The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-05-31

Vic VI Tic IAiOSt pCduSilO1 oILO
comprehensive addresses heard
in Key West was that of William
v. Little, which was delivered al
the Memorial Day Exercises al
Bayview Park yesterday after
noon. For the benefit of those
who were prevented from attend
ing the event, the address is pub
lished in full herewith:
Here, on this day each year
at this historic spot, situated on
the southernmost of the far
flung line of the Florida Keys
described by our own poet, Ste
phen Cochran Singleton, as:
as. "a scimitar that guard
ing, sweeps
Before the Nations heart,
and ever keeps
Unsheathed its vigilence; it
stands and waits,
The outpost sentinel of our
Southern gates.
here we meet to keep a rendez-
vouS.
ave have here a rendezvous
with the souls of all those who
heard the call to the great be-
yond while in the service of their
country; those who have kept
that other rendezvous described
in these well-knoWn words:
"T have a rendezvous with
death
At some disputed barricade
When Spring comes round
with rustling shade
And apple blossoms fill the
air.
l have a rendezvous with
death,
When Spring brings back blue
days and fair.
1t may be he shall take my
hand
And lead me into his dark
land,
And close my eyes and
quench my breath;
1t may be 1 shall pass him.
still
I have a rendezvous with
death,
On some SCARED slope of bat
tered hill,
When Spring comes round
again this year
And the first meadow flow
ers appear.
'At the call of their country
these men left their homes, and
their loved ones, gave up their
usual occupations, and went,
some voluntarily, and some, per-
haps, unwillingly, to risk their
lives and to suffer untold hard
ships.
To-day. just as this community
is doing, our nation is united in
expressing appreciation for the
service to their country rendered
by those who gave up their lives
in defense of its honor. We do
not forget the sacrifices they
have made, nor do we forget the
sorrow and loss of those loved
ones whom they left behind.
'In honoring their memory let
us also express the hope that,
should each sacrifices be requir-
ed in the future, the results to be
obtained will be worthy of the
price paid. 1t is to be regretted
that we can not say that of the
War to end Wars, which we were
told was to make the world safe
for Democracy.
I'm the light of what we now
know; in the light of what is TAX
ing place over most of the world
today:-what a hideous farce,
what a useless sacrifice.
"You know how safe the world
has been made for Democracy
so safe that we now are faced
with a struggle to maintain it
here in our native land; so that
we may preserve for posterity
that glorious national heritage
which has been handed down to
us by our forefathers.
"You know how war has been
ended:-when you think of the
frightful destruction, the almost
unbelievable degradation; unbe-
lievable in this so-called civilized
age, taking place at this very
moment on almost every contin-
ent and threatening to engulf the
entire world.
MANY of the men whose mem
ory we honor today went over
seas at their country's call:-and
some came back:-and some re-
mained in Flanders Fields
where.
&c. the peoples blow
Between the crosses, row on
row,
That mark their place, and
in the sky
The larks still bravely sing
ing fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns