The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-11
National Drive for Millions of New
Members for Red Cross Dis
carded for Unique voIun-
tary Applications.
rs ENTIRELY VOLUNTARY
No One to be Nagged to Join, But
Everybody to Have Easy oppor-
tunIty to Become a Member
Of Red Cross.

VOLUNTEER WORKERS WANTED.
There is going to be large
amount of work to be done In dis
tributing Red Cross advertising mat
ter and supplies during the Christ
mas membership drive this week
and next. Anyone who can give a
little time to such work ls asked to
telephone to office of Mcfarland
Paper Co., No. rs. Use of several
automobiles Is desired.
c. F MCFARLAND,
! Chairman A. r. c.
| Confidence in Keokuk patriotism
approaching the sublime is indicated
by the determination to ask this city
to voluntarially send in 2,G00 more
memberships in the Red Cross before
Christmas night.
There is to be national drive
next week to raise the membership OF
the American Red Cross from 5,OOO,-
100000 to 100000 along plan al
most Identical with that used for the
| big drive for the war fund.-" sain
Chairman c. F. Mcfarland last even
! 'us, but have confidence enough in
heokus, and am proud enough of Ksc-
kuk, to consider that unnecessary
| tarially increase it's mem bership 1000
persons, and I believe she will DO it
and If she does it we all will have
right to be proud Of Keofuk."
There are now 5000 members Of the
| Red Cross in this city. The campaign
OF next week is not to raise money so
much as to identify persons with the
Red Cross and get everybody to belong
| to that organization. The member
ships cost only one dollar each, or tUo
dollars if including the magazine
which is the official organ.
To Be Entirely Voluntary.
The chairman called meeting at
the Industrial association rooms last
evening to consider the matter. There
were present Mayor Ed 8. Lotion,
| Wells M. Irwin, J. G. Thomas, Dr. g..
Walter Barr. Charles J. Smith, Edward
w. McManus and j. o. Boyd.
After thorough discussion. 1t wsA
agreed that the 1000 new members
can be obtained by voluntary applica-
lions here in Keokuk next week, if the
people are given easy facilities for
joining and the need for new mem
bers is properly called to their atten-
ton. The work will be done on the
various subdivisions, rather than on
individuals.
It was decided to operate broad
campaign of publicity in four divis-
ions, each in charge of chairman of
committee. These divisions are:
newspaper publicity; public congre-
cations of people; use Of Red Cross
service flags; neighborhood work.
The Only Town Ir. America.
II the plan works out, Keokuk will
be the only town in America which
voluntarially supplies it's share of Red
Cross memberships.
Here, there will be no demands
made, no big push of persuasion, not
merchant will be solicited, nobody will
be held up literally or fguratively and
in short the thing will be Just the OPP
posite of the former drives for the Red
Cross, the Liberty bonds, the Red Tri-
angle and the like.
7 But everybody will have full oppor-
tunity to sign an application card for
membership and will find convenient
place to deposit it so it will reach the
local Red Cross organization.
Special pains will be taken to give
opportunity to all persons of German
uSSCSHI " lluiCdle WucAe
their sympathies are now.
Every present member Of the Red
Cross will receive service flag to
hang in the front window, to show
that that household is already doing
its bit for the Red Cross. Present
members are not expected to extend
TIER memberships or join In this
movement for themselves personally.
It is believed that there are 1000
more people in Keokuk who would like
to become members of the Red Cross,
which costs only one dollar, and at any
rate the committee Is going to find
out whether this is true-that was the
sentiment diclosed at the meeting held
last evening.
New wide brimmed hats for women
have q piece Of glass in their brims so
that they will not obstruct the vision
when pulled down to cover a wearer's
aveq .