Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-09-26
SVery Man, Woman and Child
Can Join to Send News of
This Town into the Front Line
Trenches.
WHOLE NATION MOVES
TO DANISH SOLITUDE
Our Heroes Are Calling From
Over There-Give What You
Can to Help Those From
Home.


| OF ms nome town now at the front. ana
| in the brave women who equally are
| serving their country abroad, has an
opportunity to show his appreciation
Of the sacrifice they are making. The
/ opportunity comes as a result of the
generosity and thought of Colonel Viii.
liam Boyce Thompson of New York
who has conceived and put into execu,
ton what is known as the Home Pa
per Service.
Under the plan, every man and wo-
man in foreign service will receive the
town newspaper, and so be kept In
constant touch with the places and the
people they know and love
Every branch of the United States
Government is interested in the plan.
The Government realizes the impOr-
lance Of keeping those In the service
happy and constantly in touch with
their home ties and associations. Moth
ing is more depressing in a national
emergency than the spirit of loneliness
in those serving their country, and of
ficials know that nothing can dispel
this feeling more effectually than read
ing the home town newspaper
Publishers of newspapers in all parts
Of the country-this newspaper includ-
ed-haye graSped with pleasure the
plan outlined by Colonel Thompson,
and they have agreed to cooperate in
every way.
Under the ruling of the War Indus
tries Board newspaper publishers are
forbidden to send their newspapers
free, even to soldiers The newspaper
must be subscribed for in the regular
way, the only exception being soldiers
who formerly were in the employ of
the newspaper and who left that serv-
ice to enlist. Colonel Thompson there
fore proposes that the public In each
community contribute to fund so that
the home newspaper lin our case this
newspaper may reach every man and
woman now in the service of his c0un-
try.
Anyone may contribute to the fund,
and any sum may be contributed. 1t is
not necessary to contribute the entire
amount Of one subscription. It does
not matter whether the rich man sends
in one hundred dollars or the poor boy
or little girl sends In five cents. Each
gift will be a message Of love and help
fulneSS to the home town folks cover
There" The money will be Jumped
into one fund, out of which subscrip-
tons will be entered as fast as the
money is received.
Contributors who send in the full
price of a years subscription may, If
they wish, designate to what particular
person they wish the newspaper sent,
bTt if the name given is already listed
as receiving the paper, then the pub
Usher reserves the right to apply the
subscription to some less fortunate SOL
der boy or noble woman who is just as
lonely for news of home and home
folks
The name of every contributor to
this home paper service will be pub
lished in this newspaper, and the name
of everyone entered for a subscription
will be published as well as the num-
Der of those remaining whose subscrip-
tons have not been covered.
If the amount Of money received
shall be more than is necessary to send
the paper to every person from the
town now In the service, then the bal
ance will be turned over to the Red
Cross.
The plan is endorsed by the pub
Usher of this newspaper without any
thought of profit, either directly or in
directly, but with a sincere desire to
help keep the home fires burning and
to send to our heroes and heroines
news of our town, to keep their hearts
warm for us and to let them know
they are constantly in our minds.
The publisher, of course, cannot
make a profit on circulation, and addi-
tional circulation such as this will be
circulation from nOn-purchasers sent
far across the sea-can have no added
value to the advertiser.
These facts are stated so that every
contributor may feel that every cent
contributed goes to the good cause.
The mothers of our boys are facing
an ordeal with a bravery that COM
mands respect and admiration. Here
and there where tiny stars are turned
from blue TO gold, where anguish grips
the heart, the nation stands In silence
and honors the women who have given
of their blood, the very bone of their
bone, to their country. To them, home
has lost its meaning-the soul of 1t
has ied-there is no home, it is just
place, and no place is quite so lonely,
unless it be within the hearts of those
brave sons in far off France who long
for just a word of home. There can
not be a man, there cannot be wo-
man, no, not even a child, who will
fail to contribute just little to make
the hearts of these patriots lighter.
Not one. Not in our town,