Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1918-04-27
FOUR MINUTE men
To Address Picture Show Audience Every
Saturday Night in Response to
Governments Request.

Governments Request.
-Four minute men will address the pic
ture show audience every Saturday night
in response to the Governments request
and 1t is the intention of the CHRONICLE
to publish these addresses as far as pos
sible Here is the first delivered by
Rev. j. Herbert Spencer on Saturday
evening last.
This war in which we are engaged is
not Frances war--it is not England's
war--it is our war-a war that has been
thrust upon us by German militarism.
Our boys are over there even now in
the trenches and while am talking to
you and yon are enjoying the picture
show-the comforts of your own home
the association of your own friends and
loved ones they are suffering and fight
ing and dying for US.
Booms are bursting around them
shells are striking their dugouts-pois-
onons gases are filling the trenches,
where those boys that you know are
waiting the command to 20 over the top
They have given their all.
Well might you and | ask ourselves
this evening why are they sent and not
II And TO be honest we will have TO
| reply to our own? That it is because
we were not fit to go--too young-too
old-too decrepit-not physically fit
not able TO stand the racket. Then why
should these whom we are ready to ac-
knowledge to be better men than we are
be required to give their all and we only
to do our bit" The time has passed
for using this phrase and the only word
that may take its place is sacrifice. "
The boys have made the supreme sacri-
flee has not the nation an equal right
to conscript our time, our wealth, our
energies, just as much as those who
happen to be between the ages of TWEEN
y-one and thirty -one.
Listen A Stacker in civilian life is
just as much to be despised as a Stacker
in military life, and deserves the same
treatment 1t is an old saying that mo
American soldier ever runs away" The
boys are proving it as true today as they
did in l776, in the Civil War, in Cuba,
or the Philippines. The American SOL
dier Knows no word but "Go Forward .
Thar. ~ ha lormarl 20
to protect our property-our families,
let it not be charged against us at the
Judgment Day that we did all we could
to hold him back. Hold him back YOU
say never.
Be careful Remember you do not
have to lay hands on him to hold him
back You may help to defeat him by
doing less than your best. By refusing
10 buy Liberty Bonds. Yes there are
those who will refuse to sacrifice the
difference between "a per cent. and the
current bank interest, because they hap
pen to have little money borrowed on
property worth several times what they
ONC' htC buOoC VIM Will
because their money is invested to bet
| ter advantage and will not sacrifice the
difference between Al per cent. and the
| interest of their investments. God have
mercy on such cheap Americans while
our boys are giving their lives.
That is one way you may hold the
boys back. Another is by refusing to
help the Red Cross. The Red Cross
recognizes that it is necessary to supply
not only the needs of our own boys but
also to go to the relief of the nations
who have been fighting for us and have
been devastated by the ruthless hand of
the enemy. As we have seen in this
| picture the great need there is, it is not
necessary that take any time except to
endorse what you have seen as being
an official demonstration of the work be-
ing done.
| Further you may hold the boys back
by refusing to conserve your food. In
all these things-Liberty Bonds, Red
Cross, Food Conservation, We must be
united. There is no room for division
today-no room for parties or factions
We must forget self and make the great
est sacrifice, thinking only of defeating
the Kaiser and Autocracy.