518 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
Following Mr. Burton's address,
President Johnson
said:
We may well hope that a million radio
listeners, scattered
from lakes to gulf and from coast to
coast, have been sitting at
their instruments, listening to these
lessons of truth and mag-
netism. We are greatly indebted to Mr.
Burton for the message
which he has brought us. I am sure you will all join in a vote
of thanks to him for coming to Columbus
and appearing before
this assembly. Mr. Burton has made
arrangements to return
to Washington on the 4:50 Pennsylvania
train; so if it becomes
necessary for him to leave before the
conclusion of the pro-
gram, you will understand the reason
why.
Had the inclemency of the weather not
driven us to a change
of program, we would now be proceeding
to the unveiling of The
Victorious Soldier. In the arrangement
of this program we
sought to pay a tribute of love and
respect to the War Mothers
of Ohio, and for that reason there was
chosen to represent them,
Mrs. Elizabeth L. Clark, the President
of the Department of Ohio,
Women's Auxiliary of the American
Legion. The last speaker
on the program will represent the
service men and women of
Ohio. In order that Mrs. Clark, and the
War Mothers she rep-
resents, may not be deprived of their
rightful place on this pro-
gram, I am going to ask you to rise and
be presented to Mrs.
Elizabeth L. Clark. (Applause.)
ADDRESS OF MRS. ELIZABETH L. CLARK
Mrs. Clark came forward and spoke
briefly and feel-
ingly as follows:
Mr. President and Friends: When the
Congressman was
speaking, I, as a mother, could not help
thinking of a day when
under that golden dome in Washington was
gathered together a
body of men who held in their hands the
destinies of this nation.
On one side sat the members of Congress,
above them in silent
dignity sat the Supreme Court, on the
other side were the envoys
of foreign nations. Back here sat your
War President, on one
side the Vice-President, and on the
other the Secretary of War,
and outside the nation waited.
And you women know how we felt when we
heard those
words, "We are at War". I
shall not take time to go over the
things you know, but I saw those Ohio
men go overseas, I saw
them in England and France and Italy and
Belgium, and you
know their coming home, but over there they left
precious
Dedication of Ohio's World War Memorial 519 shrines of America where side by side sleep Catholic and Prot- estant, Jew and Gentile, black and white, and while they slumber on foreign ground, they are protected by the flag of this country and it will keep them. Let the people of America keep the faith we have today. As women, we want peace, and no woman wants it more than I; but we want that peace with an ample army, Mr. |
|
Congressman, with an adequate navy; not to bring on unjust and unwarranted wars, but to insure us everlasting and abiding peace. Mr. President, that statue that was unveiled today will bring to the women of the state a kindlier thought in their minds, a ten- derer tone in their voices, and a warmer throb in their hearts, because, while we want peace, we love peace, these men for whom it stands love it more, because they know war. We love that flag, |
520 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
but they love it more because they have
seen its crimson colors
reproduced in the blood of America. We
love this country, but
they love it more, because they have
seen the sacrifices which have
made it what it is, and while we hope
that we will have peace,
we are going to claim our right and
recognize our right under
any circumstance, at any time, to
protect our homes, our loved
ones, our country, and our flag, to
maintain American institutions
and to preserve American traditions. I
thank you. (Applause.)
ADDRESS OF MAJOR-GENERAL BENSON W. HOUGH
President Johnson next presented
Major-General
Hough, who in behalf of the service men
and women of
Ohio thanked the Society for its
manifestation of inter-
est and the interest of the great state
of Ohio in the
erection of the Memorial this day
dedicated. President
Johnson spoke as follows:
Now, we have come to the last of the
addresses of the day.
It is to be made by one of our own, Late
Colonel of the 166th
Infantry of Ohio, 42nd Division of A. E.
F., who recently re-
ceived a deserved recognition and honor,
appointment to the Fed-
eral Judgeship of the Southern District
of Ohio. I have the honor
to present Major-General Benson W.
Hough, who will give a
response on behalf of the Service Men
and Women of Ohio.
Judge Hough responded as follows:
Mr. President, Senator Burton, My
Comrades, Friends, La-
dies and Gentlemen: It is no
insignificant duty to be called upon
to state the congratulations and
sentiment of more than a quarter
of a million Ohio service men. It is no
small task, either, to tell
this Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Society, in adequate
terms, of the appreciation that is due that
society for and in be-
half of this their splendid permanent
Memorial. It is my belief
that this should be approached in
modesty and humility, in a spirit
of thankfulness, for what has been
accomplished, in a spirit of
thankfulness that the occurrences of
1918 have terminated and
with the voice of hope that those times
may never be reenacted.
The man who conceived the idea of this
project must have been
a patriot. To James E. Campbell and his
associates, whose
thoughts developed into plans, and whose
plans through effort
finally developed into this completed
enterprise, all thanks must