The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-10-12
BY Saying All People Except
HELPING WIN THE WAR
George AIDES Advice to Americans
Between the Ages Of 6 and is.

6ctWcSH inc ages OF ana 10.
Assuming that this letter is now
being read by some boy or girl old
enough to go to school but still young
enough to be called Kid (by those
who don't know any better) let us
begin by asking the question, as it
wrong to fight?"
Every boy or girl with civilized par
ents can answer that question.
1t is not to be answered by 'yes,'
or mo
II we say yes we admit at once
that our old friends George Washing
ton and u. S. Grant were depraved
characters, because they fought and
then kept on fighting.
II Buffalo Bill once upon time
rode out across the plains and came
upon band Of Indians attacking
settlers cabin and went dashing up
with his scouts and killed a few red
skins. is there any boy in the world
who would go back on Buffalo Bill
and pick out some quiet, elderly real
estate dealer as substitute hero?
It's too foolish to talk about
Suppose we say 1t is not wrong to
fight. Then we remove all blame from
the Indians that Buffalo Bill killed
and we find ourselves so mixed up
that probably we had better back up
and take new start.
In answer to the question rs it
wrong to fight" there can be but one
sensible reply, as follows: 1T all de-
pends."
Suppose boy of IA is walking
along the street with his sister and
the neighborhood bully swaggers
around the corner and pushes the boy
up against a fence and cuffs him
alongside the head and then tries
some insulting familiarities on the sis
ter, and suppose the boy who is thus
humiliated and whose sister is in
tears, suddenly remembers that he
has been told TO keep out of fights,"
What shall he do?
Retreat to an alley, or stand up in
defense of his own self-respect and
try TO protect his sister?
believe in peace and no matter what
you do to me. | won't strike back"
Then he would get few more cuffs
for good measure, and his sister
would be ashamed of him and he
would be ashamed of himself and the
little rowdy attaked him would cal.
himself cock of the walk and be
greater nuisance than ever before.
The United States of America is in
yolved in hideous war because Presi
dent Wilson and Congress and all per
sons who are warmed by red blood in
stead of being chilled by sarsaparil
la pop had to make the same decision
that every boy is called upon to make
when he is jumped upon by a. tough
customer. utA Lq
Another question (boys only): Did
you ever let boy up before he yell
ed Enough and then have the whole
fight over again?
If so, you might 80 around in your
neighborhood and give some valuabl,
information TO people older than your
self.
II you tthis is for both boys ani
girls) went out into the woods for
picnic with another bunch" of youn(
people you knew and liked, and II
your crowd had basket of things t.
eat and the other crowd had baske |
and some toughies came along an6
stole the basket belonging to the
other crowd, would you give them
to eat out of your baske, |
or let them sit by themselves, hungry |
and miserable, and watch you stun |
You'd play fair, of course, even if |
you had to go a little hungry.
Mr.. Hoover is not asking every boy |
and girl in America to play fair and |
divide up with the hungry youngsters
of France and Belgium and Great |
There isn't enough food In the
world to go around if we are selfish |
and claim more than our share.
How can boy or girl under high |
school age really help to win the war? |
First join the Junior Red Cross.
Then keep on saying, Il know Uncle |
Sam is right and | will pull for him
until he wins
Believe what you say.
Root for the u S. A. as you would