Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-27
SPRINGS
ORATORICAL COUP
sr,retar, OF Davenport Commercial
Club Charms Members Of Tri.City
Press Club.
YATES TO TAKE slo,ooe JOB
/ J.dres r. u. Ramsay. W. 7. Church
and George ". Gamble Also Heard
Al Monthly Session.

That the smoke screen used so ef-
sertiyely by the United States in pro-
,ecting its warships from attack by
tho enemy was not invented, as has
h.en the general supposition by mill
.ary experts. but that the idea origin
.,ai in the fertile brain of publicity
ssarks long before Kaiser Bill ever
attempted to pull his world-dominion
s,uf. was the clever way in which
irving c. Norwood, affable and par ex-
reIlent secretary of the Davenport
commercial club, rendered tribute to
newspaper men of this community at
the meeting OF the Tri-City Press club
last evening al the Rock Island house.
on the eve of his departure for his
new position at Bethlehem, Pa.
What WAS he referring to? Well,
LOT him tell il In his own words:
"When | came to Davenport six years
ago from Washington. l knew some
hing about publicity but not a single
thing concerning the Commercial club
work which | had been employed to
do 1t was then that She newspaper
bows OF the tri-cities came to my res
cue and threw up smoke screen for
sir months. shielding me from what
might have been an embarrassing sit
40 grasp at least the fundamentals of
The civic advancement game. l surely
appreciate it."
Pulls Verbal Cam0uflage.
As q matter of fact, this was a bit
OF verbal camouflage of, the most pro-
nounced type and no one knew it bet
ter than the paper boys who were
present and thoroughly enjoyed typi-
caiiy Norwoodian oratorical gem that
sdntillated with the keen wit. bright
but harmless sarcasm, and that all
prevailing spirit of optimism which is
50 Characteristic Of the man who is
about to leave for the east to give the
inhabitants of Bethlehem an opportun-
fly to enjoy some Of the finer things in
life, for which he is to be paid the
mere bagatelle of $4,000 year. Of
course, Mr.. Norwood hates to 60 under
the circumstances.
Minus the spread eagle type Of so
many so-called after-dinner speakers,
Mr.. Norwood, as he always does, simply
took the whole crowd into his conf
dence and in an unaffected chummy
sort Of way told some Of his amusing
experiences in visiting his new field
recently in the great, overgrown,
workmad community to which he has
been called and read highly amusing
letter which former Davenport
(, scribe had written to Mr. Norwood S
/: Office on hearing Of the latter's inten-
ton to. leave and in which he men
,tions with a world OF mock sorrow,
I that the pitcher has now been broken
for Hutch and AL O'Hern," which re-
ference is to the friendly libation so
often quaffed by Irving and his pals,
tso rumor has it,. From a literary
standpoint the epistle was about as
fine bit of faxed pathos as has been
manufactured In this section for de-
cades or Whereabouts.
Mr.. Norwood touched lightly and
!. therefore with more effect on his leav-
!. Ing Davenport and the tri-cities where
; 10 many of his warm friends reside
but showed that the mental stimulus
which new problems bring is needed
By the man in his avocation who
would 20 forward and that ito keep
from getting stale in field where
creative work is not Of primary I'm
portance," he felt it his duty to &C
cept the preferred place. Tri-city
newspaperdom will miss Norwood, his
happy smile, his friendly manner
which rings OF real sincerity and his
ever readiness to assist in every pro-
ject having the best interests Of thi!
section of the Mississippi valley a
heart
There were other speakers on thu
program, including Judge F. D. Ram
say, Morrison and Judge W. T. Church
Aledo, and George W. Gamble, Moline
circuit clerk and dean OF the cour
house officials.
Ramsay Is Eloquent
Judge Ramsay with clarity O
Thought and beauty Of language tina
gave his utterances distinction, EN-
phasized the importance Of the pres!
In the days Of crisis and the sacred
duty which newspapers have in mould
lAH6 oliu uUiuiuk PubiiN cPihAoh 40 sAA'
proper channels Of patriotic allegiance
to this country.
I'VE are now all Americans regard
less Of the countries from which vi
or our forefathers came" he said
"NoteSthat we are not now called citi
zens of the United States, but Ameri
cans, tysifying a continent In its Scoop
and therefore we ought to be proud o
the title
He referred to the fact that his son
Lieutenant Robert NJ. Ramsay, off1cia
court reporter for this circuit, Is nov
IN France. and that the latter In writ
Ing to him, mentioned especially tina
The French are much more cordial II
their welcome to Americans than to tn
English and also that French in seek
Ing TO master the English languag
- l.. - ~ hn