The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-12-20
YULE TIDE AND
THE RED CROSS
NEW DECORATION DlsPLAcEs
THE HOLLY AND BELLS.
SERVICE FLAG IN EVERY HOME
oskaloosa Is Responding Nobly - a
In Every Horne III Mahaska
Flag For Everybody and a Flag
County BY Tuesday Morn.

AnAbuSAOhN AiAN IAAANOtA oh1NS9 AA@Nh
will be a new decoration in the light
ed windows Of homes on Christmas
Eve, and the pedestrian will realize
that the syrabol he sees everywhere
is perhaps a trRer reflection of Yule-
tide spirit than any he has ever seen
before. A campaign will end on
Christmas Day,-a campaign spont
sored by President Wilson and the
public men of this nation,
1t is for an additional 100000
members to the Red Cross of Amer
lea. Everything las been done that
can be humaaIy. done TO attract atten-
ton to this campaign Booths invit-
ing the shoppers 10 make This Christ
mas Red Cross Christmas are every
where. No man can say he failed
to join because he didn't get the
chance"
Flag In Every Home.
In every home where a member
ship to the Red Cross is recorded a
paper service flag of the organization
is being displayed. THESE flags are
being distributed so that every per-
son who joins viii have his symbol by
Christmas Eve.
On the inside of the room a lighted
candle is to be lighted, The flag will
be against the window, the light IL
Illuminating the cross that tells, its
mute story of another Christmas time
land of the lesson of infinite mercy
that humanity learned from the Man
of Sorrows Who died on Calvary.
This is. the decoration that general
ly wiz supplant the traditional holly
wreath and gaudy crimson Christmas
bells.
Reaches. All. ~
In making its campaign for. new
members the, Red Cross has planned
to reach every person, rich and poor.
high and low. There is nc organiza-
ton for a group Every class hss
contributed its quota to the national
army that will fight on Christmas day
in the bitter cold trenches of France.
Every class, therefore, win join the
Red Cross SO that it will become not
an organization. but spiritual per
sonification of the nation. - ...., .s.
Stories are coming 10 the Red Cross
headquarters now of women who have
flocked to the branches hearing pitt
full little gifts that they wanted to send
to their sons abroad. II New York
there are young Americans whose
mothers can barely speak English,
and who scarcely know what the war
is about. These women will become
members Of the national organization.
National in Scope.
And again, there are lawyers and
merchants, and doctors and clergy
men, whose windows are decorated
with a service star in memory of a
lad who has gone. They, too, will
join.
When 1913 comes into being. the
Red Cross will be the American ma
tionno a part of it. White and
black, rich and poor, Jew and Gentle,
all will have answered to the call of
mercy and humanity and viii have
done something, no matter how small,
for the men who are dying for liberty
''oyer there"
oskaIoosa Responds.
The cali of mercy has been. heard
in Oskaloosar and. Mahaska county
and many people are rallying to the
Red Cross, ensign of mercy. Oska-
loosa never before responded so no
bly, Down town the business houses
are all displaying the large 100 per
cent banners and service flags of the
order. In the residence districts, al
so, the smaller iiagS ard banners are
everywhere in evidence.
But the goal is still far distant.
Fifteen thousand new Red Cross
members in Mahaska, county means
that every other person must belong
10 the Red Cross. Every household
must respond, and must respond at
once if the goal is to be reached. Do
your bit, and do it now. aa.
Campaign Bringing Results.
Six hundred and forty-fve Oska
loosa names were added to the Red
Cross roll by last evening, of which
number 325 were new members, and
the remainder were renewals.
Lskonta raised $30.55 at Tuesday
evenings Red Cross rally. Only
sixteen people were present, but. the
work in the community was well or
ganized, and plans were made for an
other booster meeting to be held
Sunday afteEp Present at the
rally We're Mayor ]. G. Harold, H E.
Davis, Frank Fitch and L. E. CorIett.
George c. True and Bob" Shana-
han held live meeting at Leighton.
Forty-fye were present, and forty-fve
members were enrolled, in addition
SIS was raised for the Red Cross bud
get The gathering was. most re-
sponsive.
The Rev. Arthur NJ, Lewis who con-
incted Red Cross rally at South
Madison was delighted to find the
'ommuuitA well organized and alive
o The issue. The men in charge of
be- drive plAn to report a district !
nth 100 per cent enrollmspt. "a 4