Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1917-10-12
The Need d Red cro.. Sweaters.

The Need Of Red Gross Sweaters.
The local Red Cross chapter have re-
ceived an urgent appeal for sweaters
for the men in France. The demand Is
imperative and the ladies have request
ed the publication of the following ar
ticle which appeared recently in the
Dubuque Telegraph Herald:
When q boy is cold, hungry, or i'll, it
lis to mother that he turns for relief.
Oursoldier boys have gone manfully to
their duty of maintaining American
liberty. rendering safe from invasion
American homes, guarding its woman
hood from the unspeakable pollution
that has been the fate of invaded
Europe; they have gone to the task
their manhood imposes the more cheer
fully because they know that the moth
ers of America are personal sponsors
for their comfort and welfare. They
have trusted US; let US not fail them.
Let US remember when our hands lie
idle that we may be letting our mo-
ments CO." that some soldiers life may
pay the forfeit because we have not
done our bit to protect him from. the
cold that is such a fruitful source OF
illness. He put his life between US and
the things that Belgian and French wo'
men have suffered; he marched away
trusting US to be loyal to him; he does
not loiter on his job. Dare we do SO
on ours?
The localized Cross Chapter has de-
termined to make this week and next
sweater week." so thai by the mid
die of October Dubuqne's quota of 1000
sweaters may be sent to the men at
the front whose need is so exceedingly
great.
A correspondent from France writes:
every manlfghting or convalescing,
practically, needs sweater, and yet
the desrth of them has become so seri'
GUS that-those organizations who buy
their supplies hereIsimply cannot get
them. Ours have all been sent out.
1t is now question of keeping the
people:warm."
Is not this an appeal to every one of
us, personally, to knit? There is no
other way Tof obtaining these warm
garments:t by appealing to the wo-
men oflAmerica to lay aside all else
and make them. They cannot be
bought.
'Traitor" is the word we would ap-
ply to thelsoldier who slept or took his
easelwhen he should be on that firing
line that is our protection from shame
and misery. Why should a milder
wore. be:applied to the woman who is
too indolent, too fond of her sccus-
toned pleasure, too absorbed in her
own tasks to do her duty towards the
boys who have gone to the firing line
with faith that American womanhood
would do all in her power to hold up
their hands? s... ,,:.....'s II. nh, ( 4
In winter northern France, where
our soldiers are, is region of contin-
ued cold, drizz'ing rains or of snow and
ice. Hand-knitted garments have been
proven the best protection for mems
bodies in these conditions. Our gov
eminent cannot buy these, but we, wo-
men of Dubuque, can make them, must
make them..now, if we are going to
keep the boys we have sent warm and
free from the danger of tuberculosis.
After some of our boys have died from
the result of exposure, it will not be a
pleasant thought for any of US to real
ize that..we have contributed to their
deaths through our laziness. We can
knit in q warm room while some one
chats or reads aloud. No great hard
ship, is'it? If it seem SO, think of the
boy the trenches, or on sentry duty,
or in tent this winter, to whom that
knitting would seem like gift from
heaven.
There is no possible excuse for any
one not to knit one or more sweaters
forsour men; the Red Cross will fur
nish the:wool if you do not wish to buy
it; the ladies who are giving their time
ut the Red Cross shop will teach you to
knit it if you do not already know how;
they will set up the sweater and purl
the edge if you do not know how tc
purl, and the rest is plain knitting. Sc
there you sre-everything prepared,
nothing needed but your decision. &C
to it while yet there is time, before re-
gret and remorse become your daily
portion. because you failed the boy!
that trusted you to do your easy part
Let US all knit every possible minute
the coming two weeks, do it SO hare
that sweater" will deserve its name
enlist others 80 that it will "sweat" a.
many "hers" as possible, clean up tina
one thousand garments by October Is
and send them on their errand of mere!