St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-05-30

Though the attendance did not run
much aver 800. the Liberty Loan"
mass meeting. held Friday night
at the Colonial Theatre was a thor
ough success. The speakers reused
their audience to a realization of their
duties regarding the Liberty Loan"
subscription. Inspiring music was rem
dered by the Boy Choir of the Notre
Dame church, and the youthful per-
formers were heartily applauded.
Owing to the adverse weather con-
ditions the meeting was late in get
ting under way, but once the speakers
took the floor there was no doubt left
in any mind that they were in earnest
on their subject. Every phase of the
new government war loan was eluci-
dated, from the peoples view to the
financers knowledge on the subject.
The first speakers to take the floor
was Chairman Gilmore T. Ide, of the
St. Johnsbury Liberty Loan Commit
tee. Mr.. Ide told of his appointment
as chairman of the district; how it
came to him as q complete surprise,
and of his determination now he had
been appointed to the work, to place
the bonds with the people of the COM
munity. He made plain the reasons
why the banks cannot buy the Liber-
ty bonds; showed why the public must
absorb the the loan. Mr.. Ide put it
up to the people as patriotic duty,
not a question of percentages or prof
it's
The speaker told that the germs of
patriotism exist but the must be start
ed to life by some method. The peO-
pie must be educated to taking bonds.
Mr.. Ide made it clear that the money
is absolutely necessary for supplying
the men who are to be drafted with
- necessities, and that when it came to
lOaning money there was no better
banking medium in the world than the
United States government.
After asking the audience to do their
bit in raising st. Johnsbury's $4,000
quota of the loan, Mr.. Ide introduced
A. l.. Spring, of Boston, president of
the University Law School Asso citation.
Mr.. Spring took the platform and
from the moment he began until he
made his final statement he held the
fast attention of the gathering with
his rapid fire arguments and state
ments of fact. He pointed out that
the government was attempting to
float an enormous loan and had asked
the aid of the people I'VE all can
not answer the call to arms Mr..
Spring stated, but we want to do
something" He gave the Liberty
Loan as the golden door of opportu-
nifty for those who could not take up
arms and serve, a chance to use some
of the patriotism that abounds in all
hearts Mr., Spring put the subject in
a new light when he gave unprepared-
ness as the basis for the government
war bond issue. He gave some facts
as to.,;the present condition of the
United States as a military power; the
army is but three times larger than
the New York City police force; the
condition of the army at the time of
the border trouble last year; the fact
that but ten per cent Of the men were
ready for the call of the President,
and the pitiful facts of machine gun
companies without guns; cavalry
Horses unshod, and not enough to go
around at that: the unprotected At
lantic- coast line.
Mr., Spring gave an idea of the vast
sum of money that would be neces-
sary. to remedy all the defects in our