MORE THAN A NAME 197 also insurance, so that if any of the men come back injured they at least shall have the insurance to give them and their dependents an opportunity to live in some degree of comfort, and the opportunity of increasing their pay so that they can afford to lay something away as a nest-egg for themselves or to give to their families. We have tried to formulate a measure that shall relieve for all time the people of our country of the scandals and the injustice of the old pensions system, taking our experience as to the difference of the industrial and employers' liability acts and the substitution of compensation for workmen so as to apply it to the soldiers and the sailors of Uncle Sam. We hope that the boys who are already in France and the boys who are going over to France may have minds free from the worry that their families may possibly go down in the standard of life prevalent in their community. We want the boys of Uncle Sam fighting for us to feel that America, great America, will stand by them or those they may possibly leave behind them. And I am proud to say that that measure passed the House of Representatives yesterday by an almost unanimous vote. We do not know now just exactly what sacrifices we may be called upon to make. Let us pray and hope and work that they may be few, if any at all; but this we feel assured of, from the President down to everyone aiding him and his in the great work of carrying on the war, it is the purpose that the home shall be maintained, that the standard of American life shall not go down, but shall be maintained throughout the war. We must make it possible that our fighting force shall be provided with every necessity to fight and every means contributing to their subsistence and comfort, and that the American people shall go on in their economic, industrial, social and spiritual life just as well as it is possible to do; and so, when it is necessary to make additional sacrifices, we shall-you, and you, and you—the people of Chicago, the people of Illinois, the people of the United States, stand as one solid phalanx of the manhood and the womanhood of the people of our country, of our republic, united, determined to stand by our cause and our gallant allies until the world has been made safe for freedom, for justice, for democracy, for humanitv. WHAT THE STATE IS SIR WILLIAM JONES "What constitutes a state? Not high-raised battlement or labored mound, Nor cities proud with spires and turrets crowned; Where, laughing at the storm, rich navies ride; Where low-browed baseness wafts perfume to pride. Men who their duties know, But know their rights, and, knowing, dare maintain." SOLDIERS OF FREEDOM SOLDIERS OF FREEDOM KATHARINE LEE BATES They veiled their souls with laughter Wherever Freedom goes; On Freedom's high adventure Our springing tears adore them, Divine with sudden splendor – Oh, how our eyes were blind! In careless self-surrender They battle for mankind. Soldiers of Freedom! Gleaming Toss her their youth-God bless them! As lightly as a rose. 199 THE KHAKI HENRY EDWARD WARNER I The khaki, the khaki! It flows in solid waves And pride shall be behind them, and these hot tears of mine! Tears for the heroes fallen, smiles for the men gone on, Cheers for the stout, brave hearts of them who battle for the dawn The dawn of earth's new freedom! And we who watch and pray Will grow our flowers for the wreaths of khaki sailed away! II The khaki, the khaki! O Thou who seest all, Keep to the fore with khaki, and fend the shell and ball! Strong in the might of virtue, strong for the newborn light That signals freedom's coming day and scatters hopeless night. The khaki, noble khaki, shall sweep o'er Flanders field, Driving the hatred of the Hun until all hell shall yield! And Thou who guidest planets-O Pilot of the soul!Thy voice shall give supreme command, Thy peace shall make us whole! LESSONS OF THE WAR' THEODORE ROOSEVELT No man could fail to be thrilled by facing an audience like this, and I accept your greeting as not for me personally, but for the thing for which I stand-for Americanism, one flag, one country, and an undivided loyalty from every man and woman in this land. We have a double right and double duty in connection with Americanism. On the one hand to suffer no discrimination against any man because of his birth or his creed, and on the other hand to insist that no man has a right to live in this country if he has any of Lot's wife attitude of looking back toward another country. In the days of the Revolution we became a nation because Washington and the men who followed him in the field, and the men who signed the Declaration of Independence with him, because those men, although predominantly of English blood, stood straight against England and for America. That lesson does not teach that we are to hate England. It is a mean and small soul who draws that lesson from it. That lesson teaches that we are to love liberty and to hate wrong, and stand for the right and against the wrong in each crisis as it comes up. The men of English descent in 1776 and in 1812 fought England because England was the foe of liberty and of America. And in just the same way we have a right to demand, not as a favor, but as a right, that every man of German descent now stand 1 From the speech delivered at Dexter Pavilion, Chicago, September 8, 1917. |