The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-05-19
Continued from Page ~


have forgotten that, if they ever saw
it. Some of you are old enough
am old enough-to remember men
who made fortunes out of the Civil
war, and you know how they were
regarded by their fellow citizens.
That was war to save one coun-
try-this is war to save the world.
And your relation to the Red
Cross is one of the relations which
will relieve you of the stigma. You
can't give anything to the govern
ment of the United States; it won't
accept it. There is law of con-
gress against accepting even serv-
ices without pay. The only thing
that the government will accept is a
loan and duties performed; but it is
great deal better to give than to
lend or to pay and your great chan
mel for giving is the American Red
Cross.
Money Grabbers Denounced.
Down in your hearts you can't
take very much satisfaction, in the
last analysis, in lending money to
the government of the United
States because the interest which
you draw will burn your pockets !;
il is a commercial transaction and
some men have even dared to cavil
at the rate Of interest, not knowing
the incidental commentary that con-
Stitutes upon the attitude.
But when you give something of
your heart, something of your soul,
something of yourself goes with the
gift, particularly when it is given
in such form that it never can come
back by way of direct benefit to
yourself. You know there is the
old cynical definition of gratitude
as the lively expectation of favors
to come.
Make World Better.
We'll there is no expectation Of
favors to come in this kind of Civ
ing. These things are bestowed in
order that the world may be a filter
place to live in, that men may be
succored. that homes may be re-
stored; that suffering may be re-
lieved; that the face of the earth
may have the blight of destruction
taken away from it and that wher-
ever force goes there shall go mercy
and helpfulness.
And when you give, give abso-
lutely all that you can spare and
don't consider yourself liberal in the
giving If you give with self-adula-
ton you are not giving at all. You
are giving to your own vanity; but
if YOU give until it hurts, then your
heartblood goes into it.
And think what we have here;
we call it the American Red Cross,
but it is merely branch cf great
international organization which is
not only recognized by the statutes
OF each of the civilized governments
OF the world. but it is recognized by
international agreement and treaty
as the recognized and accepted in
strumentality of mercy and succor
And one of the deepest stains that
rests upon the reputation OF the Ger
man army is that they have not re-
spected the Red Cross.
To the Root of the Matter.
That goes to the root of the mat
ter. They have not respected the
instrumentality they themselves par
ticipated in setting up as the thing
which no man was to touch. because
it was the expression of common
humanity. We are members, by be-
ing OF the American Red Cross. OF
great fraternity and comradeship
which extends all over the world,
and this Cross which these ladies
bore today is an emblem of Chris
tianity itself.
at fills my imagination, ladies
and gentlemen. to think of the wom-
EN- all over this country who are
busy tonight and are busy every
night and every day doing the work
of the Red Cross, busy with great
eagerness to find out the most serv-
iceable thing to do, busy with for
getfulness of all the old frivolties
of their social relationship. ready to
curtail the duties OF the household
in order that they ma. contribute
to this common work that all their
hearts are engaged in. and in doing
which their hearts become acquaint-
ed with each other.
when you think of this, you
realize how the people of the Unit
ed States are being drawn together
into a great intimate family, whose
heart is being used for the service
OF the soldier not only, but for the
service of civilians, where they suf-
fer and are lost in a maze OF dis
tresses and distractions.
When Men Are Free.
And YOU have then this noble
picture of justice and mercy as the
two servants of liberty. For only
where men are free do they think
the thoughts of comradeship; only
where they are free do they think
the thoughts of sympathy; only
where they arc free are they mu-
tually helpful: only where they are
free do they realize their depend
ence upon one another and their
comradeship in a common interest
and comon necessity.
Il heard a story told the other
day that was ridiculous, but it is
worth reneatinp hecauSe n contains