The New York Times/1918/11/11/Gen. Bell Stirs Kin of Our Soldiers
GEN. BELL STIRS KIN OF OUR SOLDIERS
Asks Great Audience to Aid Soldiers' Children Here as Our Men Did in France.
HEDGES CITES ENEMY ACTS
"Proved Barbarities," He Declares of Death Traps Set for Allies' Merciful Armies.
One of the biggest crowds the Hippodrome has ever held attended a combined Christmas and emergency fund benefit held yesterday afternoon under the joint auspices of the regimental "family units" of the 304th, 305th, and 306th Field Artillery Auxiliaries and the 302d Ammunition Train Auxiliary, together known as "New York's Own." Mrs. Robert Bacon presided and the speakers were Major Gen. J. Franklin Hall and Job E. Hedges. In addition to military drills by a provisional company from the 32d Infantry on Governors Island, a long musical program was furnished by Mme. Schumann-Heink, Leonora Sparkes, Riccardo Martin, David Bishham, Sascha Jacobsen, Percy Grainger, and Irving Berlin.
"In time or war it is the duty of the soldier to do, and not to talk," said General Bell in his speech, "but the occurrences of the last few days have causes a feeling of thankfulness to enter my heart, a thankfulness so great as to exclude any other feelings on earth. I do not care what happens now, for the war is practically over. This is a season for world-wide thanksgiving.
"I would like to make a few suggestions as to what we have to be thankful for. Suppose the Belgians, a relatively weak nation, cowed by the threats of the overwhelming force of savages, had consented to allow them to march through Belgium and had not completely stood to oppose them, where might we be now? And, great as they are, patient as they are, persevering as they are, what might have happened to the people of France, had not England arrived opportunely to help?"
General Bell Praises the Allies.
General Bell paid tribute to the steadfast bravery of the French and the Italians, and then declared that this nation owed an everlasting debt of gratitude to the British navy. He pointed out that, if it had not been for the British sea fighters and the allied transports, it would have taken months longer to get an American force of formidable size in France.
Referring to the fact that the proceeds from the entertainment were for Christmas cheer among children of the men now in France, General Bell added that all present might realize how much joy and happiness their contribution to the entertainment would give to these little ones at home.
"All you have to do is to notice in our papers how much of a figure French children cut with our American soldiers. Have you seen an American soldier in France with a child? Do you know what it means to soldiers who have left children behind? What it means to them to be without their children over there? It is just as natural for American boys and soldiers to love children as it is natural for mothers to love them.
"Has any one ever heard of an American child or woman being injured by an American soldier?" the General exclaimed, in conclusion. "This particular year, as never before, we should celebrate Christmas. We have so much to be thankful to God for. If there is any one in this audience today who ever doubted that destiny shapes our end, that there is Providence in the fall of the sparrow, when you come to consider what has taken place in the last four years and what it is bound to mean to the human race, you can doubt no longer."
Enemy Punished, Says Hedges.
"I am thankful that the Almighty got tired of waiting for us to enter the war and pushed us into it," declared Mr. Hedges in his turn, "and I am thankful that the Flanders line held out until we got there. I am glad we got there, although it was 'on the afternoon of the last day left.' I am glad there is sufficient poetic justice in the world to make it necessary for Germany to ask for an armistice from a French General.
"I am sorry, however," he continued, "that the world will never know what the Kaiser is thinking about now; not that we care, but as a matter of intellectual exercise. I would like to know how he regards his present relationship with the Almighty."
After outlining the reasons that made it vital for this country to take its stand with the Allies and "forever establish that right is superior to might," Mr. Hedges drove home the terrible manner in which the enemy had made his war and gave two "proved instances" of the frequently charged barbarity.
"When the St. Mihiel salient was attacked," said the speaker, "a soldier entered the village and found there, nailed on a door, a dying, defenceless kitten, with nails through its four feet. Its cries attracted the soldier and he went and drew the nails. Drawing these nails released the bullet that took this soldier's life. And this was Germany's declaration that 'there shall be no mercy on this earth.'
"A statue of Christ had fallen from a nearby building. Soldiers started to raise it, and the act of raising it released bullets that killed them. And this was Germany's declaration that there should be no God on this earth, concluded Mr. Hedges.
The great audience was deeply impressed by the serious tony of both speakers. It gave a rousing welcome to the musical stars. Combined bands from Forts Totten and Hamilton, playing under the leadership of Rocco Resta, set off the noisiest demonstration of the evening.