Lest We Torget By MRS. LOUISE COULSON LEST WE FORGET By Mrs. Louise Coulson AUTHOR OF "Poems and Verse," 1893 Poetic Gem, "To the World I Love," 1912 "The Dawn, or The Sweete6t Story Ever Told," 1920 SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 1921 Copyright, 1921, by MRS. LOUISE COULSON MAR 15 1921 C1A6X3022 Lest We Forget FTER the battle — after the sacrifice — after the triumphant victories. What? Great rejoicing. Thousands of our boys returning home, happy, content, and fully prepared to take up life's duties. Ready and willing to take up the work of reconstruction, readjustment, and help to untan- gle the ravages made by the war. Happy, victorious heroes. Sound in limb, rugged by experience and training. They have benefited by the rigors of camp and field, and are in better condition for life's battles than before the war. But what of the thousands who are maimed and crippled for life? Many who will never again fully recover their health and strength. Many who will have to go through life blind, armless, legless and helpless. They are the Heroes They are the boys who are the victors. Who have paid with their flesh and blood. The price of our country, our homes, our peace and comforts. We would indeed be most ungrateful and inhuman if we prove derelict in our future responsibilities, our duties and loving care. Our earnest endeavor in trying to mitigate their sufferings both in mind and body. America Home They are coming home by the thousands, and all of them have no real home to come to. America means the LEST WE FORGET only home many of them have once they reach the United States. They are certainly entitled to a real home. The home for which they have fought. It would simply be a farce and a crime to exact the sacrifice made and then dismiss them from our minds. The Horrors of the Trenches in France The blood-drenched soil of France. The rows on rows of the sacred mounds, for which those who have paid with their lives, lie sleeping in Flanders field. On Flanders Field our sacred Dead Sleep 'neath the poppies white and red, A sacred spot where the sunset glow Sheds its radiance over row on row. Blest heroes all beyond regret. No! We will not forget! We will not forget. God reigns supreme. Our government still lives, and we can not forget the magnificent manhood that has fought for our country and our homes. Fought for the liberty and freedom of humanity, at home, and across the seas. We shall not forget the noble lives sacrificed that our government shall be sustained; and the birth of manhood's rights and demands shall be fostered in the hearts of our young American life. The Dawn of a New Era To those who have carried our flag to victory a new day dawns. Our boys returning triumphant in the victory of right over wrong shall be sustained for all time to come. Many of them left their homes inexperienced boys. LEST WE FORGET They are returning men. Men with a wonderful insight into the future of America. Younger Boys Filling the Rank of Labor The boys who were not old enough for service in the army can, and will take up the duties of life where the older boys left off, and all civic and public utilities will go on unhampered. Our Boys' Demands But our boys returning to civil life will demand and justly so, a higher place among the big things in life. They will have higher ideals and greater aspirations. They have passed through the trying ordeals and conflicts brought about by neglect, indifference, greed and assumed power by those who -all too long have tyran- nized over a more or less helpless people. It is natural that our Young American Manhood shall forge to the front, and take up the Herculean task of readjustment, reconstruction, and help to rehabilitate the countries laid waste. Our 100 Per Cent and a Mite Over — American American blood will tell, and thank God we have the cleanest, whitest and most courageous young men of any nation under the sun. Clean in thought — high ideals of life. Brave to defend the rights of a just and righteous people. There is no other nation on earth that sent to the war a cleaner, physical, mental and spiritual set of men, nor a more perfect manhood than America. Neither could they send LEST WE FORGET a more humane body of men than our soldiers have proven to be. The Spirit of America That great white spirit that predominates over our American homes. The human love for all suffering humanity. The ready sympathy for all those in distress, be that distress caused by unforeseen disaster or any other cause, the American spirit of help is never withheld. Divine Guidance Our Nation is a God loving, and a God worshiping people, and with that divine inspiration uppermost in their hearts they fear nothing. Thus we find our armies victorious not only in the mastery over seen and unseen foes, but right over wrong. So, that when our people are called upon in any crisis they are ever ready and willing to respond, and with a courage unfaltering. The Heart Throbs of the Nation The great heart throbs of American men and women ever beat toward the human side of life. Our country. Our home. Our people. So that now our American manhood has been put to the test they were not found wanting, but they re- sponded to the call of our nation to fight for our national life, our government, our laws, and our institutions builded for the protection of our republic. Confidence in Our Government We are quite sure, now the conflict on the battle- fields is over, they will rally to the rescue of any future LEST WE FORGET threatened danger. They more fully realize what our national life means. Now they have come in contact with the powers which sought to overpower and destroy that which all peoples must retain if life is to be secure — liberty, freedom of thought and action. Their Falling Comrades We, nor they, will forget. Our boys will ever remem- ber seeing their comrades falling on the fields of battle. The devastated countries over which they led the way, and the blood drenched