The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-06-22

Corporal Smith, just back from
France where he was for several
months member Of General
Pershing's army, is now a citizen OF
| North Dakota. A few days ago he
| filed on 640-acre homestead near
! Dickinson. He has interests in the
state and he wants to see the state
do its bit in every war movement
Smith Makes Plea.
AS an argument why the people OF
this nation should buy War Savings
stamps and buy them literally, Cor
poral Smith last night told OF what
the American soldiers In France are
doing to help the government fin
anoe the war. He said that the av-
GRACE soldier gets little over $40
month. He splits his salary with
the government, buying Liberty
bonds. That with what he has
left pays for his insurance policy
and then buys a liberal stock Of
stamps At the end, of the month
he has about So left to live on and
before the next payday he is prob
ably borrowing little change from
one of the officers until the next
payday. 1.-THE American soldiers in
France" said Corporal Smith, "are
doing this because they know what
the war is. They are right there and
can see what Is going on. The peo-
pie OF this country have got to
realize what the war Is without go
ing to France.
I'm eastern hospitals" continued
Corporal Smith, there are hun
dreds Of wounded American SOL
diers; some with their legs and arms
gone, some gassed, some with eyes
gone and some with different forms
Of sickness. They are back from
the front and most Of them will
never return to the firing lines
again.
The other evening while I was
eating my dinner at a Dickinson
hotel a man came into the dining
room and sat down at my table. He
ordered his dinner in German and
all during the meal he talked to the
waitress in German. Later, just be-
fore / was TO deliver an address at
the Elks hail. this man entered the
room. / was introduced to him. His
name Is Letford and g. small town
near Dickinson is named after him.
II somewhat startled the audience
that night when in opening my ad
dress I told them that / had been
grossly insulted during the dinner
hour by a member OF their own
lodge. That lodge, as q whole, is
one Of the most patriotic organiza-
although he may be a good, loyal
American, doesn't seem 10 think
enough of the country to talk Eng
lish. And when I met h1nl at the
meeting he talked in very plain
English.
German Cruelty.
"Au you heag about the cruelty
of the Germans is. true. One story
heard in France, and know it to
be true. was about German Of
ficer who entered a French home.
The mother and her three-year old
child were in the home. The Ger
man asked the woman for wine and
because she had none to give him he
kicked her in the back, breaking her
spine. She is now living but Grip
pie for life The little child, seeing
how his mother was being treated,
grasped a carving knife and made
for the German soldier, who wrench
ed the knife from the infants hand
and twisted his right leg, with the
result that the yodth will be Grip
ple for life. This is only one Of the
thousands Of similar cases I have
heard Of. / could relate many others
If I had the time.
These things are what make the
North Dakota boys over there sup
port the government, not only CIV
ing their lives for their country but
buying bonds and stamps to tighten
the burden on the people over here.
I am telling you men here, who will
go out among the people Of Fargo
next week, these things so you will
put spirit in your work. There is
not q single person in your city that
ought to dare not to pledge himself
to buy his quota in War Savings
stamps"
Following Corporal Smiths ad-
dress plans for the next week drive