The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-15

to almost any Red Cross member,
! If you have not the dollar member
ship fee in your pocket, send it to
any nelghborhood chairman or to
headquarters, 5o4 Main street; later.
You can take a membership for any
other person, also.
There is going to be no difficult,
in any resident of Keokuk finding
application-membership cards Of the
Red Cross all next week.
Several hundred men and women.
very much in earnest, are going to
give everybody an opportunity TO join
the Red Cross.
This city must obtain 1000 new
memberships before Christmas W.
to keep in the class in which Keokuk
has put herself by her wartime activ-
tiles.
That means a new member in at
least every other house in town.
And this must be done in the face
of the fact that Keokuk now has
about 1900 members of the Red
Cross.
Whole Country Stirred up.
Next week is Red Cross member
ship week all w the United States.
Every magazine arriving lately has
at least one page advertisement
generally inserted by a business
house-designed to sell Red Gross
memberships instead Of merchandise.
Most OF the daily papers of America
will carry these advertisements all
next week.
Almost every block in Keokuk has
a foreman with a supply of cards all
ready for her neighbors to sign.
Headquarters at 504 Main street, has
cards and clerks to receive cards OF
! all new members calling there.
Any present member of the Red
! Cross in Keokuk will receive a signed
card and carry it to the proper place,
If the new member can not deliver 1t
No Excuse of Mo Opportunity.
Every church congregation. every
motion picture audience, every lodge
that meets, and every other .collec-
ton Of people, will find a supply OF
| application cards at hand all ready
for signing by new members of tine
Red Cross.
In short, every man, woman and
child in Keokuk next week will
stumble over an opportunity to join
the Red Cross.
1t is going to be put up to- every
person, and thereafter there will be
no excuse for not being a member
of the Red Cross in Keokuk, except
lack Of desire to join it.
The cost is n dollar, and while
this is the veriest trifle to some
people, it is a considerable sum,
these days, to- nan other people.
The latter are the ones who will earn
the reward for sacrifices made for
the soldiers.
The Many Who Feel Poor.
Henry vanDyke writes in some
magazines to those who feel poor.
He says he writes as your brother,
for we who feel poor make a large
family. The pinch of this world
war, made in Germany, hurts, but IL
is not going to kill us. We still
have enough and something to spare.
Let us save in food, in clothes and in
other things-but not save in neces'
stiles for the wounded, the suffering
soldiers fighting for us.
Let us keep Christmas this year by
making it a Red Cross Christmas
then it will not be a poor Christmas,
but a rich Christmas in u hearts.
Keokuk's large family of people
pinched for money will echo these
sentiments. In every collection for
humanity thus far in Keokuk the
people with the least property have
given the largest proportionate sub
sc%riptions. -
costs only n dollar-this is a cam
paign for members n not for much
money.
Who Are Members Now.
"Who are members Of the Red
Cross now? Am l one?" Chairman
Mcfarland was asked-about a mil
lion times lately. He replies:
"If YOU made a contribution tc
the Red Cross war fund last June Of
a dollar or more o are a member
and YOUR dues are paid until mex
July. IL you joined and paid you.
dues in the regular way to the sec
retary-not by way of the war func
contribution-then you are a member
for 1917, but should now pay YOU
dues for 1918, of one or two dollars
according to whether you want thu
magazine or not. This would no
amply to a few people who have join
ed within the last week or two, WHIT
paid for 1918.
Rights Not Always Duty.
"This is a. statement OF your right!
in the matter, but the Red Cross l:
, asking everyone to be generous II
this hour of the nations peril, and tt
forget the few months still u OF
your old membership, and pay due
for 1918, their wish being to MAKE
the Red Cross year run from Christ
) mas to Christmas.
"If therefore you have not been
member, your dollar will make yo'
!, one for 1918, and if you have been, !
will pay your dues for 1918. So lie