fields, where at last they stood victorious; stood under our flag, that no nation will ever haul down. Then turning their faces toward home and their na- tive land, it is no wonder they have returned men instead of the fair youths who bravely, and without fear, marched to unknown lands. Imbued with Hope They have returned men imbued with hope and a wonderful and intense depth of thought and understand- ing, and we as a nation will have to reckon with men and not boys; no matter how immature or undeveloped they were when they entered the army. Their experience has developed in them a wonder- ful insight into life as they have found it. And more than that, their experience has developed character, developed the great white light that has been cast upon the dark side of life. Clinging to the Master When discouraged, when overwhelmed with the serious problems, conditions and surroundings confront- LEST WE FORGET ing them, did they look for a way to escape or to shirk their responsibilities? No! Indeed they did not. They directed their vision upward. They clung to that great spirit of hope, faith and trust in the Master till the mists were swept away by the light that radiates from Him who ever shows the way. They were succored and sustained in their efforts to push onward until the triumphant goal was won. Today they are wonderfully and fully equipped for future endeavors. Clean, white, with high ideals, with ideas born of self-denial — ideas tending toward a greater brotherhood of man. Then, shall we forget the crucial test through which they stood the fire of an unjust and inhuman power, try- ing to throttle their helpless victims with their financial power, greed, usurpation and dominion over weaker peoples. Forget Nothing Indeed we will not forget anything. More than that we are going to be made to recognize and to remember the wonderful manhood developed into men of force, spir- itual, physical and mental abilities. New Blood Needed in Our National Life Our young American men will infuse new blood, new energy, new and higher ideals into our national life. They are going to cleanse our political cliques of corrup- tion, fraud and intrigues. They are going to usher in the dawn of a new era that will insure to our people all they have fought for, and having won, are going to compel recognition and appreciation of the wonder wrought, the sacrifice made. LEST WE FORGET Yes, I believe our boys are prepared to take up the big things in life. The establishment of homes for our people who have sacrificed their all to the demands made by the exigencies of the war. Not institutions of charity, for that would be an insult to the manhood and womanhood of America, but domestic homes for our people. Compel Our Government's Respect Our government is going to be compelled to respect the manhood that respects our constitution and have maintained the honor of our republic. There will be no shipwrecking of our old ironclad constitution of these United States made possible by any other nation. The Handwriting on the Wall Our peace shall be made secure and without any strings attached. The handwriting is on the wall of America, written in the best blood of our land, and by the light of a civilization that no tyranny will ever extin- guish. And it reads, "Hands Off." And our boys will see to it that all foreign hands will be kept off as far as any controlling power or interference with our national life is concerned. Our Foreign Policy a Mistake There has always been one mistaken policy of our country I have never approved, and that is our open door to foreign immigration. For years I have contended that the time would come when we would see and have just cause for regret that 10 LEST WE FORGET we have allowed such easy access to our shores of the ignorant rabble of foreign peoples. And I am quite sure we can now see the results of our mistaken ideas in regard to such unrestricted immi- gration to our country. The consequence is very appar- ent. We have flooded our country with a horde of vicious and ignorant class of the lowest underlings from all the nations across the seas, a class of people who can not, or will not realize the wonderful resources, the many oppor- tunities offered them for their advancement and success. The Advantage Taken But just as soon as they see the advantages they can take of American workmen by working for cheaper wages, living in hovels, existing on provisions that no self- respecting American would tolerate, they become insolent, self-conceited and arrogant, and start to making trouble. Lack of Common Sense They haven't the principle nor common sense to ap- preciate the inestimable privileges granted them. Our laws, our flag are meaningless to their inert minds. They expect the protection of our laws and ask the shelter of our flag. Why not? Isn't America the Great Mecca for which they have sought refuge; and to enjoy freedom from per- secution, to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Cer- tainly, that is what the laws of our country guarantee, so, they also take advantage of that fact. Time is up to Weed Them Out The time has come when our government must begin to weed out this undesirable element, and deport every LEST WE FORGET 11 alien who is not willing to conform to, abide by, and sup- port our constitution and our laws. Deport them and shut the door and keep them out, and where they belong. In Safer Hands Our freeborn Americans will attend to the recon- struction, the building up of our disturbed labor circles, our commercial complications and our national interest at home and abroad. Our Idle Lands Another very important subject that our government officials should give their immediate attention to is our idle lands. There are thousands of acres of the govern- ment lands untouched, which should be cultivated, giving our men opportunities, to not only help themselves, but making the land productive, helping to swell the farm production and developing the country. Canadian Enterprise Canada is drawing and will continue to draw away from the United States thousands of our best and most worthy citizens, by offering inducements that our own government seems to be too short-sighted to see. We fill our own ranks of laboring men with the foreign hobo element, and drive our best citizens out of their own country by too much red tape, manipulation and uncertainties. So while we are taking up the work of reconstruction and readjustments we can well afford to consider this land question. 