ng task they had undertaken and
performed with audacity, efficiency and unhesitating courage that touch
the story of convoy and battle with imperishable distinction at every
turn, whether the enterprise were great or small--from their chiefs,
Pershing and Sims, down to the youngest lieutenant; and their men were
worthy of them--such men as hardly need to be commanded, and go to their
terrible adventure blithely and with the quick intelligence of those who
know just what it is they would accomplish. I am proud to be the
fellow-countryman of men of such stuff and valor. Those of us who stayed
at home did our duty: the war could not have been won or the gallant men
who fought it given their opportunity to win it otherwise; but for many
a long day we shall think ourselves 'accursed we were not there, and
hold our manhoods cheap while any speaks that fought' with these at St.
Mihiel or Thierry. The memory of those days of triumphant battle will go
with these fortunate men to their graves; and each will have his
favorite memory. 'Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot, but he'll
remember with advantages what feats he did that day!'

"What we all thank God for with deepest gratitude is that our men went
in force into the line of battle just at the critical moment, and threw
their fresh strength into the ranks of freedom in time to turn the whole
tide and sweep of the fateful struggle--turn it once for all, so that
henceforth it was back, back, back for their enemies, always back, never
again forward! After that it was only a scant four months before the
commanders of the central empires knew themselves beaten, and now their
very empires are in liquidation!

"And throughout it all how fine the spirit of the Nation was; what unity
of purpose, what untiring zeal! What elevation of purpose ran through
all its splendid display of strength, its untiring accomplishment. I
have said that those of us who stayed at home to do the work of
organization and supply will always wish that we had been with the men
whom we sustained by our labor; but we can never be ashamed. It has been
an inspiring thing to be here in the midst of fine men who had turned
aside from every private interest of their own and devoted the whole of
their trained capacity to the tasks that supplied the sinews of the
whole great undertaking! The patriotism, the unselfishness, the
thoroughgoing devotion and distinguished capacity that marked their
toilsome labors, day