THE RAMPARTS WE WATCH

[Music] oh a [Music] [Music] oh [Music] in the pleasant summer of 1914 the American Community was enjoying life was finding it easier and happier than ever before in its history [Music] a Washington cream pie Washington cream pie you like a cookie in America's Brave Little World of 1914 a self-contained and contented people could look back with satisfaction on nearly a century and a half of unparalleled progress and [Applause] prosperity American industry led the world and was rapidly increasing its lead to contribute to and share in the wealth of a growing Nation immigrants from every part of the world were still flocking to us Shores bringing up their children in the American Community as new first generation [Music] Americans most communities of any size in 1914 could boast of their own Daily Newspaper whose editor championed their causes helped fight their battles and Americans of 1914 were little interested in news outside their own community and their own [Applause] Nation the country was still debating after 2 years the merits of the New Freedom slogan of woodro Wilson the first Democrat to occupy the white house since Grover Cleveland the Panama Canal in which the whole nation took pride was scheduled finally to be opened in mid August and the man most responsible for the canal ex-president Theodore Rosevelt was still a powerful figure on the US political scene the regular army of the United States total just under 100,000 men in the of 1914 and many a US citizen felt that even this number was excessive for a force that had little to do but Chase Mexican Bandits heavier than aircraft were undergoing tests by a few young and fars sited army officers who hoped eventually to put the new invention to some useful military purpose fast achieving popularity was the hesitation caner a startling new outgrowth of the turkey Tru in 1914 young citizens of America were looking forward with high hopes to the future of a land which was still the new world it was a settled and ordered World in which youth keen and confident saw Limitless opportunities there were new standards and new ideals new entertainment and new Pleasures well just as the train came to a Trestle she got to the window and jumped out well well that's the way it ended until next week isn't that just like them and earnest people living in a land grown powerful and great were only beginning to realize how truly great their nation [Music] was until the arrival of the paper train on a morning of June 1914 Europe and Europe's troubles seemed very far away say Harry is an arch Duke like a prince or was he like a king so it's me [Music] [Music] in the days that quickly followed the first declaration of war as country after country mobilized and marched the news that mattered most was the news of Europe and its spreading battlefronts it was America's foreign born who first felt the impact of the war in Europe and they tried as best they could to explain it to their American friends to them war was a sad familiar old world Story the age-old light upon the lands from which they came Anna V kin look right here in the paper [Music] [Applause] [Music] registered letter for Jo Mr K looks like something from the old country you can sign for it maybe too hard to sign for this you don't want me to bring it back again do you sign right here thank you [Music] goodbye hello Anna what are you doing here geord po my brother this morning what does it say Joe it's for the Army we talk it over when we get home mama any from Austria I don't know where they're from but the path a weekly is on now the n [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] I think I'll get a good [Music] you got Army papers too huh John yeah come today what you think ah not for me that's old country business I'm staying in America with the wife and kids what you going to do if you don't go now you never get back to all country I go Monday maybe Jo now mama in times like these a man's got to do what he think is right [Music] [Applause] [Music] when do you go Joe I take the train for New York this afternoon did you ask them about the money well now they said it's it's hard to get money through from the old country now what are we going to live on oh Pop I'm sorry come we [Music] go with the invasion of neutral Belgium Americans awoke to the full and terrible implications of a modern war a taxi cab Army rushed from Paris the miracle of the mar Britain's contemptibles as the Kaiser called them were desperately holding the Flanders front American military men knew that Germany had devoted all her energies for 20 years to build up the greatest War Machine the world had ever seen armies that were now systematically destroying in their Advance the towns the cities and the homes of a simple peaceloving people and there were signs in the American community that the nation was aroused Razer all right Congressman mhm John I'm not going to find it so easy to be neutral in [Music] [Applause] thought already the war in Europe was Finding its way into the everyday lives of Americans Americans of every age H2O twice if you please Anna say I'm sorry to hear that you're quitting school do you have to what else can I do I've got to help Mother I don't understand pop doing what he did well I suppose you can't blame anybody for being patriotic but he didn't have to go over there it wasn't his War the war will be over in a couple of months anyway that's what my father says and he used to be in the German Army I suppose he thinks the Germans are going to win they win every day don't they your old man likes Germany so much he better go back there that goes for you too never mind him Freddy hey don't let that guy get your [Music] goat the Army Advanced along the whole front again today some places nearly 5 kilometers you're not eating much tonight Fred what's the matter nothing Mom I'm just not hungry Al kovax has had to quit school her father's been called by the Austrian Army and now she has to work so Dad it's getting so that all you and everybody else talk about is this war all the time today I said that you'd been in the German Army and that you thought the Germans would win in 2 months I didn't mean anything thing it almost started to free for- all father that's too bad Frederick perhaps I should be more careful it is very wrong for any of us to get personally agitated about the war so far away we are in America President Wilson says this is a war with which we have nothing to do that is how we all must try to feel under the personal command of Kaiser vilhelm II the armies of Imperial Germany seemed Invincible in the summer of 1914 and Americans began to realize that belief in a just cause was not enough against Superior Manpower and Superior armaments The Bravery of the belgians fighting on to hold the channel ports further heightened America's desire to help these stricken [Music] people most Americans feel that the invasion of Belgium was the most barbarous act ever committed by a Civilized Nation we are not here to discuss the Rights and Wrongs of the European War we are here to help its innocent victims little children help and starving the committee for the relief of Belgium under the able chairmanship of Herbert Hoover can feed a Belgian child for a month on a $5 bill it is up to us to see that he gets those $5 bills yes and tens and 20s and 50s a generous people had assumed its first responsibility of the war with with the help of a young mining engineer named Herbert Hoover within 3 months he had organized a fleet of 35 vessels carrying more than a million dollars worth of food a week to Belgium as the war entered its first winter American contributions were keeping alive 10 million homeless starving people help less Wards of the one nation of the world still able to feed and care for them aren't these Professor Carters why of course they are you suppose he's really bought a new suit we can't send these old things to the belgians with St Luke's name on them and those poor Belgian women I can't bear to think of them well I just can't understand it why Dora we all know German people some of us have German friends look at the Ben singers They're as nice as anybody could be