The daily morning oasis., 1920-12-26

lIlS COIiISIlI. 11S IltlpSu us q
great deal, and | tender thanks
publicly to Mr.. Titcomb, both
for myself and for the regiment.
But after these matters were
done, there was something else
yet that was morn important
than all. That was the actual
construction of the building,
with installation of the various
features, such as plumbing,
lighting and such conveniences
and fixtures, etc. All these
things-avery one Of them-by
negro soldiers. Every nail in
the building was put in there by
one of them. (Applause.) This
one item of the entire business
is the one item that l am the
proudest of. And i here take
off my hat to my men who did
it, and tender them the thanks
of the regiment. / knew t hey
could do it. I knew it all the
time. Some people said that it
could not be done, that | would
fhavn to obtain outside labor, but
II backed my judgment, and now
loo karound you and see the re-
fsult. ] fully believe that if l
were put ashore on an island in
I'the middle of the widest ocean
with this old 25th infantry, and
lust a few tools and certain
Eother fundamentals Of material,
Sthat | could absolutely guaran-
Itee to build a station or a town
with all the conveuienceS and all
the comforts that were neces-
sary, and | would not have any
labor strikes or any trouble
about it. Great aplause.) And
also, without particularly desir-
ing to draw comparisons, and
certainly without any desire to
cast a stone at anyone else, say
! I bclieve there is no other regi-
ment in any mans. army on the
face of this globe that could drop
down and do that island job as
efficiently and as cheerfully as
We collld. (Great applauSe.)
Now, just a word men. Just
a word more as to the achieve
ments of you men. and then l
am almost through. In doing
this work and other of it's kind,
and some more that is to- come,
these men have not benefited
the station and the regiment
alone. If they will only stop to
think, they will realize that in
doing this work thry have bene-
fitted themselves even more than
| the regiment or the station.
They voluntarily enlisted and
gave their efforts for certain
period to the government. If
now the government s9es fit to
utilize this period to the benefit
of both itself and the man, sure
ly no reasonable objection car
| be made. It has done this. I'm
questionably it has done this,
and | do not know of a man here
who has engaged in this voca-
tional work but who has benefit
led himself. If their service in
the army will increase their
earning power when they leave
it, then, indeed, thay have cause
to be grateful to the govern
ment. Now, I have personally
talked in the last few days with
several men engaged in the va
rious forms of vocational work
now going on, and they appear
to realize this point of view. l
simply submit it to the serious
consideration of eevry man here.
So much for the past. Now fol
the present and future.
We are a regiment that have
a peculiar faculty of taking care
of ourselves in all matters of
pleasure and diversion. For 2
long tima here we have needed
such a place as this. Now we
have it. Let us make full use of
it. Let us make this house a place
of gathering and a place whep0
we shall entertain ourselves
and where we shall entertain
the civil community in which We
live and of which we are a full
part. What none propitious oc
casion could there be for us to
dedicate and make this building
of usefulness, and of pleasure
and of contentment, and of good
fellowship than on this, the eve
of the natal day of Him who