The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-02-01
SECURITY LEAGUE
MEETING IS HELD
Open Meeting at Court House Last
Night Full Of Enthusiasm and
Patriotisnr-Attend-
ance Poor.
SPEAKERS ON LOYALTY
Meetings Considered Good for Patriot
ism-More Meetings to be
Held In the Near
Future.

Cold weather may have shortened
the attendance, but it failed to cool
the ardor and enthusiasm at the open
meeting of the Security league last
night at the court house. Oe,v e .sny
were in attendance.
Wells NJ. Irwin, as chairman, open
led the meeting He said that he did
not want to know any American with
! a prefix or hyphen to his citizenship
We should not be Swedish-Americans
IIrish-Americans or German-Americans
but that we should be Americans OF
keep still.
Hon. Frank Oertel, as first speaker
told in very forceful terms OF the OPP.
portunities open to the American citi
zen. Two of the greatest men tina,
ever lived came from opposite walks
of life in the United States. Wash.
I1ngton was an aristocrat and Lincoln
was a poor back-woods boy born OF
humble parents He said that we
should think Of conditions in Russia
and cheer America.
G. Lloyd Norman was next on the
program and in few words voiced
his approval Of the open meetings OF
the Security league. Patriotism is
like religion" he said. Both need an
occasional stirring up. He also said
that the boys in the trenches would
not be able to win the war alone. I,
must be won at home as much as in
France. 1t is up to US to finish the
war, so don't knock, but help"
J. o. Boyd then gave historical rea.
sons for the war and pointed out his
torical similarities and dissimilarities
The great war makers of the past all
observed certain rules of warfare and
respected their promises, thing that
| is not being done by the emperor OF
Germany. He said that our civiliza
ton is at stake. The civilization OF
Egypt, of Babylon, of Greece, of Rome
were destroyed and it is possible that
our civilization may be destroyed. We
will have to fight to keep it alive. 1,
| Is up to the people of America to win
| the war. The people at home must
show the boys in the trenches tina,
lthey are behind them. The breakdown
| in Russia came at home and not in the
| trenches. We must not let a break
down at home bring the boys back
from France, but rather help them to
win the fight that they may come home
TO stay.
J. NJ. Rankin then urged the people
to observe the rules and regula tions
laid down by the food and coal admin
listrators and to do it willingly, not
simply because the law says so. This
country has been selected as the key
stone Of the arch Of ciyilization and
we must do our best to keep it in its
place.
Chairman Irwin then called several
men from the audience to give short
talk ON patriotism. John vogle, Ger
man born American citizen, was the
first. With a strong German accent
he told why he had come to America
and why he remained He expressed
his loyalty to America in no uncertain
terms. John Rovane and Captain
Evans were also called upon and gave
short talks on loyalty and patriotism
w. B. Collins then explained the pur
pose and workings of the national Sc
curity league.
Another open meeting will be held
| in the near future.