Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1932-02-11
a Soldier Opened His Mind

tarlanS and American Legion last
Friday evening in the. Legion hall
was one of the best of it's kind ever
delivered here. Rev. Riley is pas
tor of the Central Methodist Epis
copal church of GAINESVILLE. He
served four years as soldier in
the World war, entering the service
as a British soldier in the year
1914. His subject was "When a
Soldier opens His Mind" The
speaker gave a vivid description Of
war, painting it in all of it's hor
rors. Two Of his brothers lost their
lives in the World war. In the be-
ginning of his lecture Rev. Riley
made it plain that he was not 9
pacifst, and Notwithstanding wars
horrors, and the danger he encoun-
tered said if his services were need
ed today to protect the flag of his
country, he would go to the official
board of his church, ask for his re-
lease, and go to war the same as he
did in 1914.
Rev. Riley entered the war not
as a chaplain,-although he could
have done so, but as buck private.
He won seven distinguished service
medals, receiving them from the
British, French and Belgium gov
ernments.
He stated in his dynamic style
that war hardens the soul; robs
men of their finer sensibilities, and
after having been in the service for
some time it makes him have little
regard for human life
After reciting some of the actual
experiences of war, and painting it
in all of it's ghastliness, he stated
that no one should object to the
government giving the American
Legion boys and all soldiers of the
World war, rightfully what belongs
to them, but stated that they were
not receiving such-that there were
soldiers who had given their health
many hopelessly crippled and un-
able to work, who are hungry and
in need.
The speaker stated that there
was one thing that he wanted the
papers to report in connection witt
his address, if they didt mention
anything else, and that was to refute
the published statements made dur
the war, in which the Germans
were charged with beastIiness,
that the reported cruelties publish
ed accusing the German soldiers
of having committed in Bel
gium were all "damnable lies y
That no such brutality ever occur
red However the speaker spoke of
the gas used by the Germans which
Misunderstanding that the soldiers
who died from the German gas dieo
like. dogs, without being given /
chance. He spoke of 239 soldiers
he went with into battle, and wheI
the roll was next called, but A.
were present to answer to roll call
He said there was no glory in wa1
that there is no moral side in
killing and being killed-that wa,
is the most damnable thing in all
the world What the world needs,
he said, was Christianity-to bring
the world into a great brotherhood,
and when that time comes war will
cease
The speaker Interestingly and
humorously related about being
thrown into contact with some big
Norwegians from Minnesota, who
inspired him to come to America.
and to become an American citizen,
he said that he was an American
citizen long before he was natural
ized. He has no use for the for
eigners who come here, and after
which to make him eligible for cit
izenship, refuses to take out his
naturalization papers. He said he
would send them back to the coun-
try from whence they came
He recited an interesting incident
as to how he was in company with
some British soldiers and they We're
in a discussion, as to whether or
not America would enter the World
war, and the majority felt that
America would never get in-that
the Americans were too fond of 60
after the almighty dollar. But
America got into the war. and Rev.
Riley stated that it was the Amer
iaat1 TrN-anditinnaT,t ny thaf want
to France and that saved the world
from physical disaster; that if
america had not gone to Europe
we would be writing a different
story today The eyes of the world.
he said, are now turned toward
America, and that we must help
save the world now, as we did in
1917; that she must stand for the
same principles as does the Amer
lean Legion, and America must
dedicate herself to the task of saw
ing the world from physical, moral
and spiritual disaster, and in so do
ing help to bring the world into the
experience of world brotherhood.
Rev. Riley more than lived up to
his reputation as a speaker. Sew
eral years ago, here at Chautauqua
it will be recalled that "Private
Peat Canadian soldier, deliver
ed a great lecture, which was along
much the same line of Rev. Riley's
address. The writer heard both
speakers, and much as we were
pleased with Private Peat, we
would place Rev. Riley's address
his command of language, his de-
livery and all, above that of Pri-
vate Peat.
.l~s. n