Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-06-20
RED CROSS FUND
next GREAT TASK
Auxiliaries to the Winneshiek County
Chapter Being Formed. En-
thusiastic One Formed
at Calmar Monday.
BIG MEETING AT
OSSIAN TONIGHT
One Decorahian Has Already Sub
scribed $500 to the Fund.
Send Subscription to Zen
Bear Treasurer or
j. A. Nelson,
Secretary.


With the liberty loan campaign
out of the way patriotic workers in
every community in the state are
setting their faces to the task of
raising S3,000,000 in Iowa for the
Red Cross.
Subscriptions to the liberty loan
were recognized as an investment
paying a good profit in money to
the purchaser as we'll as rendering
service to the government. The
support Of the Red Cross is likewise
recognized as an investment which
will conserve human life, help to re
lieve the agonies of war, thwart di-
sease, bring comfort to the sick and
dying and minister in innumerable
ways to humanity.
At Calmar on Monday night very
enthusiastic meeting was held and
an auxiliary to the WiIneshiek
County Chapter was formed. Anoth-
er similar meeting is scheduled for
Ossian this Wednesday evening.
The officers Of the Winneshiek
coanty auxiliary are Rev. Paul
Koren, president; Mrs. E. j. Curtin,
vice president; Ben Bear, treasurer
and Atty. j. A. Nelson, secretary.
All who have not become members
of the Red Cross yet can do so by
applying to any of the fore going.
Great interest has centered in this
work and all are enthusiastic. Any
one in the county who wishes to
join, by mail can send their money
and name to Ben Bear and he will
send receipt for 1t. Look up The He'd
Gross card in this issue and it will
assist you in mailing in your SUBJ
scription. ~
Many, good substantial contrlbu-
tiols are being made. c. ]. Weiser,
of Decorah, has again demonstrated
his patriotism by giving donation
of $500 to the Red Cross fund here.
Others will also give freely and it
looks now like Winneshiek would
raise an immense sum for this good
work. One other man we know
contributed 800, and so the good
work goes on.
This week teams started out in
every city and every county of Iowa
and 1t is hoped to have Iowa's share
of the s100,000,o00 war fund which
is to be raised in the United States
subscribed within q week. 1t will
mean that an average Of more than
$1.3O will have to be given for ev-
cry man, woman and child in this
state. 1t is the plan Of the county
canvassers to see everybody II pos
sible, to get out In the country and
secure the subscriptions OF the farm
ers and to neglect no part of their
TERRITORY. Public meetings will be
held in many places where addresses
will be made.
Damnable Devastation of War.
This campaign was planned at a
meeting of delegates from the Amer.
;can Red Gross Chapters of the coun-
try held at Washington, on May
l24. At that time many notable
speeches were made on the needs OF
1.-THE Red Cross work. Among them
was an address of Ian Malcolm OF
of the British Red Cross who has
been working for many months in the
war zone. He gave a graphic des-
Icription of the awful devastation OF
war.
"It is difficult, nay, almost impos-
lsible, to imagine or describe the
damnable devastation Of mtderr
war;" he declared. ut is one thing
Ito glance at the long lists of casual
ties in the morning papers, to read
the descriptions of villages and
townships Euined by artillery fire
For these we feel sincere but pia-
tonic regret 1t is quite another
thing to sense, as have had to do,
the true inwardness of the vast hui
man tragedy that is being enacted
across the sea.
"The silence of London and Paris
and of our great cities in France and
England: the prevalence OF black
as the color in which most of our wo-
men are dressed--an eloquent testi-
mony to the mourning mat is in the
hearts and homes OF nearly every
family in the land; streets full OF
wounded in hospital uniforms. either
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