Judsonia weekly advance., 1918-05-01
Wedding Rings, Coffin Plates, Thimbles, Pins, SiIverWare,
 Among Donations.
PROCEEDS TO HELP AIRMEN
Work Under Supervision of Aviation Committee-Especiall to Equip Boys Who Have Received
 Commissions.
By ERNEST POOLE.
(From the Committee on Public In-
 

formation, Washington, D. C.]
 If war has darkened the world with hate. it has also opened windows in the minds of millions of people whose outlook was once narrow, but whose imaginings now go on wings out over the nations of the earth. And this is especially true among the people of the United States.
 In New York the other day l visited a crowded little room upstairs at 259 Fifth avenue. The room was filled with mail packages and with boxes large and small of the trinkets and treasures sent here from homes all over the U. s. A., to be sold in order to help the lads who are going to fly lover there" in France.
 From the window looking down l could see long lines of shops where in the old days "before the war" poured endless crowds of shoppers. I pie tured Fifth avenue back through the years, and I thought of countless shopping streets in cities and towns all over the land where in generations gone by people have bought Christmas presents, wedding rings mad birthday gifts. I thought of the numberless keepsakes that have been stored up in American homes and that have grown homes in New England and in New York and Chicago, in Denver, Seattle and San Francisco, and Galveston, Memphis and New Orleans these same small household treasures have come by thousands every week to this room.
 And the busy women of the commit tee sort them out, and some are sold and the rest are melted up and sold, and with the proceeds clothes and other comforts are bought for the men of the air service. Uncle Sam SUD- plies uniforms to the men, but not to the officers. When boy gets his com mission he must at once set about get not raise the price the aviation com mittee steps in. And also for those privates who are being rushed off to France each week, and who lack many extra things that will make life less arduous, the committee again acts as kind of foster mother.
 Equipment for an Officer.
 Here is the average equipment the committee supplies to an officer:
 set of underwear.
 leather helmet.
 pair aviatOr's gloves.
 l leather flying coat.
 l trench coat.
 1 pair leather brooches.
 pair aviator's boots.
 l pair woolen socks.
 1 pair aviatOr's goggles.
 1 woolen set, sweater, helmet, socks, wristlets and gloves.
 The committee has made a splendid as a part of the National Special Aid society, 1t has already collected and sold $32,000 worth of trinkets and has spent that amount on clothes. It is hard to keep up with the growing de- mands, for the word has gone out among the flyers, and they keep com ing to this room. But as the demand is increasing, so is the supply, for the committee has sent its appeal out all over the country:
 "Send jewelry, silverware, gold, and odd bits-nothing is too small i; nothing too large. From our store of trinkets and treasures let us give help to the wings of the United States. Gold and silver, solid or plate, donated to the committee are melted in the United States assay office and the proceeds used to help the aviatOrs. Send old or new jewelry, watches, chains, table and toilet ware, vases, candlesticks, souvenir spoons, coins cigarette cases, umbrella tops, eyeglass mountings, thimbles, dental gold and platinum. Any broken bits can be melted. Articles in perfect condition will be placed on sale. What will you give? Be patriotic. Open your heart and your treasure box"
 Long ago the treasures began to ar- rive. From New England and all through the East down to the old plantations; from New Orleans and Denver, from mining camps in the mountains and from lonely prairie farms, from Arizona ranches, from booming Oklahoma towns and from trinkets have come pouring in. And some take the mind far back into years when the nation was thinking of far different things.