Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-07-21

witnessed the launching of tn" great
German offensive which was stopped
and counter action began. You men
will remember the scenes of those
days. will always remember the
day of the great 26th Division parade
i'm Boston in 1919. There was not a
dry eye in that great grandstand
when the men from Maine passed by
! The people of New England viii never
: forget YOU men of the 105d Infantry
More than LOCO men from Maine
went into the great war"
/ The governor at this point appealed
I for support among the veterans for
I the upbuldng of the new National
I Guard units.
/ The people of Maine ne said
will never forget you and the people
Of Maine will lever forget these who
did not come back" In closing. Gov
ernor Baxter proposed an informal re-
ception following the speaking and
saving that he would consider il
privilege to shake the hand or every
veteran present. Hearty cheers and
applause followed Governor Baxters
address.
! The POSTMASTER Col. Towne. then
introduced as the last speaker Of the
evening a man who is 100 per cent.
soldier and 100 per cent an Ar7erlcan
! the grand old young man, General Ed
wards The general was given rls-
/ ing ovation.
/ General Edwards spoke of the pro-
fession Of the soldier as the nobleSt
in the world and he told of his feeling
OF contempt for an officer who gets
into the army for the compensation
rather than for duty for dutys sake
And he referred 10 the stout-hearted
lads, the soldiers. as the ultimate
cause of the success he had hal in the
last five Years.
With intimate stories of the war,
General Edwards showed the value OF
preparedness He cited the little
country Of switzerland. which In the
great war the whole world ala n"t
dare to cross Why? Because II had
a lot Of civilians prepared to keep
sacred that land.
The aims of the American Legion ne
then pointed out-that those lads who
have suffered get Ii square deal and
er to help them. The general told the
boys as citizens to see that the right
people are picked out for office and
that the right laws are made. We
must take am interest in our ward and
city said nc. Il don't know of any
one who can detect h'Jt air and gas
better than yoa.'
"Ninety-nine per cent. of the men
who went across and came back should
be eager that their brothers and the
future generations should have the
same experience" he said. Il have
found that there is some contrary
feeling and | am afraid there is some
hostility against training" And the
general then told the boys that in the
matter Of military training il was
their duty to help out.
General Edwards at this point told
his hearers of the present day con
ditions at Camp Devens. of the Off
GERS training camp, of the mems re-
serve training camps there and of the
effort now being made to get back
to the confidence of the public. i've
been out there" he said, and in
speCted the l0lst and was surprised
TO find the officers and the whole
band made up of veterans of the 26th
Divson. At Barnstable, | inspected
the 5lst artillery and every captain
and every colonel was veteran and
! 10 per cent. Of the men are old sol
diers, Me for the veteran.
My statement is Just this: The
26th division in France was no more
d national guard division than the
LIST Division was a regular army di-
vision, all men together were the
Army Of the United States and each
is entitled to good leadership until
battle picks them out. | want
sound body and sound mind and I
will show YOU "A happy man. Youth
is our problem. take care of your
youths. and you solve the problem Of
cur country. My definition of a man
is, the man who will go against q
machine gun nest and die with
smile on his face for that flag.
They talk about reserve divisions.
According to present plans there
would probably be three divisions in
New England How about reserve
. / 4. - hlN lSiOil anu Itl lltt NIoNtI IL
mcnt pay for our Is day annual re-
union. a Yankee has 4 psychology a
his own. You can't put baby ribbons
on an American soldier If YOU sound
American Psychology you will find
that they must sense their LEADER
ship. In The next war we will still
have the draft, but we will draft la
Dor and We will draft capital"
General Edwards told the story of
the little boy in Holland, who, by
placing his arm in the dixie kept the
angry waters from flooding that
country, and he stated that in the re-
cent war that role was played by the
first four divisions and the j. de-
stroyers who held strong until the
other comrades could cake and make
it sure victory. And none contri-
buted more than the 103rd NO men
on earth could follow d barrage clos
CT than YOU" he said
In closing his address. General Ed
wards expressed the hope that all of
the men would join the Veterans
Association Of the Y D.
His address was followed BY en-
thusiastic applause and cheers. and
an informal reception was then ten
dered General Edwards, Governor
Baxter and the other officers present
And with selections by the 103rd In
y IN n lr