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Show ' ARMISTICE DiSf 1 beard a cry in the night from a far-flung host. From a host that sleeps through the years the last long sleep. By the Meuse, by the Marne, in the Ar- gonne's shattered wood, In a thousand rote-thronged churchyards through our land. Sleep! Do they sleep! I know I heard their cry, Shrilling along tha night like a trumpet 19 blast: ; pa "We died," they cried, "for a dream. Have ye forgot? We dreamed of a world reborn whence wars had fled. Where swords were broken in pieces and guns were rust, la Where the poor dwelt in quiet, the rich in m peace, . And children played in the streets, joyous and free. ' We thought we could sleep content in task well done; n But the rumble of guns rolls over us, iron upon iron Sounds from the forge where are fashioned guns anew; New fleets spring up in new seas, and under the wave Stealthy new terrors swarm, with emboweled em-boweled death. Fresh cries of hate ring out loud from a demagog's throat. While greed reaches out afresh to grasp new lands. Have we died in vain, in vain? Is our dream denied? You men who live on the earth we bought a with our woe, Will ye stand idly by while they shape new wars, Or will ye rise, who are strong, to fulfill our dream, B3 To silence the demagog's voice, to crush a the fools Who play with blood-stained toys that crowd new graves? We call, we call on the night, will ye hear and heed?" 1 l In the name of our dead will we hear? uj Will we grant them sleep? B The poem is by William E. Brooks, and can he found in an anthology, "The New Patriotism," edited by Thomas Curtis Clark and Esther A. Gillespie. It is a fitting message mes-sage for the season of loving and admiring recollection which finds its culminating observance ob-servance on Armistice day. mM mji "wwm 1 nmmramMHyflMw,H"iB'prrHimw.'H.wi...,p nimmn u - - ;'! l ItJ l1-' - I 1 1 - 2 i The American cemetery at Belleau woods where hundreds of American soldiers are buried. It was a shrine for the visiting American Legionnaires who visited Paris to attend the American Legion convention. WHEN FOCH MET a GERMANS TO END WAR How the Enemy, Beaten, and Fearing Reds, Begged Peace of Allies. The following account of the meeting meet-ing of the Armistice commission which ended the World war Is taken from oilicial sources and conveys an accurate picture of a momentous occasion. oc-casion. We reprint it from the New Ycrk Herald Tribune- The daily slaughter of thousands of lives finished abruptly at 11 a. m. on November 11, 101S, marking the end of the greatest war in history and making the meeting of the Armistice commission the most important historical his-torical event. The scene was laid In the middle of the forest of Compiegne, where Marshal Foeh's train drew up opposite oppo-site some old heavy gun sidings at seven o'clock on the night of Thursday, Thurs-day, November 7, 1918. With Marshal Foch was General e.vgand, bis chief of staff; some staff officers and British representatives, representa-tives, the latter headed by Admiral Sir Rosslyn Wemyss. On another set of rails, about a hundred yards away, was another similar train, and on the Rrrivnl of the German delegates, In the early hours or Friday morning, after their adventurous journey in automobiles across tlie fighting front, they were accommodated i this train. As soon as 1'ie German delegates arrived a messagi 'was sent them to say that Marshal Foch would tie ready to receive them at 9 a. m. the same day. Friday. November 8. and exactly on time, in single file, Herr Erzberger leading, followed by Count Oberndorff, General von Win-terfeld Win-terfeld (whose father was present at the peace of Versailles In 1ST!) and -'aptaln von Vnnsplow made their "Ppearance. and In addition there ere two officer Interpreters. Delegates Appeared Downcast. All of the delegates appeared very downcast and 111 at ease, and as soon ns they had entered the car fitted for 'he conference. General Weygand re-Ported re-Ported to Marshal Foch. who immediately immedi-ately entered, together with the British Brit-ish representatives. In calm, even tones Marshal Foch asked the Germans, "What is the object ob-ject of your visit?" Herr Erzberger replied. "We have come to hear pm-lH,sals pm-lH,sals for an armistice on land, sea. In the air and in the colonies." "I have no proposals to make." answered an-swered Marshal Foch. fount (MierndorfT then pulled a Paper from ,is pocket and read a statement made by President Wilson foiic-eming the famous 14 points. w'hei !m,i finished Marshal Foch said that :f they desired an armistice the terms would be read, and, the German delegates having stated that they wished hostilities to cease. General Gen-eral Weygand read out each article, the French interpreter repeating them in German. What a dramatic picture this made, perhaps, can be imagined. Herr Krzberger, the son of a postman, post-man, with his very full face, large double chin and irregular mustache; Count Oberndorff, who had served all his time in the diplomatic service; General von Winterfeld, the representative repre-sentative of Prussian militarism, though not aggressively mannered, and Captain von Vanselow, a naval officer, who, although In uniform, looked more like a merchant. These, together with their two Interpreters, In-terpreters, formed