The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-02-22

;RUCIF1ED CHRIST
4. !, ~ HI-1ELL,STROM
nse Council Makes Hot Retort to
Who Would Not Serve
Committee ..., .'.. .5.,,
vice Of his country. No doubt tic Oh
jcctors to the violation Of the old Jew.
ish Sabbath were sincere and no
doubt the DIRECTORS to the showing .ot
patriotic and educational pictures are
sincere, but nevertheless they belong
to tho same class. ss'S2
! In the first place, to.violate the Sab.
hath law it is necessary TO show that
the thing was done entirely unneces.
sary and that it was Of frivolous char,
acter or in other words, for amuse,
ment or that it was debasing or that
it has tendency to destroy the char
acter and mOralse of those who parti-
cipate In the act don't believe that
you are going to- allow yourself to be
led into believing that to receive a
moving picture film from the, United
States government which is produced
by the United States government for
the purpose Of propasating a spirit Of
patriotism Is q violation OF the laws
of man or. the laws Of God, whether
such pictures be shown in church,
moving, picture house or any other
place suitable for showing it nm Sun
day. Monday, or any other day Of the
week. , ..s,.,.. ..
lsinccrely trust and pray that those
who, object to- the showing Of these
pictures. to the, public whether 1t be
on Sunday or not, that they may be-
come SO enlightened in order that
they may know and realize that their
firstduty now is to their country
There is another feature in eonnec.
ton with this showing Of pictures.
The writer was responsible for bring.
ing these pictures to North Dakota.
North Dakota was the first state west
of the Alleghenies that took on, the
contract for showing these pictures
with the Council OF National Defense
and ..orth Dakota today enjoys the
distinction of having done more in the
way of giving publicly to those. pic
lures than any other state in the un.
ion. ......
The reason that the writer took the
responsibility Of bringing these pic
lures to the state was on account OF
the fact that at meeting of repre-.
sentatiyes called to Chicago by Mr..
Porter, the director Of the Council Of
National Defense, the writer found
that the sentiment in this conference
seemed to be almost unanimous that
North Dakota was a field that needed
for promotion Of patriot
ism and that our people were suspect.
ed Of being disloyal to the national
government. In fact, the sentiment
seemed to be fixed in, the ir. minds that
North Dakota was very strongly pro
German and the writer, had several
very heated and lively tits with some
of the people that were possessed OF
this idea, And now to cap the climax,
our good church people come to the
front with vigorous protest and carry
this protest to Washington right to
the. Council of National Defense in
such a manner as to very strongly
impress upon their minds that there
Is strong undercurrent of pro.Ger.
nanism in. this state and that the at.
tack that has been made on showing
the moving pictures in this state simp-
ly raises another question mark In
their minds and another stumbling
block that has to be overcome.
These pictures are beng shown as
a matter of education, not as amuse-
ment. Any net revenue derived from
The admission fee is all devoted to
public charity They are being shown
by the national government and they
are being shown on Sunday In fact,
some Of the states in the union that
have statutes similar to our own are
permitting the picture to be shown
and the governors Of these states re-
cognizing the sacred character of the
work, have issued proclamations sus-
bending the law in order to case up
The consciences Of such people as
we're unable to see that the idea of
carrying on the propaganda work OF
the national government is not, and
can not be, violation of any state
law or any national law, but that is q
sacred work. 1 trust that those who
have seen fit to raise q protest against
This work have done SO with tho single
and sincere purpose, Of vindicating
heir religious scruples, but in making
This protest they have made IT. pos
sible for our critics to point their
fingers toward us and question our
sincere loyalty.
NV motto. is: VICTORY FIRST"
Will you join with me or not?
I simply say you are the only per,
son out of about two hundred and fifty
people who received. a request similar
hat has declined to accept. I also
have very urgent requests from g
large number of people who demand
nat the pictures be shown, on Sunday.
Yours truly, N..4
fta +. %. HELLSTROM.
rOH:R. 5s4s s..ts,
4 r. Son account of the fact that
the question touched on In this letter
has become "a public controversy, ! am