The Coolidge examiner., 1934-11-02
sy ELMO SCOTT WATSON

ey ELMO SCOTT WATSON
OS TIE eleventh hour Of the
eleventh day OF the eleventh month
W ~ in the year 1918 the guns. which
~ ~ for more than four years had been
lssrfr7 u roaring In western Europe all along
osrE l'r the line from Switzerland TO Hol.
kr1r~1IG< land. we're sllenced and 10 a wait
lllllllHEs ing world was flashed the welcome
cllD| - message The Aruisilcc has been
signed" That Is the event which
We celebrate each year November IL and
which We regard as the "end o. the World war"
As a matter of fact. 10 wasn't The World war
didn't end Tor us officially until nearly three
years later True actual hosiilities ended on
November n. 1918. but there s;iil remained the
signing % peace treaties with our late enemies
the Treaty 81 Versailles with Germany on June
:. 1919: the Treaty of 81 Germain with Austria
on September 10. 1919. the Treaty Of Neullly
with Bulgaria on November -. 1919 the Treaty
of the Grand Trianon with Hungary on June e.
1890: and finally the Treaty OF Scvres with Tur
key on August TO- 1890
Even with these treaties signed the actual
"cnd % the war" was stan 4 year away. For
peace treaties must be ratified by the United
States senate and because the Treaty Of Yer
saillcs included a provision Tor American mem
bership IN the newly organized League of Ma
tons. the senate on March 10 iQ2o rejected the
treaty which President Wilson had presented 10
a for ratification. Immediately thereafter Sena.
tor Philander G. Knox Of Pennsylvania intro
dueed resolution repeallng the declarations Of
war and reserving TO the United States all the
benefits given Il In the Versailles treaty. This
resolution passed both houses OF congress In
April and May. 1900. but on May - President
Wilson vetoed I, as "an 1neTaceahe stain upon
the gailantry and honor OF the United States"
Meanwhile the Treaty OF Versailles had been
ratified by Germany and the principal allied pow
and the League OF Nations had come into
existence. But when Woodrow Wilson retired
from the White House, broken man with his
most cherished project rejected by the country.
the United States was siili outside the League Of
Nations. the treaty was still unratihed and. off,
cially. we were stil at war with the Central
Powers When Warren G. Harding became Pres
ident the Knox resolution was revived In con.
gresS. again passed and on July >. 1921. Presi-
dent Harding signed H. So July . 1921 rather
than November II. 1918. marked the official END
OF the World war for the United States
There is an interesting parallel between the
length OF time which elapsed from the cessa-
tion OF hosiintIes To the official end OF the world
war and a similar period In bringing 10 a conclu-
sion the FIRST in which we. a nation. ever
engaged-the Revolution. Ask the average Amer
lean when the Revolution ended and he will
probably say: why when CORVALLIS surren-
as Incorrect as he is In regarding November H.
1918. as the final curtain on the drama OF the
World war.
on October 10. i7S1. British army marched
out from Yorktown. Va. TO the tune OF "The
World Turned Upside Down" and handed over
its arms TO the combined French and American
armies commanded by Count de Rochambeau and
Gen. George Washington Within - hours cou-
riers mounted on swift horses were speeding
northward. rousing every village and farm
with the thrilling word "Cornwallis is taken ="
Everywhere the news was received with delight
by the Patriots and with dsmay by the Loyalists
or Tories. lmpromptu celebrations in honor Of
the glorious news were organized In many places,
but much of the hysteria and wild jubilation
which swept the whole country on November IL
1918. was lacking In October. 17S1.
With no telegraph. telephone radio or other
means OF quick communication there was no way
OF spreading the news simultaneously throughout
the 13 states which then comprised the nation,
hence no one day was given over everywhere to
the celebration there was 10 years ago this
month. For instance. II was not until October
-. Eve days after the surrender, that there ap-
peared on the streets OF Philadelphia. only 200
miles from Yorktown. a broadside which said:
ILLUMINATION
Colonel Tilghman, Aide de Campito his Ex-