Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-07-06
Right to Hope
For Better Days.
Dawes Word on 9TH

chicago, July 4.-(AP)-The true
| American, however poor and weak he
may be in himself, sees in the flag of
his government only the right to hope
and work for better days, Vice Presi-
dent Dawes said in an Independence
Day address broadcast from Chicago
| tonight.
1t behooves US as a people," he
said, Ito celebrate the anniversary of
the nations birth with solemn thought
as well as happiness for the blessings
which we enjoy under our great gov
eminent and to endeavor to realize
how much depends for'us and for the
world upon its preservation"
Hid address follows:
1T is most appropriate that on this
anniversary of the birth of our nation
we consider our national defense, for
in SO doing, we are only combining
with our tribute to the past a definite
and earnest thought of our nations
future. But 1 will leave to others to
speak tonight of the great and wise
system of national defense which, as
embodied in the national defense act,
has been worked out on the basis of
experience gained from the World
War, and will only express a few
thoughts which should be uppermost
in our minds as American citizens or
this day.
I'VE are living in one of the great
epochs of the worlds history. In the
world war an elemental CONFUSION
of humanity occurred which has had
a profound and lasting effect upon
life on the earth. For a thousand
this particular decade be studied
and appraised because of their eff
feet in altering the course of human
activities hereafter.
"Our people have seen this nation
emerge from that unprecedented
calamity to the human race-the
world war-unquestionabl the most
powerful and influential on earth. 1t
behooves us as people, therefore, to
celebrate the anniversary of the Ma
tons birth with solemn thought as
we'll as happiness for the blessings
which we enjoy under our great gov
eminent, and to endeavor to realize
how much depends for us and for
the world upon it's preservation.
From that day in 1881, when
Lord CORVALLIS, and his army sur
rendered to George Washington at
Yorktown, the American people have
been sovereign in this country; and
when, in 1877, they fromed the con-
stitution of the United States with
it's system of checks and balances,
| they created the best Instrument
through which the sovereignty of a
people can be expressed that the
world has known. That sovereignty,
the American people on this ami
versary declare to be a success and
not a failure.
while we cannot but admit the
existence of wrongs under our Gov
eminent and under all Governments
except that Of the Divine Master, we
believe that where wrong exists il
is in spite of our Government and not
because of it. We believe that the
opportunity to right these wrongs
depends upon the strength of our
Government and it's institutions and
not upon their weakness.
I'VE look upon the flag as that
which guarantees to our people the
opportunity to right wrongs, to strive
after better things, to look upward
and press forward towards the full
fillment of Gods destiny for our
race. The true American, however
poor and weak he may be in him.
self, sees in the flag of his Govern