The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-09-25
VISIT TO BATTLE
FIELDDESCRIBED
By BR0OMFIELD
local Minister Recalls Anerl.
can Victory in Sermon
Last Night. s.

2tAaEtg E4AI 80 auuleuGb bu6 NV
J. 9. Bloomfield, pastor OF the NJ.
p. Temple last night delivered the
Hecond This sermon talks on Eu
rope IN discussing the theme 1.-THE
Appeal OF the Battlefields in
France he referred in his intro.
auction 20 the natural interest Of
folks in the places where men have
struggled:
II may be in a log cabin where
a Lincoln struggled for an educa.
ton, he said; "or in a laboratory
IN which an Edison struggles to
MASTER the secrets OF electricity:
or IN aflittie printing shop where a
Loyeioy struggles In behalf Of the
abolition Of slavery. 1t may be In
2 Bunker Hill where patriots fell
81 "a q Gettysburg where nation
was strpgsling to find itself; or In
2 Getssemafie where the redemp.
ton ola world was being achieved.
Follts have a peculiar interest in
battlefields for they demand the
maximum OF sacrifice. This ex.
pisins the abnormal interest in the
areas Of the world war. Colossal
sacrifice elictts the maximum Of
interest II Is TO minister 10 this
interest that 1 am making this ad.
dresssf
Ny principal reason for going
overseas during the past summer.
was to visit the battleflelds OF
rance and Belgium, and II posi-.
HE TO sense the spirit OF the peo.
Dies Of Europe. Before referring
@ me battleflelds, permit me to
refer 10 a continuous criticism /
heard of the United States while in
Great britain. II related to our
slowness In entering the war. In
every instance asked the one thus
eritteising US to name a single
cause We had. before the sinking
Of the Lusitania, justifylng our
declaring war on Germany. or
course they could give none.
Refers to London Sermon.
we had the good fortune while
~ Eondon5to hear the pastor of the
famous City Temple, the Rev. DR..
Norwood, He had just returned
from New York where he had oc.
cupted the pulpit OF the Broadway
GongTeg ational Church for two
months as an exchange pastor with
DR. Charles E, Jefferson. In his
sermon address his theme was "a
Bfitisher's Impressions OF the Uni.
ted States. He referred 10 the
criticism heard in England OF the
sloRness Of our coming into the
IN a very convincing way he
asked all who thus criticised TO re.
member that this was the first time
m q hundred years that Great
Britain had mixed In the affairs OF
europe In military way: and that
sritishers had coigned the phrase,
Splendtd Isolation referring 70
their island kingdom.
said he in substance: II we
nave thus prided ourselves on our
splendid isolation. and have re.
fused 70 participate In the many
wars that have devastated Europe
ttik the past hundred years. can we
blame the United States, three
thousand miles away, for hesItat.
ING IN coming into the World Ware
IT was my privilege. in company
VAIN those In my party, to cover
me major part Of the battleIines
from Paris to zeebrugge on the
North Sea. They made three great
impressions upon me,
My first impression was NJ ,hoir
astness geographically, and in
point OF time, and in number Of men
sengaged, ] have stood on Bannock
BURN famous in Scottish history: I
nave covered the field OF Gettvs.
plIrs. where the high ude OF our
rebellion was reached: twice have
visited the field OF Waterloo, the
scene Of Napoleou's overtbrow
l.Insse tields stretch but a few miles
" their longest axis. and only a
lew hundred thousand men at most
We're engaged. "'O''
Cites Long Battle.
tBannockburn was fought IN q
rev hours, Waterloo In an aItsr.
noon, and Gettysburg in three Jaws
" remained for the world war ~
give; US the far flung battlellne,
lanes stretching for hundreds Of
miles battles raging for months
ana men by the tens OF millions on.
saged-these reflect the yasiness
oLsthe World War in contrast WITH
sall$other wars. ""u
NY second impression was OF
re desolation and indescribabIe
aestruction the war produced
Miles Of forests in which NO trse
vas alive; hundreds of what nsed
20 pc yillages-now looking IKE old
abandoned brickyards In which the
weeds were fighting for the mas.
sery farms shot away and only
thousands of sheIlholes, runninE
ION sfour to twenty feet deem Jeff
Y zen the tale; towns whose do.
serted streets,and gaunt, fIre.swen,
and shell.shattored buildings arc
more soul.depressing than a thon
SAND Pompeiis; all these are ssen
5as9qghoqt the Marine, and Somme
and FLANDERS Field. My great won.
Rst tnen, and my great wonde,
TOW Is that any man escaped
said 20 myself repeatedly ~ tho
se Of the forest, and the great
buildings erected by tho genius of
man and the farms given of God
could not Withstand the ravages of
Mar how about the bodies of
Many Bones Found.
grips ones soul to see the
eenes OF men, and the equipment
lt9ey wore, and war material of
very description, lying about in
H. nfT0Htf6n6 n.