one group, and the French and British officers, in their contrasting uniforms, with firm and calm countenances, knowing they held the upper band, opposite. As soon as the reading of the terms was completed the Germans, looking very dejected, asked permission to communicate with their government. Owing to the fact that the Germans had not brought any cipher, Marshal Foch refused to allow wireless to be used and the terms thus made public property before perusal and consideration, consid-eration, and so Captain von Helldorf was dispatched to German headquarters headquar-ters at Spa with a copy. General von Winterfeld then asked that hostilities might cease Immediately Immedi-ately "so as to avoid useless bloodshed," blood-shed," and, speaking in French, he actually referred to the rout "la deroute," the actual word used of the German army. Marshal Foch, however, would not agree to giving the enemy any breathing breath-ing space which might allow them to reorganize, and he stated emphatically emphat-ically that fighting- should not cease until the terms read out had been definitely accepted and signed. Conferences Continued. Independent discussions were continued con-tinued during the afternoon in the conference car by the various German delegates, the chief matters necessarily neces-sarily being of a naval and military nature, and during these talks the fearful economic condition of Germany Ger-many was laid bare-Besides bare-Besides foodstuffs, necessary material mate-rial for naval and military equipment was in such short supply that the country was very literally at its last gasp. Another complaint of the Germans was against both the blockade and blacklist continuing after the armistice armis-tice was signed, and It was obvious that both these weapons had hard hit their country. However, one of the most important concessions of the whole agreement was then added, namely, that the allies would re-victual re-victual Germany. Hostilities Not Stopped. Niu-ht !'U on that fateful spot In the Compiegne forest and looking out of the tiain the fires of the bivouacs of the sentries and guards could be seen twinkling merrily, while away in tin' distance the boom of heavy guns told of the bloody work which was Mill continuing, after more than four fearful years, and, except for a written paper of agreements, sent over by the Germans, Saturday passed without any visible program, awaiting await-ing the message of the German government. gov-ernment. On Sunday, November 10, from soon after nine o'clock, several more discussions dis-cussions took place, and the most Important Im-portant was as to whether, owing to the Internal political situation, the German government could carry out the terms of the armistice, if they did sign, especially concerning the surrender sur-render of the warships. It was suggested that the allies should occupy Helgoland, but the German delegates did not think that it would be necessary. Another question that arose was the altering of the phrase involving the "surrender" of General von Ler-tow Ler-tow Verbeck to "evacuation." That evening a wireless message was received from the German government gov-ernment ordering the signing of the armistice, but to add that Germany would become a prey to bolshevism unless the allies would undertake provisioning. pro-visioning. Germans Felt Terms Harsh. There was further long discussion, far into the night, concerning Helgoland, Helgo-land, as the French and British felt that there must be something to fall back upon, in case the Germans were unable to control their own men, the majority of whom were almost entirely en-tirely out of hand. It was finally decided to add an extra ex-tra stipulation to the agreement, recommending rec-ommending to the German government govern-ment that the allies occupy Helgoland if the government should be unable to enforce its commands, as if put in stronger terms a long delay would be occasioned, through having to refer re-fer the matter to Spa, should the allies al-lies insist on the occupation In any event. At 2 a. ra. on Monday, November 11, all the delegates on both sides were assembled for a final conference-General conference-General Weygand read out the armistice ar-mistice agreement, article by article, and as each was read out the French Interpreter translated it Into German, and discussion then proceeded until the final form of the article was mutually mu-tually agreed upon, though, throughout, through-out, the Germans kept Insisting that the terms were so harsh they would be difficult of fulfillment. However, all the articles were finally final-ly read and discussed, and then Herr Erzberger stood up and read out a statement In German, stating that the government would carry out the terms as far cs humanly possible. At 5:To a. m. all the delegates signed the momentous document-Marshal document-Marshal Fich being the first to sign, followed by the British Admiral Wemyss, Orders were immediately issued, all over the world, for hostilities on land, nt sea and In the air to cease at 11 a. m. on that day. Monday. November 11, If'K. for a period of ,10 days, and it Is now a matter of history how this period was later exter.ded until the peace of Versailles of 1919. Thus ended the most I report nil historical his-torical event of all time. |