The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-12
hEOKUk BEATS
KANSAS WAY
Practical Plan Invented Here Puts
the Poet Of the Pralrles on the
Blink for Next Week'o
DoIngs.
OPPORTUNITY AT HAND
keokuk to be Blanketed With oppor-
tunities to do Voluntarily What
Other Cities Work Hard
to obtain.
OPPORTUNITY AT HAND

Opportunity is not going to knock
gently at your door and then go away
| if you do not promptly invite her IN
not in Keokuk next week.
That might do very well out among
the Kansas poets, but here in keo-
kuk Miss Opportunity will not be SO
coy and elusive as 1t were.
In fact. it might be said without
any intention to hurt her reputation
| that here in Keokuk next week Miss
Opportunity is going to be real
prominent in the landscape, dressed
in her best clothes, and obviously
trying to attract attention.
She will attend all the big dances,
all the church services, every motion
picture performance, visit In every
block in town and-weH. everybody
in Keokuk will just kind O naturally
run into her every day once OF Twice.
That idea that opportunity knocks
once and goes away may pc gooo
Kansas stuff, but not for keokuh.
A Easy as. Falling on Ice.
If people are to do things volun-
tarily. they must have reasonable
opportunity. The desire for a drink
must have an accessible saloon; II
thew desire to join church, there
should be a preacher within call; II
they want to go swimming, there
must be some water near; II they
intend to buy Christmas presents
there must be stores that adveruse'
If they want to help win the war
there must be Liberty bonds, soldier
welfare funds, meatless and wheat.
less days, Red Cross work rooms anu
the like. People cannot voluntarily
get drunk very well in Washington
! iowa, or go to church in Poker rat.
Next week, Keokuk people WILL be
asked to add two thousand new mem
bers to the Red Cross, and 40 II
| voluntarily, without the usual cam
paign methods. Not money out
persons, is the objective-the mem
herships cost only dollar each.
lAnd they are to be given tull oppol.
tunity to Join the Red Cross-that's
all.
This Girl VIII Be Everywhere.
In the foyer of each motion pic
ture. theater will be a booth with
handsome girl in Red Cross uniform
with a supply of application CARDS,
the signing of which constitutes one
member of the Red Cross.
In the entrance to each church, at
every service will be one OF these
girls with membership blank cards
In the cloak rooms at each or the
big holiday dances will be one or
these girls with her opportunity 10
Join the Red Cross.
In each block in town. one house
will contain supply of the blank
cards, and in addition lot OF other
supplies to designate the homes that
contain Red Cross members.
Red Badge Of Righteousness.
For one of the first things to be
done is to mark every house in town
that has already joined the hea
Cross, so that everybody may Rno"
from the street that 1t belongs. rms
viii be done by distributing Red
Cross service flags to present mem.
hers. These are small banners, white
with a blue border and red cross
in the centre; there are smaller RED
cross stickers to attach one for each
member in that household. These
banners are to be hung In the front
windows, to relieve the minds OF the
neighbors and passers-by as to the
status of that family.
To distribute these and other sup
niles. Chairman Mcfarland wants
large number of volunteer messen-
gers. on foot and in automobiles, and
these are asked to telephone him at
once.
Some Diverse ideas -s:-e.
One member of the executive com
nittee of this membership campaign
Is going to give special attention to
the cards with German names. His
idea is that this voluntary Joining OF
the Red Cross is a pretty good test
of the loyalty of people, and he
wants to see how many people with
German nativity take advantage of
the opportunity to join the Red Cross
without urging.
For once, the merchants are to be
let alone. Since this is need for
nersons and not call for money,
there will be no solicitors canvassing
the stores and offices Of Keokuk next
week.
This thing Of leaving 1t to the
people without urging is regarded as
an experiment by some people.
Chairman Mcfarland and some
others believe that it is a certainty,
because Keokuk may always be re.
lied upon to do her duty without
prodding. But they are going to
see that full opportunity is given
everybody to enroll as member, of
the Red Cross next week.
-TAYB~ Al NJ WITT