The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-05-17
YOUR HELP Is VITAL

If you have not read the long tele
gram received here last week by C. N.
Ravlin, secretary of the local Chapter
of the National American Red Cross,
turn to it and read it carefully. You
will then see the seriousness of the
war situation confronting America.
And this situation is your situation.
You are far removed here beside the
calmly flowing Columbia. and the criti-
cal problems of the nation may rot
have imbued you with such spirit as to
move you to an act of cooperation.
This telegram should call you to ac-
tion. The Red Cross is calling for
subscriptions and for members this
week. 1t is conducting rummage
sale. If you haven't joined the organ.
ization do so. If you can afford to as
sist with a subscription, subscribe
cheerfully. Attend the rummage sale
and make it material success. The
Red Cross is the great humanitarian
arm of this nation. Even now we see
in process of organization huge army
of our young men. We are woefully
unprepared to take care of them.
Next week local campaign will be
started to raise 81, 900 of the $50, 900 to
be raised in Oregon and Idaho for the
establishment of army Y. M. C. A.
branches. The Y. M. c. A. plans are
fostered by the Army staff and the
President for the sake of morality and
efficiency. Statistics gathered by the
Oregon Social Hygiene Society show
how efficient was the work of the army
Y. M. G. A. on the Mexican border last
year. The Y M. C. A. branch fur
nishes the soldier lads place of recre-
alton, place where they may keep
alive the home spirit, where they may
read favorite books or write letters
home to the dear ones. While the Red
Cross steps in when the soldier has
pCSh WouiluSu VI Hoo IdiiSh SLIM tHC
Y. M. c. A. acts as preventative of
much physical degeneracy as we'll as
lowering of moral stamina that follows
and so often marks army concentration
camps. The Y. M. C. A. should have
your support and there should be no
difficulty in raising the proposed 1000
in the Hood River valley.
Theodore Roosevelt is one of the
most honored of Americas citizens to-
day. He is a man who we'll under
stands the needs of soldiers. OF the
Y. M. c. A. he says:
congratulate your committee upon
having so promptly erected the score
or more Y. M. c. A. buildings for our
soldiers along the Mexican border, and
as an American scitizen, interested in
his fellow citizens, | heartily thank
your body. Only man acquainted
with THE. life of soldiers in the field can
fully appreciate the need for these big,
airy, wooden recreation halls, with
writing facilities. games and the like.
From much experience in the past,
know how much the fifty secretaries
in charge of these buildings will be
able to do for our men in that desert
country. Their presence will aid the
offices to preserve the morale of the
camps.
| have had first hand knowledge of
the kind of work that your committee
is doing, both in the army and the
navy, and l heartily believe in it.
What the Y. M. C. A. has been doing
recently in Europe has been really re.
markable; and now our citizens should
aid them to do work of the same type
for our own troops.
l was interested to hear that FIVE
services, including the mass of the
Catholic church, were held in one of
your buildings at San Antonio last
Sunday. am glad to know that the
chaplains are making use of your
buildings.
You have begun fine piece of work.
earnestly hope that the patriotic
citizens of the country will give you
sufficient aid to enable you to continue
it as long as our troops remain near
the Rio Grande.