12 LEST WE FORGET Colonization Would Solve the Problem Thousands of acres could be colonized and thou- sands of our soldiers could establish homes, build schools and churches, organize colonies and in a very few years create a community of self-respecting, loyal and a high- class of citizenship, an honor to our country and a happy prosperous people. Soldiers Ready and Willing There are thousands of our soldier boys who would be willing and ready to take up such a proposition to secure homes for themselves and prospective families. Such a community would be made up of our very best and ennobling manhood and womanhood, from which there would spring up a wealth of endeavor and success, homes of a happy people, living near to nature and na- ture's God. That is the class of people from which all worth-while success emanates. Will Take Years of Toil This reconstruction period will take years to readjust the many elements disturbed by the war. And one of the biggest and most important of all, is the humanity side. We must bear in mind and be very sure we do not forget the many homes bereft of husbands and sons. Homes made desolate, vacancies that can never be filled again. We who rejoice and are made happy by the return of our loved ones, our homes so blest with love and cheer, peace and contentment, feel the greater sorrow we see in other homes where fathers and mothers, wives and children mourn the absence of their dear ones who LEST WE FORGET 13 sleep so far away. They can not even have the sad com- fort of seeing their last resting place. This is one of the saddest and most pitiful object lessons the war brings to those who have been spared the life long parting. No, no, we will not forget these lonely parents, these saddened homes. We must remember our duty toward all sorrowing humanity. We must look to the future interest of those who are left dependent on the great spirit of love, sympathy and the true brotherhood of man. Wherein Our Duty Lies So in doing our duty toward our fellowman and to- ward those whom we can best serve will be by seeing that our law makers make and pass laws in the interest of the people, and for the protection of all who have need of justice being done. There should be no favored few, but every soldier and every soldier's kindred should be included in our work of uniting our big human family as one brotherhood. Our boys fell into line and fought shoulder to shoulder as one phalanx, fought for all homes. We will do no less for them in our civil life. And now they will fight to sustain those homes through the ballot box. They will know what they want, and will see that all are justly rewarded. A Christian Brotherhood I know of no way more safe and secure than by hold- ing fast to the ideals of the uplifting brotherhood of man, working in harmony for the good of all humanity and maintaining a Christian civilization that all the world will honor and respect, just as our country has compelled 14 LEST WE FORGET all other nations to honor and respect our flag and our republic. All Work Together Let us all work together in the future interest of the young manhood and young womanhood of America, who are to be the salvation of our race, defend our national life, our statehood, municipalities, homes and loved ones. And never forget the magnificent soldiers dead who have given their lives that we might live. Neither will we forget those who have returned in safety, inspired with a new hope for future achievements in the big things in life, and in a labor of love for all humanity. My Religion and Principles — What I Believe, and What I Stand For — Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. The united brotherhood of man. Adequate provisions for all disabled soldiers, their wives and children. I am bitterly opposed to a League of Nations. All idle lands opened to entry and made more easily obtainable by long time terms and reasonable in price. Equal and a just taxation to all. Colonization of the poorer classes of working people. Relieving the congested and densely populated cities. Helping to establish permanent homes. Back to the land, a slogan worth while. Restricted immigration that will restrict. Protection for all American industries, agricultural and manufactories, LEST WE FORGET 15 And the Government's hands off our railroads. Both fine and imprisonment for war profiteers. They should be taxed 99 per cent of their stealings. Our Flag. The constitution of these United States with no amendments. God loving, and God serving men in public office. Yours for right doing and justice. Fully and completely equipped for war in times of peace, and an adequate standing army of not less than 300,000 men. Note: If we had been fully prepared in 1914 for war our ships would not now be bringing home our dead. The Spirit Ship They went in the pride of manhood's strength, When the call of their country came, Nor faltered not, in the face of death, But now they are coming home. They hear not the sound of the muffled drum, They hear naught of the ocean's roar. In silence they ride through the lashing waves Till their spirit ship sights our shore. The homes they saved, will sadly greet The banner that droops half mast, Hear not the tread of marching feet While their spirit ship floats past. I dedicate this little message of love and interest to our American men and women. MRS. LOUISE COULSON. Salt Lake City, Utah, February 10, 1921. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS f 021 140 399 8