The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-05-27
COL. WILLIAMS
ENDS TOUR OF
THE STATE
Speaks Friday at Lyndon
Center, st. Johnsbury
and Danville


Allen, and the officer selected for
a similar position at the Citizens
Military Camp at Camp Devens
in August, returned to Burlington
over the Roosevelt trail arriving
in the Queen city at 5 o'clock. He
was accompanied in his Dodge
touring car by S. s. Richold of
Burlington, state chairman and
the county chairman, Arthur F.
Stone of the Caledonian- Record
was with the party at the meet
ing at st. Johnsbury Academy in
the forenoon and at Danville af-
ter dinner.
Col. Williams spoke at Lyndon
Institute, st. JohnsbuIy Academy
and at Danville for 80 minutes on
citizenship and military prepared
ness and was most enthusiastical-
ly received. He began a most
eloquent address by explaining
somewhat in detail the purposes
of the nine summer training
camps and what a months course
in one of them would do for the
young men. He said it trained
them for citizenship. He strong
ly urged on all his hearers to pre-
pare themselves for voting; to
vote in all municipal, county,
state and national elections, and
to vote for the candidates that
were the best fitted for their re-
spective offices. He declared that
no one should expect to have the
privileges of d free country unless
they were willing to accept the
responsibilities that went with
citizenship. He said these train
ing camps taught the boys to be
morally clean and only those kind
of boys could succeed in life,
whether in games or in the daily
tasks. They developed the body
and no one left these camps with
out being a better and a stronger
boy physically. They also gave
the boy broader vision as he
would meet boys at Camp Dew
ems from all the other New Eng
land states and make friendships
that would last a lifetime.
Col. Williams said he hoped
he would never. live to see another
war, but since he enlisted in the
Spanish-American war he had
served in three other wars and
that he was very much afraid
there would be another in a few
years. For this reason he was
a strong advocate Of military pre-
paredness. Germany is camou-
flaging today in her talk of an
army of only 100000. Thousands
of men in the railroad service are
being trained for military service.
Every school boy is being given
courses in athletics TO make them
fit for futute contingencies. And
yet some blame France for
wanting to keep up her standing
army and increase her navy.
Referring to the late war he
said it was one of the plans of
the German General Staff to whip
the United States first and then
whip Europe. The reason they
changed their plans was because
they discovered that France was
partially prepared with their army
and England held the control of
the seas. Nothing, he said,
could have stopped the onrush
through New England of the mil
lions of grey-coated soldiers with
their hobtnailed boots and brute
faces and had they once
come across Vermont would have
been as desolate today as northern
France. Individual bravery would
have counted nothing against d
well-trained army and nation
that was prepared. Furthermore
he declared that just before the
armistice was signed Germany
had almost persuaded another ma
ton to join with them in their
world conquest. TN pri-
waite conversation Col. Williams
said this nation was none other
than Japan.
He cited Col. Bryan's oft-quot-
ed remark that a million men
would spring to arms over night
in case of an invasion. and asked
what these men would spring to
when the United States didn't
have arms enough to equip 100000
men when the war began. He
assured his hearers that the
United States did not win the .
war, but only put on the finish
ing touches and urged the boys
and girls to always be friendly to
the two nations of Europe, France
and England, that saved the
United States from being a sub
iect of the Kaiser.
Before closing he spoke in
highest praise of woman's part in
he world war declaring that their
sacrifices exceeded that of the
men. He paid a high tribute to
he work of the army nurses over
seas and of their cheerfulneSs and
splendid work in the darkest days
If the war.
Col Williams closed his address
With a personal tribute to a broth
AZ officer who was killed five min
Ites after a successful engage
nent, Col. James Shannon, say
ng that he knew Of no man who
better eXemplificd the spirit Of
poem "If'. He then re-
,ited this famous poem a Il fit
ng close to 4 splendid address.
All boys interested in enlist
nent in the camp are urged to
communicate with Arthur +.
Stone the county chairman, who
will supply the applicants with
will supply the applicants with
he necessary blanks. These must
,e in Mr.. Stones hands by the
inst of June % ensure enlistment
It Camp Devens through he
month pf 4 uo,r.t