The Delta independent., 1917-11-23
ANNUAL Meeting OF DELTA
COUNTY RED CROSS CHAPTER

The annual meeting of the Delta
County Chapter of Red Cross was held
in this city Saturday, beginning with
a MONDAY luncheon at the Presby-
terian church. There was a splendid
attendance including delegates and
many others interested in the work
from all over the counts
Following the dinner the president
appointed a nominating committee
who were to confer together and re-
port Immediately after the close of
the first session.
Reports were heard from Paonia
branch. Mrs. Miller, chairman. report
ing: Miss Donna Hartman reported
from Hotchkiss branch; Mrs. ]. Gerl-
ing from Rogers mesa; Mrs. w R.
Hinman from Austin: Mrs Conner
from Cedaredge. and Mrs. H X. Por-
ter from Delta. The reports all sound
ed good and showed a vast deal of
work performed and planned by the
ladies of these branches The Craw-
ford and Redlands mesa branches
were not represe ented Miss Hayward
of Pitkin mesa, the originator of Red
Cross work in this county. gave de-
lightful address, also.
Following the reports. the chair
pertinent remarks. introduced the
speaker OF the day, Hon. James w
Kelley. from Denver and if there was
a lack of enthusiasm before the ad-
dress, there was certainly an abund-
ance OF it afterward
Mr.. Kelley IS one OF Colorado's best
known speakers, although he LAYS no
claim to oratorical ability and SAYS
he is only a lawyer: but his address
was brilliant and inspiring. full of fire,
enthusiasm and of truths.
He said in part:
The most terrible atrocities since
the dawn of civilization have been
committed by the Germans in their
treatment of the countries which they
have captured on their way TO Paris.
Men have been hopelessly crippled,
beautiful buildings have been razed:
the ground over which they travelled
has been poisoned so that for a gen
Grafton no crops can be raised. Civili
zation is what We make it. and not
what we would hope to have it be.
IF there had been submitted to
the German people at the time of the
declaration of war, the question as to
wheteher war should be declared
there would have been an almost una
red peace to war.
We have sent the flower of Ameri-
can manhood into training camps, and
we are sending the most splendid OF
them onto French soil to occupy the
trenches there. These soldiers are
going TO uphold this flag. my flag and
your flag and they are going to en-
dure the same sort OF hardships that
soldiers have always endured. Some
of them. thousands of them. are never
coming back again. Some of them
from your own county. are going to
leave their bones to minsle with the
mold where armies will travel to and
fro, amid the shock of arms
1T has been decreed that there
shall be disarmament of all nations
and that a never-to-be-broken peace
shall come like benediction upon the
world. This is the aim and object of
this war"
Further. he said This autocracy
has not only made this the most cruel
war. has not only rolled down upon
the trenches OF its foes poisonous
gases. has not only killed men by ord
ers OF the commanding general who
were writhing upon the ground. woun-
ded, but has ruined cities, the most
beautiful of the world Failure to
succeed against the United States.
England and France will mean that
the German hierarcy will be smashed
to pieces and that the king and emper-
or must abiicate the throne and the
German people will come into their
own So our fight is not fight OF
this country alone. but of democracy
throughout the world The new Ger
many will be a Germany freed from
the burden that has been so long upon
her shoulders
Regarding the Red Cross work he
said: with respect to the wounded
men who fall on the battlefield. II
they escape the bayonets of the Ger
mans who come out 10 kill them be
fore they die, will be brought back to