The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1917-12-22
Plans have been perfected to

MES fitting climax of the patrl-
otic Red Cross campaign. AT Z 80
o'clock on the night before Christ
mas it is proposed that lighted
candle shall be placed behind the
transparent flag in the window OF
every Red Cross home, Local
chapters will strive to see that
this idea is carried into effect. The
candles are to burn until .
o'clock. and at half hour Intervals
during the evening church bells
are to be rung to lend impressive
ness to the Red Cross ceremony.
During the same hours groups of
Red Cross workers in every COM
munity will march through diff
ferent neighborhoods singing car
OILS in further acclaim Of the spirit
of the Red Cross Christmas.
The Red Cross needs the active
support of millions whose good
will it already has. The big
Christmas membership drive was
conceived in and will be carried
out largely for the purpose of
turning passive friends into act
i've workers. And it was a pecu-
liarly happy thought that gave
expression to the idea of making
this a "Red Cross Christmas.
1t will be Americas first Christ
mas in this war. 1t will be
Christmas Of serious purpose,
when the minds of every one will
be turned to the war, to our sol
diers in France and in training
camps awaiting orders to cross
the sea, and to our sailors and
marines. Thought, too, will rest
on the soldiers of our allies and
the suffering people in the war
zones. That the nation will be in
just the right spirit at this Christ
mas time to produce a whole
hearted response to the Red Cross
appeal is not doubted.
At the conclusion Of the Red
Cross membership drive there will
not be any excuse for any one not
having become a member. There
are hundreds of thousands of per-
sons whose names are not on the
Red Cross roll merely by reason
of their own thoughtlessness. All
these will have the chance and be
reminded of their patriotic duty
to join the Red Cross. In the
words of President Wilson, the
people as a whole will be afforded
opportunity to show the Christ
mas spirit in terms of action
Three million seals have been
allotted to this state for the Red
Cross campaign for funds to fight
tuberculosis. The sale campaign
closes today, and the full force Of
the Red Cross, the women's
clubs, the minute women, the
school children, and the anti.
tuberculosis societies has been
used in the drive.
The annual death rate from tn.
berculosis is $4,000, yet many
people will calmly pass up this
subject, but at the same time
whine over the execution of some
criminal, or become alarmed at
the prevalence of train wrecks.
The ravages Of tuberculosis seem
to constitute too great subject
for the comprehension Of many,
which may account for the little
interest taken in the fight to kill
the greatest health enemy this
country knows.
The Employers Association of
Washington last week passed res
olutiOns asking the governor to
call special session of the legis-
lature for the purpose Of enacting
a law making it a criminal Of
fense during the continuance of
the war for any ble-bodied man,
having attained his majority, to
remain wilfully idle. 1t is
claimed that idle men in this
state not only retard production
of necessities, but fOment dis