Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-04-10
"A, large Crowd Of People Present and
Enthusiasm Ran High
Good Music and Good
Speaking. f
EVERYBODY IN SERIOUS MOOD
People Appreciate the Fact That the
Enemy is Far From Being
Exhausted at Present.

The patriotic meeting at tn,
Armory opera house Saturday nigh
was q success in every feature, re-
gardless of the fact that it was ad
vertised only twenty-four hours. The
meeting was to open at eight o'clocl
and by 1880 large crowds were wend
ing their way to the armory. 1t is es'
timated that fully eight hundred
people were present. There were 9
few vacant seats in the front part Of
the house, but these would have been
more than filled had the people who
were standing in the rear of the
room gone forward to occupy them.
The program was carried out as
announced without hitch and ev.
cry one of the vast throng present
seemed to enter into the spirit OF
the occasion. 1t was evidenced that
the audience fully realized the seri,
BUSINESS Of the step the government
had taken and that it is now up to
the people Of this country to make
some sacrifices for their cherished
institutions and for the ideals and
traditions OF the past.
The program was opened with mu-
sic by the drum corps. Mayor Clark
acted al master Of ceremonies and
cslle6 n 40dd 70 deu =
liver tho Invocation. which was fol-
lowed by tho slse club singing Am.
erica
Col. N. p. Hyatt was then called
upon and told "What the Guard
Stands For" Everybody who heard
the colonel must have been impress
ed by his words and his manner. He
fully realized the seriousness of the
situation, but it is evident that he
expects the cause of America to tri-
umph. He told one incident that
was reassuring. One Of the north
western Iowa companies is officered
by German located in German
community, and while the colonel
had no doubt of the loyalty of the
captain. he did fear that some
trouble might be experienced in get.
ting recruits. However, that COM
pany has little to complain of, as re-
cruits were responding more -enthus-
iastically than in most companies
He said the father of the captain
was born in Germany and could
hardly speak English. The son show
ed the colonel letter from his IA
ther, written in German, and the
old German told his son there is
nothing for him to do but be loyal tO
the United States flag. Colonel Hy-
att said that was the sentiment of
nearly all the naturalized citizens of
America of German birth or descent.
H. M. Sparboe offered few in
teresting remarks befitting the oc-
casion. Mr.. Sparboe said he was
born under a foreign flag, but the
die had been cast and there is but
one course for American citizens at
this time, no matter from whence
they came. He expressed the belief
that the foreign element among our
citizenry would prove their loyalty
now that the time for the test had
arrived.
The glee club then rendered Col
umbia."
O. j. Henderson made one of the
fine addresses of the evening and
added enthusiasm to the meeting. He
said that he believed fully ninety per
cent of the American people wanted
peace. They are opposed to war and
realize it's hardships and understand
the sacrifices that must be made. But
they value their liberty and their
rights and they are ready to make
any necessary sacrifices to maintain
them. They first discovered liberty
and will never relinquiSh 1t.
w. F. Cole was next upon the pro-
gram and made an address credit
able to the spirit of the meeting. He
declared that he had been neutral
this war and had not
cared who whipped the kaiser, just
so he was whipped. The United
States lis not fighting the Germany
of art, music. and letters, but the
Germany Of militarism, of Won Hind