The Holly chieftain., 1922-08-31

corporaton for an association which shall keep
them together and "enshrine their common sac
rifce"
II ia Representative Thomas D. Schall Of Min
nesota who has introduced the Incorporation bill.
Calling the attention Of the house to the visitors
In the gallery, he made an eloquent speech that
stirred even the blase house and brought forth
many bursts of applause Probably one reason
the speech eloquent was because the speaker
knew what he was talking about. For he had been
under fire with the boys on the firing line He was
on the American transport Mount Vernon when
she torpedoed of Brest September 8, with
loss of 81 killed. He was In France during July
and August of 1918 and followed the Americans
In the hateau-Thierry drive. AS he said In his
speech:
II was with Major Fuchs in COhan, where white.
hot fragments of shell lay smoking In the street,
the town being shelled every Is minutes expe-
rlenced creeping upon hands and knees for about
half mile to avoid exposure TO the enemy
savoreG the heavy white dust, the flies the heat
and the scantiness of water; the smell of decayng
f1esh where the human dominated the animal /
heard the mighty nproar of night attacks where
like heat lightning the barrage played along the
sky the boom of artillery and the burst of shell
the heavy rumble of trucks bringing troops mum.
tions and supplies to the front; and ambulances
setting out with the wounded.
''FrOm actual contact with soldiers in action in
field and camp, know something of what our
boys suffered and what they accomplished over
there. dned with them at mess and communed
with them in bivouac in the night, at a time when
mems tongues lOosed and they talk Today
they narrowly missed death. Perhaps 1t would be
their turn tomorrow. and the verge of eter.
nifty they spoke their hearts and told the plain
truth without fear or favor. No winners among
them. No boasters. Just matter-Of-fact, pure
stuff, the dross burned away in actual fellowship
with DEATH leaving their souls vibrant instruments
of truth. If l had but word with which TO
describe the American soldier, I would describe
him with the word courage No milton in all the
annals Of has produced average individuals
with such predominant courage, such unheard-Of
heroism, such willing offering of life"
But Mr.. Schalls speech was eloquent for another
reason also: He himself is blind man-"lost
sight through electric shock" says the Congress
stonal Directory. Said he, In his introduction:
"No doubt every one of these boys has cried out
In his hour of trial, % Lord If possible take this
cup from me- and would have chosen to have
remained upon the battlefield with no Weakening
to bear day after day, the heavy cross Of silent
waiting. The constantly recurring thought in the
early days of blindness is, rs death to be pre-
ferredT for they then reason with the mind of the
seeing I can remember upon losing my sight,
acquaintances meeting me after a lapse of time
would say 'Scha heard you were dead re-
Piled Not dead, Just blindr But could readily
interpret what they thought When they heard
that had lost my sight, they said to themselves
I would rather be dead And so, having said 1t,
they concluded that dead But I am not
dead. tApplause.] And am quite sure that the
blind soldiers who here in the gallery today
will prove that they are not dead [Applause.l
These men are making good under their trials