The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1933-06-13
BY FRED EDWARDS


Is there money enough In the
world today
To buy your boy? Could a mon
arch pay
You silver and gold in SO large a
sum
That you'd have him blinded or
stricken dumb?
How much would you take, IL
you had the choice.
Never TO hear, in this world
his voice?
Edgar A. Guest.
And yet American fathers and
mothers gave their boys-looked
into their bright eyes for the last
time in 1914, before they offered
them on the altar Of patriotism
to the God of Battles.
Gave an army of 100000 of
American boys, and sent them in
the uniform of the republic, to
teach the world over again how
easy, how commonplace 1t is to die
for liberty.
In the words of the Hon. Marion
Jones Of Texas, "In one short year
victory, as 1t always has. perched
upon our banner. Crowns crumbled,
kings and queens laid down their
wands and scepters. and many au-
tocratic governments were trans
formed to republics"
In France there are great fields
allied with thousands of white
crosses-crosses, each one marking
the resting place Of one American
boy who never came home again.
This great army of crosses that
-. H. HIo
Of the fields of Picardy, Ism OF the
only one where the graves of our
soldier dead are found. There are
'98 far flung on the other side Of
the world, some in unknown
graves. They did their bit!
Others who survived shot and
shell and disease came back to lie
for long weary years on hospital
cots, and the luckier ones are still
with US.
For long time past in Water
bury there has waged a campaign
of cillification against the veterans
of our wars, by interests and indi-
viduals blinded by avarice, who
seek to discredit the patriotic sur
vivors Of by-gone wars. Waterbury
war veterans have stood the bar
rage Of Misrepresentation and
propaganda silently and patiently
until 1t has become an eyesore.
just ike Shippers
Says a Spanish war vet who went
up San Juan Hill in '9S: This kind
of propaganda is like the sniping
we had to put up with from the
Spaniards. They had lot of pris-
oners, murderers and other GRIM
inals serving time in their prisons,
and when they saw we were bound
to win, they gave them O Mauser
rifle and a belt of ammunition and
tied them in the top of the trees.
telling them IL they stopped our adj
vance they would be free and
could go where they liked. Our
men were being shot down like rab-
bits, and we couldn't see where the
bullets were coming from, as the
leaves of the trees and cactus hid
the snipers. but when we located
'em-well you know-It's o. X. to
hit a man who can't hit back, but
no man who honors his God and
country would do it,"
OF late, however. during the leg
islative battle waged in the ma
tional capitol, the attackers have
luCiuueu III IfIelr VlCfOuS dttdCko tuc
representatives and congressman
who fought to give the American
war veteran square deal. Even
the motives of the vets defenders
In Congress have been attributed
to selfish motives. This un-Amer-
lean attitude towards the defend
Lers OF the flag. lacks not only re-
spect for the veterans. but also
respect for the American flag. and
IL an insult to all true patriotic
Americans, and detrimental to the
rising generation OF today.
|. This question will be taken up
at all meetings of veterans soon
to be held in this city, county, state
veteran organizations and auxil-
iaries and at the rBideport con-
'vention of the v. f. W., as well
as Boy Scout organizations through
the state. with the object Of end
ing the campaign Of vicious pub
licity, which aims to discredit war
veterans.
The Rising Generation
As TO the education Of the ris-
ing generation. The boys of to-
day who are growing up, who will
be the future presidents. congress-
men. leaders and soldiers, news