Daily Kennebec journal., 1925-07-04
Defense Day
Plans Carried
Out at HallOWell

defense Day exercises In Halo
we'll were carried out according to
plan. At 6.55 the bells of the var
ious churches of the city were rung
and the fire whistle blown for five
minutes as invitation for the citizens
to assemble. The parade formed at
Z o'clock in front of the Central
Fire station. The Hallowell Boys
Fife and Drum Corps furnished
music. The order of march was as
follows: Marshal, Lieut.. Leigh
Webber; platoon Of police, Halo
well Boys Fife and Drum Corps.
Frank E. Goodrich Post, American
Legion. Gen. C. w. Tilden Camp,
Sons of Veterans, members of the
firemen's association and volun-
teers. The line of march was down
Academy to Water street, over Wa
ter street to Winthrop and up Win
throp to City Hall. The color bear
ers were Samuel Webber and Fred
Patrick for Gen. c. w. Tilden Camp,
and Clarence Carey and Leslie Trask
for Frank E. Goodrich Post.
At City Hall the procession halt
ed for the exercises. The various
addresses were made from City Hall
steps. Mayor c. X. Tilden presided
and introduced the speakers in fit
ting manner, giving in introduction
brief statement of the purpose of
the day. The invocation was by
Rev. r. H. Moyle of the Methodist
Episcopal church of the city, who
made most appropriate and inspir-
ing prayer, emphasizing the idea of
protection rather than aggression. He
was followed by Col. Winn, who in
brief address showed clearly the
need of preparation in the United
States. He reviewed the various
wars, showing how many lives were
sacrificed uselessly in each. The
Revolutionary war and Washinston's
difficulties, the war of 1912 with the
burning of the city of Washington;
the Civil war with both sides un-
trained, the sacrifice of young men
through unnecessary disease in the
Spanish war, all these were touches
upon.\ Then Col. Winn showed
vividedly the loss of life through
lack of training in the World war
and gave as example the taking of
machine gun nests with the result
ant. terrible sacrifice of life. He
spoke from his own personal ex-
perience in the service.
He went on to show that the pur-
pose of these defense tests is to put
the responsibility for preparation
where it belongs upon all the able
bodied men between is and 10, who
In event of another war must res
pond to be assigned to some service
or other. The regular army, ex-
ceedingly small; the National Guard
but drop in the bucket" and fin
ally the reserve corps, are the forces
upon which our country must de-
pend in war. The reserve forces in
clude all between the ages already
designated. All need training for
self protection and for greater ef-
hc1ency. Some are receiving training
In summer camps. The country is
divided according to plans worked
out by the general staff into eight
corps, officered by reserve officers.
The plan is to build up companies
around stated localities, to have
the officers from that locality and
known to the men. In event of war
the companies and battalions are
raised and kept for time at home,
then sent for three months training
to some designated place. Col. Winn
is commander of the 606th and
would be the local head. In con-
clusion he pledged his word that
should the necessity occur to send
young men to him, he
would care for them in the best
fashion he could. At the close of
the exercises. Harold Tibbetts, chair
man of the committee on arrange
ments for the Defense Day program
thanked those who had taken part. ;