Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-15

of universal military training and
service-so that never again shall we
be utterly unready, as we now are, to
meet great crisis. Finally, in the
present war, a war for liberty and
democracy against the ruthless mill
taristic tyranny of the Prussianized
Germany of tie Hohenzollerns, let us
as speedily as possible train our giant,
but our soft and unready, strength. so
that we NAV use our hardened might
to bring the Slaughter to a real and
final end in the only way lionorably
possible by securing for ourselves and
our allies the peace of justice based
on overwhelming victory"
Appeal for Red Cross.
In his appeal for support of the Red
Cross, Colonel Roosevelt said:
The most important thing Is to
send abroad at the earliest possible
moment a great fighting army. Second
only to the army in the work OF win
ming this war comes our Red Cross.
Indeed the importance of this work is
so great that the president Of the
United States has set apart next week
from June l8 to 25--as a period for
sacrifice and unselhsh generosity, a
week in which the whole American
people will be asked to join in raising
funds to enable our Red Cross to per-
form its vast and indispensable duties
in this war.
"The president has also commits
stoned several of the ablest business
men of the country as a war council
Of the Red Cross, to administer this
service on behalf OF stricken world.
This war council tells US that fund
OF $l00,000,000 must be raised at once
in order to meet even the most urgent
needs.
Here, indeed, Is summons to
every American. 1t is an enormous
sum of money; but what comfort can
we take Ia withholding that or any
other sum OF money il 1t is needed to
relieve the suffering Of our own sons
or the sons of our allies who are fight
ing for all that makes life worth liv-
ing.
Opportunity for Service.
"Into our Red Cross without stint
should be poured a heartfelt offering
of thanksgiving that we are permitted
to join in this great service to all man.
kind. Our soldiers and sailors will do
their part without finching; we may
rest assured of their courage and f.
deity. The Red Cross offers to US
who are not allowed to fight, the op-
portunity for sacrifice and for help.
I'VE little realize what is before us.
Our own sons and brothers will soon
be going into battle. They will be
5000 miles from home. in land ale
ready wasted by war, a land threat
ened by famine, land lsmitten by dis.
ease. They tell us that in many cases
today the wounds Of soldiers in
France must be tied up with newspa-
pers for want OF the necessary sur
gical bandages. When our own men
are wounded--as they surely will be
in great numbers-are we going to al
low them to suffer yet more because
we fail to provide those things which
can at least mitigate distress! Surely
notl But we must do it in advance.
If we wait it may be too late. Do it
now!
Foster Parent for the Wounded.
"Our Red Cross must not only care
for the shattered bodies OF our
wounded men; it alone can become
foster parent tt them in the trying
conditions they are sure to face when
they are convalescent from wounds or
recovering from exhaustion. We shall
soon have an army OF 100000 SOL
diers. When they go to France they
must have homes in which to rest
and to be cared for and to recover.
The generosity OF our whole people
must make it possible for our Red
Cross to provide for them.
"In no previous war have the inno-
cent noncombatants had to bear so
terrible share of its physical suffer-
ing. And it is through our Red Cross
that we can show to the nations of the
world how the great heart of the
American people goes out to them in
their distress.
Bleeding France.
"France--proud, brave. bleeding
from ghastly wounds-needs us sore
ly. Tuberculosis is raging throughout
its land. Fifteen hundred OF its towns
and villages have been razed to the
ground by the calculated barbarity of
the invaders. Millions of its people are
homeless and starving, bereft even OF
the barest covering for their bodies,
of stoves, of utensils with which to
cook or eat, of agricultural imple-
ments, Of animals-indeed of the sim.
plest elements of civilization. And to
US alone can these people come for
help; we alone have the abundance
with which to supply their direst
needs.
ITO Russia, too, we must reach out
our helping hand. We little know what
it has suffered and is suffering. Russia,
long obedient to autocracy, has not
tlinched in this conflict. Its people
have had to struggle not only to free
the world from autocracy, but to
make their own land lang Of liberty.
Russia needs all we can do to
make their own land land Of liberty.