The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1927-03-31

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fight in the war with Tripoli as the
boldest expedition of its kind on rec
ord. The first gun fired in the war of
1912 was fired by Joseph Israel, a
Marylander; Maryland heads the list
in the number of soldiers contributed
to the war of 1912. In the war of |
61-65, Maryland contributed many |
gallant men who wore both the blue
and the gray, and in the Spanish
American war, the hero of Santiago, |
Admiral Sly, stands out as the great |
hero of that conflict.
In the great World War, when the
Prussian Government demanded a
place in the sun and attempted to
make that place good by acts hereto
fore unknown to have been committed
by civilized people; when the Prus-
sian Emperor in the name Of "Me and
God" painting for conquest and world
dominion, set the continent of Europe
on fire, made common cause with his
ally Australia, invaded and reduced to
ruins the Kingdom Of Belgium, as
saulted Russia on the Western front
and Italy on the East and made the
city of Paris his objective point, and
in order to maintain liberty over the
war lord, England, France and Italy
cemented themselves to repel the in
vader; and then the Prussian Emper-
or not content with over-running
Europe sought to sweep the high seas
clear and disgraced the rights of
neuterals and nationals of other gov
ernments not at war When Ameri-
can citizens were no longer safe on
ship that carried our flag, then the
name of humanity, common decency,
orderly government and safety at
home and dignity abroad, we were
called to arms after all other re-
course was unavailing. The young
manhood of America was called to
face in this generation the greatest
conflict ever waged in the annals of
war; you were called upon to bare
your breast and give your last drop
of life'sfowing stream on the altar of
freedom that the nation might be
safe and that other people on the face
of the earth may be saved. The con-
f1icts of that struggle are fresh in
your memory, we need not dwell on
the scenes of that conflict. American
manhood was sanctifed in bravery far
above any power that can add or de-
tract from their greatness, and our
hearts go up on high to every home
in which there is missing one who
gave up his life for the cause. To
secure a million men is work enough,
but to safely get those million men on
the battlefelds of France was a feat
unexampled in the history of armies.
You men were entrusted to that dis
tinguished American hero, General
Pershing, and as Lafayette came to
us in the days of our infancy so we
went on soil hallowed by his services
and saved to Central Europe and her
posterity the great nations of France,
England, Italy and Belgium.
The most appropriate speech that I
have ever heard attributed to any
man was delivered by General PERISH
ing land it is probably the shortest)
when he was taken, after reaching
France, to the grave of Lafayette and
asked to say something, to make a
speech. He did not go into any long
Grafton as he probably was expected
to do; he could have told them that
America had one million of the brav-
est, truest liberty loving young men
that the world had ever produced in
training to be brought over, but he
did not, but he stretched forth his
hand and said, Lafayette, oh Lafay-
cite! We have come, and our men
came none too soon for they found
England with her back to the wall
fighting for her very existence, and
France almost upon her knees" They
had fought the then almost victorious
Hun for three years and more and
were bordering on exhaustion.
America will ever rise to do the
honor that history has accorded you,
now that you have fought we'll the
battles of your country, the nation
owes to you the care and fortitude
father owes its children. The
American Legion can WELD influence
for the security of the nation, in the
young men of today lies our only
hope and the men of Maryland in the
World War stand out pre-eminent for
their bravery and their sacrifices.
History knows no other such example,
you have been true to your traditions
and the Government must remain
faithful to you.
Henceforth my friends, it will be
impossible for the United States to
remain neutral in any general Euro
pean War, it never can be neutral
again, that was tried in the last war
and it failed. When the last battle
of the Civil war had ended and the
battle flag had been furled and the