 1918, she furnished us $500 cannon; $500 aeroplanes, 1O,00O,- 900 shells, 240. tanks. She placed at our disposal 1500 officers in France and sent 500 more to America as instructors, she gave