Morris tribune., 1917-04-20
TRAVERSE PATRIOTS SET PACE
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countries with which the United
States is at present at war, that
there was any doubt about the loyal
ty and patriotism and desire on the
part of these citizens to support the
government of the United States in
it's hour of peril. One of the speak
ers of the evening was F. F. Thrill,
who for more than twenty-five years
has been one of the village black
smiths of Wheaton, a German, and
one bound by many ties to the Ger
man people. During his address, he
stated that any man, woman or child
in the United States who was I'M
unreservedly in the present war, or
who felt that he should, as against
his native country, sympathiZe with
or lend aid or comfort either by
word or action to the country with
which the United States was now at
war, should get out of the country
as quickly as he could. This state
ment was greeted by the most en-
thusiastic applause of the evening,
and it was with difficulty that the
speaker was able to proceed. An
other significant statement of this
speaker, and one which is supported
by the citizens of the county, was
that merchants, professional men,
and in fact every resident Of the
towns and cities of this state should,
in case there was a shortage of farm
help leave their places of bust
ness and go into the country and aid
the farmers in saving their crops.
One other intensely patriotic in
cident of the meeting was the re-
solution of the Girls Club of Whea-
ton and vicinity, of which Mrs. DR..
C. F. Ewing is president, pIedging
their support to the state and nation
during the war.
1t has developed that the govern
ment is going to act through the
County Agents in the movement for
the conservation of fOOdstuffs. H. E.
Kiger, County Agent, addressed the
meeting and made an appeal to the
patriotism of the farmers, advising
!
by him to do their share, and the
farmers are solidly behind the move
ment for the conservation of food
stuffs and production of a maximum
yield.
There is in Traverse County a
large German population which was
! largely and enthusiastically repre-
sented at the patriotic meeting One
of the inspiring incidents of the pre-
paration for the meeting was a let.
! ter received form w. H. Zeiher, g
German banker of DumOnt, in TRAY
erse County, in which he stated:
you know there are some who
seem to find it impossible to break
away from their fatherland, and
believe we should have some kind Of
an organization to overcome this
and make good loyal citizens out o.
this class. We ought also to start {
movement to get an American iae
displayed from every home and bust
ness place in the county. Let's tr!
and get something like this started
and get everyone to join in the move
ment. Yours for America, First
Last and All the time"
Another letter indicative of tn,
feelings of the German people in thi
county was received by the chair
man of the meeting from Charles
Vessel and family in which the!
stated
Just received your letter on pat
riotism, and will tell you that w,
are for America. We are full blood
ed Germans, but still we are 10
America. We are not like the MAJ
we saw in one of our papers, to thinl
more of Germany than of our owl
country, America. We will sta.
with America as long as we can"
The meeting at Wheaton deserve
to go down in history as one whicl
will inspire a state and a nation
Upon every hand could be heard tn
expression What great thing it i
to be citizen of America! What
wonderful people the American PEG
pie are!" The tremendous applaus
which greeted such statements as
that when the crisis came the Star
and Stripes would be borne in tn
midst Of shot and shell by Germans
Irish, Swedes, Norwegians, Austri
ans, English, French and other ma
tionalities, touching shoulders an