Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-08-07

| war we were in Germany and we went
out TO where Grandfather Zimpelmann
had lived and | saw the toll worn
peasants and entered their sordid
homes, and | was glad that / had es-
capped all that, just because grand
father loved freedom.
$50 when this war broke out and
Germany. true to her Prussian train
ing and Bismarck's teaching, began
to murder innocent women and chill
| dren, reaching out even, to this land
of freedom because for years they
had enyied our prosperity, and when
we were finally forced to fight or sub
nit to this arrogant autocracy which
] desires to rule the world, we began
to think of our duty to America. We
people who were enjoying comfort,
even luxury. in this land because OPP
portunity was open to all, must now
show whether we were merely selfish
or whether we appreciate what this
country has done for us.
''We saw where workers were need
ed and we volunteered to work for
the Red Cross. For months | have
knitted and sewed and make Surgical
Dressings and done what | was called
upon to do by the Red Cross. We
have closed our home and work all
the time, paying all cur own expenses
and never counting the hours we
labor. Mr.. Waters gives all he can
to aid the soldiers, buys Liberty
Bonds and works all the time for the
Red Cross. He does Civilian Relief
work and goes about to the homes of
soldiers and and sees that their fans
lilies are receiving thd allowance made
them by the government and aids
them in every way he can.
81 am afraid you would be quite
surprised if should tell you that we
are not buying new clothes but wear
ing our old ones; that we think good
citizens at this time should take the
money for a new dress or hat or
a trinket and buy something to make
the boys who will fight our battles
more comfortable.
81 am sure when you think things
over you will not want wrist watch
but would rather have the money for
that invested il something to allevi-
the the misery our wounded boys are
in. Wouldn't you? We owe this coun-
try great debt and now is our time
to show that we appreciate that we
are part of the country, not merely
a slave who labors for an autocracy.
''Should America not win, should
Germany triumph, none of us will
ever again have much happiness nor
will we have jewelry or automobiles.
We will have to do as the French
have done for forty years - toll un-
ceasinsly to pay the debts that tri-
umphant Germany imposes upon the
vanquished.
$50 hope you are good Ameri-
can citizen and that you are helping
all you can; that you study hard so
you will have trained brain which
will help you to make good living
IN the future, and that when you
you will remember that you owe
much to your country and that you
will either knit or sew for those who,
like cousin Arthur, have gone to
defend it so that we at home may
live SdleII uuu HOG nave our uOlucS
burned over our heads as the poor
Belgians did Remember the Bel
gians had done nothing to Germany
their only offense was that their
little country had valuable property
for the Germans to steal and that
they lay in the path to France and
England, so Belgium, was destroyed
her people murdered and made slaves.
Fortunately for us an ocean rolls be-
tween US and rapacious Germany but
we cannot depend too much on that
but must help to destroy this wild
beast that RACES everywhere in these
sad days.
"When you work among people who
have been over there and who know
what has been done to innocent peo-
pie, you know that we must work,
work, work to prevent such catas-
trophe from coming on us.