Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1920-01-30
CHAPLAIN KELLY
AT TOWN HALL

AT TOWN HALL
Despite the severe weather, the ad-
dress by the Rev. Francis A, Kelly,
national chaplain of the American
Legion, delivered at the Town Hall,
Monday evening, was much enjoyed
by a large audience. AS a preliminary
to the address, Mrs. Cornie Glynn
Cocklin of Rutland sang several pleas
ing numbers and Brackets orchestra
rendered several selections On the
stage with the speaker were members
of the Russell Post, G., A. R., Dr. J..
J. Ross, Commander local post, Amer
lean Legion, Chaplain Kelly's secre-
tary, J. Ray Neeley and the Rev. T.
!. Leonard, who after brief remarks in
troduced the speaker. Chaplain Kel-
ly's personality is in itself an inspira-
tion. He has an unusually handsome
face and a smile which is simply r-
resistible. Tall and finely formed, he
presents, in his overseas uniform, the
finest type of American soldier and
gentleman. He was one OF the promi-
nent figures of the war. He took part
in every engagement in which the 18th
Division participated, and was promi-
nent in the operations Of his regiment
against the Hindenburg line and later
east of the LeSelle river For repeated
acts of extraordinary heroism in ac-
tion near RonssoY, France, September
$3.50, and east of the LeSelle rivers,
October 1920, Chaplain Kelly was
awarded the distinguished service cross
by General Pershing in the name OF
President Wilson. This award was
made on January 2l, 1919, at Montfort'
before the entire division.
{ Chaplain Kelly went cover the top
three times on September p, 1918, at
Ronssoy, to reach the wounded lying
in shell holes in "No Mans Land
On November s, he was cited for the
British Military Cross. He was the
only chaplain in the American EX-
peditionary Forces to receive decora-
tions from three countries, England,
France and America, and seven sepa-
rate citations, earning the title OF
Eight Chaplain" suggested by Major
General John +. Organ. His home
is in Troy, N. Y. Father Kelly said
in part
at is for me always a rare privilege
and great pleasure to speak of the
famous 26th Division of the New Eng
lang States. OF the deeds OF glory
done in the great war, none are bright
er, none are Drawer, none are grander
than the deeds of the boys Of the 26th,
your division.
After telling his story of the glorious
9th and its fight which ended in the
capture of the Hindenburg line, which
the Germans thought was impregnable,
and the capture of which was the turn
ing point in the world war, because it
broke the faith of the German soldiers
in their officers and weakened their
morale so that they never fought with
/ the same confidence again, Chaplain
Kelly said:
"And now these boys who fought in
France have returned home. They re-
turned to find that there have come
classes of foreigners who have tried to
trample our wonderful ideals. America
has opened her arms too wide and re-
ceived too promiscuously the scrub OF
foreign nations. They have come here
TO tear down our institutions and our
constitution, but so long as there is
one drop of American blood left, they
can never accomplish it. II our land
does not suit them, let them get out
and HE themselves to the land from
which they come"
The close of Chaplain Kelly's ad-
dress was a ringing plea for purer
Americanism, denunciaton OF the war
department in granting socalled con-
scentious objectors honorable dis
charges, bonuses and allowances at the
close of the war, the same as were
given to the, men who served their
country on the fighting front, and a
declaration that the American Legion
would uphold the principles on which
our government and our flag rest.
I'VE believe in one ism, and that is
100 per cent Americanism. We want no
people or class to spread any other
ism. When they start it, 2YOOOOOO
members of the American Legion will
be ready to support our flag and our
country. We want to produce in this
country a type which shall contend
for posterity which our ancestors gave
to us, of the people, for the people
and by the people, in the land of the
free and the home of the brave. We
want to call to the fight the Drawn OF
America, and must see that the coming
generation be 100 per cent American
ism"
america" was sung at the close, the
audience standing.