The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-04-05
HOOD RIVER
IS PATRIOTIC
MONSTER MASS MEETING IS HELD
Stirring Speeches, Patriotic Songs Fea.
lures Of Big AssembIage. Addressed
By Man Here From Trenches

lures OF Dig ASSemDia2e. Addressed
By Man Here From Trenches
Speaking as citizen and soldier, Z"
declared Senator Geo. R. Wilbur, cap.
tain of 18th Company, Coast Artillery
Corps, Oregon National Guard, in the
opening address at the patriotic meet
ing held here Friday night. at He'll
bronner hall, the temporary armory of
the local military organization, for the
purpose of stimulating recruiting in
the company, II only wish that such
spirit of love for country and her
ideals would swell in the hearts of our
men and women end actuate their deeds
for S65 days out Of every year."
The meeting was by far the largest
ever held IN Hood River. Following
an exhibition drill of the artillerymen
on the streets, the big hall within Is
minutes had become jammed to the
doors with men and women. 1t is
estimated that ] 200 people found room
in the building, and more than 200
finding no room in lobbies or the big
stairway LEADING to the third story of
the structure left in disappointment.
Before the program began with the
song of America" by the assemblage,
Fire Chief l.. G. Morgan instructed
Rev. Elijah Hull Longbrake, pastor of
the Asbury Methodist church, who pre-
sided, that the aisles must be cleared.
Although the 18th Company of Coast
Artillery has been organized since last
August, Capt. Wilbur told his audience
that night that as yet no representative
of the army had ever been here to
teach the elements of military train
ing;
''You should be proud of your com
pany," he declared, ''for up to the
time of the recent call for recruits,
18th Company has had the largest num-
ber of men on its roster of any Oregon
National Guard company of the state.
At the present time, think, it has the
largest number of men Of any Coast
Artillery company. But these boys
have themselves to thank for what they
are. They have never asked for cent
of financial aid from the people of the
community. For several months they
attended more meetings than were re.
quired by the regulations and drilled
for two hours night once week in
civilian clothes, and now that we are
on the verge of being called to mobil-
ize, wewant the company filled here at
home with Hood River boys" Capt.
Wilbur declared that he expected to
get the men before the week was over.
Capt. Wilbur" said Mayor H. L.
Dumb1e, showed me letter he had
Just received from woman, the wife
of one of the company members and
mother of two little girls, who asked
what she was going to do in case the
support of her husband, called to war,
was cut off. told Capt. Wilbur to re-
ply to her that the people Of Hood
River would see that she and her
babies would not 90 in want. If no
other man in Hood River is willing to
give to such fund, this woman and
her children and others like her will
have food and clothing SO long as ]
have cent Of money left. -
DR.. Dumble stated that subscription
papers had been left at his Office and
at all local banks and that by this
means monthly fund would be raised
to care for the families of enlisted men
who might be called to the front. II
do not want these women to appear in
the light of begging for help" declsr-
ed the city's mayor, Il do not want it
to appear as charity, We are going to
list the families and make an appropri-
alton of sum that we think will meet
their needs, and every month this
,usll ho v,aid thar, -
Mrs. Chas. H. Castner, president of
the Oregon State Federation of Wom-
ems Clubs. pledged the support of the
women of Hood River and Oregon to-
ward an aid of the soldier boys. Il
feel il great honor to be able to stand
here tonight she said, and to tell you
that We women are ready to make
whatever sacrifice possible for our
country. The president of our national
federation recently telegraphed to
President Wilson that we women the
nation over were behind him. ! sent
a similar message last week to Gov
'ernor Withycombe, offering the sup
port of the 1900 club women of Ore
gon."
Il have appeared on this program at
the solicitation Of the men and women
Of German blood in the city and val
iey," declared C. D. Nickelsen. 81
am here to tell you how the great
rank. and file of the German peo-
pie in America stand today. | was
born under the red, the white and
the black, where he, who gives his
orders of ruthlessness to his millions
Of merciless men tonight, held sway. |
want to say, and | tell you the truth,
that | believe my American citizenship
means more to me than that of native
born men and women, and | believe /
speak the sentiment of the great mass
Of Germans. Mr.. Nickelsen aroused
applause by reading poem, entitled,
What Would You Do, Gridley" Grid
ley, member of the crew Of Dewey
at Manila Bay, is made to say by W.
Ross Winans. a local poet, that he
would train his guns on the stealthy
submarine and shoot quick to sink the
treacherous monster of the deep, and
the reading Of the local mans inspired
words sent thrill Of applause through
the house.
The last speaker Of the evening,
Armand Patreau was surprise for
most of those present at the meeting.
When the young man, dressed in his
drab blue uniform of French infant
ryman. arose, the 1000 men and women
jumped to their feet and gave him an
ovation
Oth5f speakers were: County Judge
L. N Blowers, Roy D. Smith,
veteran of the Spanish h-Americsn war
S. A. Mitchell, e. o. Blanchsf, Truman
Butler, DIR. ]. D. Cutlery and Major
F. C. Brosius. Musical numbers were
rendered by Miss Georgia Lynn, j. A.
Epping and Mrs. G. II. Sletton.
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