Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1917-06-15
HELD PATRIOTIC MEETING
LOCAL PERSONS TALK ON LIBER-
TY LOAN, RED CROSS AND
OTHER VITAL QUESTIONS

I1OCAL PERSONS TALK ON lIBER-
TY LOAN, RED CROSS AND
OTHER VITAL QUESTIONS
| A patriotic mass meeting was held at
the Victor theatre Friday evening, to
discuss the Red Cross, Liberty Loan
and other matters Of interest. The at
tendance was not large. the theatre be-
ing only about half filed. A concert
by the band on the street preceded
the meeting. >~@s
n. n. Bergheim, mayor, acted as
chairman Of the meeting. He recalled
the patriotic meeting two months ago,
at which time, he said, he appealed to
Little Falls to contribute its quota of
men for military service. BE said that
the people had responded promptly and
faithfully to this appeal, the enlist
ments having far exceeded the quota
of 70. He said that while proud Of
the fact that the city had furnished
the young men for military service, he
was not quite so satisfied with the re-
spouse for material needs and it was
for this reason he called this meeting.
NJ. NJ. Williams, chairman Of the
Morrison county branch Of the state
safety commission, was the first speak
er He said that people who can re-
member back to the Civil war can say
that there is no such showing Of pa
triotism today as there was then, but
that it must be remembered that the
slavery question, which precipltated
the Civil war, had been before the peo-
pie for wears previous to the war and
the excitement continually increased
until, when the first shot was fred in
the war. the pitch was so high that the
whole nation was aroused. Mr.. Will
iams said it is different today. The
great war that has been going on for
three years has created no great stir
in this country. The people are get
ting rich, there is plenty Of business
and we do not feel the war except in
our sympatb- for those across the wa
tiers who are in distress as result Of
lit. When war was declared there was
no excitement, particularly in the west.
and the reason for it was that the peo-
pie can hardly comprehend that they
are at war with the greatest warning
nation in the world, a nation whose
people are taught that their country IS
supreme. The speaker said that the
fact is to be remembered that we are
in the war and what we will have to
do in it depends on what the other
countries can do. He added that the
great factor was to get there first, say
ing that if all the countries now in
the war had gone in at once. the war
would have been over and there would
have been less bloodshed. In closing
Mr.. Williams said that there can be
no neutrals in the United States now.
There are only two classes If there are
two, and these are patriots and traitors.
Rev. Philip E. Gregory was the next
speaker. He told of the wonderful
painting "The Spirit Of 1872 and said
that cit is because of what that pic
ture tells US that we are here tonight.
Because of it we are a free people and
Z hope in the future artists will be able
to paint such spirit and call it THE
Esprit Of 49, Mr.. Gregory said we
larssfacing problem which will tax our
financial and human resources, but
; that we have men by the millions, mon
ley bv the billions, and natural re-
J. sources equal to those Of all other
countries put together, which, simmer
ed down, means ultimate victory for
US. 81
Rev. Gregory cited four wars that
this country has fought with foreign
; powers, in which Iour democratlc
achievements have been secured which
will be taken away from US If we lose
this war. In 1776 we fought for our
independence. and after we have freed
ourselves from monarchial despotism,
; Germany now seeks to have us bow to
to the will of the Kaiser. Rev. Greg
ory said that we should be sympathetic
; toward the German-Americans and put
ourselves in their place. They have
relatives in their mother country and
it is not to be expected that they
would rush headlong to murder their
brethren. If there is anyone who should
be punished it is the one who rubs it
into the German American, he salu.
i In 1912 this country fought for and
obtained freedom the seas, being OPP
pressed by England. Now Germany
;! seeks to wrest this right from US, Rev.
Gregory said. he pictured wildly the
manner in which the rights Of the Unit
ed States on the high seas have been
violated, citing the Lusitania disaster
as an instance.
i The third war, in 1916, was with
Mexico, and was to check an invasion.
Now Germany seeks to get Mexico to
invade this country again, oHer1ng ner
some of the southern states as recon-
pense for same.
The fourth war was in 1898, with
Spain, resulting from mistreatment OF
Cuba by that power. In that war this
country established to the world that
the depressing Of small countries by
powerful ones would not be tolerated.
Germany has destroyed Belgium, Po-
land. France and other countries. Rev.
Gregory closed by saying that the spir-
It we want to get is to get into it and
to help preserve this country Of ours.
) Mrs. R., L. Cochrane, president Of
the local Red Cross chapter, read pa
per on Red Cross work, telling when
the Red Cross was permanently organ
; lied at a conference in Geneva, Swift
erland, in 1868, when fourteen nations
signed the agreement for the Red