Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-10-17
DEBORAH COMMERCIAL
CLUB TO RAISE FUND
Directors of Club at Suggestion Of
President Wilson Called Upon
to Get Behind National Fund
for War Camp Recrea-
ton Work.
DEBORAH MEN WILL
TAKE UP THE WORK
Public Must be Made to Realize That
They Must Help to Win the War.
First Victories" Will be
Won in America.


At the suggestion of President Will
son the directors of the Decorah Com
mercial Club have been called on to
get their organization behind the
campaign to raise a national fund for
War Camp Community Recreation
work. The purpose of this is to in
spire the men, increase the effieien-
cy and help develop the fighting
spirit of the American armed forces.
Features of this big work include the
providing of wholesome, healthy en-
vironment in the communities sur
rounding the ninety or more training
camps and posts.
Joha N. Willys, of Toledo, automo-
bile and aeroplane manufacturer,
appoiuted jointly by Secretary of
War Baker and Secretary of the Navy
Daniels as chairman of the national
committee on the War Camp Com
mu1ity Recreation Fund, has written
letter to each of the following, ask
ing their assistance in this vitality
important war work:
G. F. Baker, president Commercial
Club; I. w. Brunt, secretary; Ben
Bear, treasurer, aId H. A. Warner,
member executive committee
The public, it is pointed out, must
be made to realize that they must
help to win the war The first vic
tories" will be won in America, and
will depend on the way in which
those who stay at home receive, well
come and hearten the men who are
ready to bleed AID die that. demo-
cracy may live. The work for the sol
diers and sailors in the communities
outside the camps, should not be con-
fused with what is being done for
their entertainment and recreation
by the Y. NJ. c. A., the Knights of
Columbus, the Y. NJ HI. A., and in
other ways during their leisure hours
in camp.
Mr.. WHY'S summarizes the big
purpose of the War Camp Communf-
ty Recreation Fund when he says:
THE spirit of the New American
army is to be made in the next few
months. Mere numbers do not make
an army millions of soldiers Who
lack the fighting spirit can retreat
without a struggle The American
boys must know that the finest ideals
of civilization are in their hands;
that the folks at home are living and
fighting in their hearts.
Imagine your boy at a training
camp he says. Where shall he go
and what shall he do wheh off duty?
The cities, big and little, adjacent to
the camps will do their BEST, but
without the aid of national fund 1T
will be impossible to supply the
equipment and the trained personal
service necessary to make recrea-
ton system a thorough success.
1T is planned to furnish enlisted
men hospitality in local social circles,
to promote wholesome amusement
il public places, to supply buildings,
swimming pools, ETC., and to prevent
the exploitation of the boys by COM
mercialized attractions of an undesir-
able sort"
President Wilson, in a letter which
Mr.. WHY'S enclosed with each of his
Communications, says of the commu-
nifty service:
1.-The spirit with which our SOL
diers leave America, and their efiici-
ency on the battle fronts of Europe
will be vitality affected by the charac-
ter of the environment surrounding
our military training camps"
Three Dollars for Each Soldier
and Sailor" is the amount required
to carry or the work for theA next
year. This money will be used in a
hundred ways, such as building and
maintaining clubs for the men, ar
ranging dramatic, moving-picture,
musical and numerous other forms OF
entertainment in auditoriums. clubs,
schools, churches and private homes;
in short, to see to it that the COM
Imunity around the camp is as near
like home" to the men as possible.