The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-11-07
YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIVES
Great Drive Being Prepared for Funds
for an Accredited War Work Boards

/ Editor of the journal
Dear SIR
The writer had occasion 10 be pres
ent, on Monday evening AZ Rutland
az a meeting Of instruction FOR solici
tors who will work for the genera
campaign for funds for the y, NJ G
A.. the Knights of Columbus. the Sal
walton Army and the four other or
ganizatons which are doing work witt
the men at the front and in the train.
ing camps. Some Of the impression,
gained at this meeting might be OF
assistance to individual readers IN
helping them TO determine their quota
and this letter is submitted for publ
cation with that idea.
The country wide campaign is To
raise the rather stupendous sum of
about S250,000,000, 1t was at first
suggested that the sum should be
$4,000 900, but then all parties We're
asked TO oversubscribc 80 per cent,
Vermont's quota is between 100000
and $4,000 Rutland is going after
100000, and Manchester's quota is
$4,000.
The total is large because it is in
tended to provide for full year and
the recent rapid increase of our army
overseas and at the training camps
calls for an ever increasing amount of
work and supplies.
The general trend of the speeches
made at the meeting, by one who had
been doing Y NJ. C, A. work in France
and by business men, was that it is
necessary in this drive for every indi-
vidual to give as they have never
given before. All hands need to in
crease their usual contribution by
about fifty per cent, That individuals
should give so literally was argued
from no ground other than that if you
or or any other home loving citizen
should give all that we possess we
have done little compared to the men
who have barred their breasts to the
Hun bullets and sent the hellish de
mons flying toward home The day is
coming, and we hope it is not far
away, when the boys are coming
home. Are we going to be able to
look them in the eye and say Il helped
all | could ?" We surely can not do
this unless we step in lively and con-
tribute to this drive in proportion TO
''our means. Is there an individual in
Manchester who, when he takes a few
minutes TO search his soul and think
the matter over fairly, can convince
himself that he has done one one hun
dredth part what those boys will have
done who come back to us, not any
fractional part whatever, of what
those who have paid in full and are
buried in France have done.
Right here in Manchester we have
some parents whom we have to face
daily. Can we look them in the eye,
realizing that their family has paid in
terms not measured by money, unless
we dig down and give until il actually
means a sacrifice.
heard few wonderful tributes to
the big hearted, bouyant. courageous
spirit of our boys How the French
marvel at the light hearted way in
which they go about their work,
laughing and singing until they are
so near the front that they are not
allowed to make a sound. And then
when they go into the actual fray
what fighters they are. They are
rghtfully called the best body ol
fighting men the world has ever seen.
May | tell one story which exhibits
their optimism. A private, and this
is true tale, had both feet blown off
by a bursting she'll He was other
wise severely wounded in numerous
places BY shrapnel He was attended
in base hospital and when he was
first able to talk the surgeon remark
ed, 'boy you are somewhat done up;
aside from removing both feet have
dressed some twenty wounds in vari-
Gus places on your body" The tad
smiled and replied, well, aside from
that, guess am all right Can you
beat il.
Can we believe that the work Of the
various organizations for which we
ask money is not largely responsible
for the spirit Of the boys and can We
believe that, had it not been for the
ndomitable spirit Of the American
boys, the hellions Of Germany would
long ago have taken Paris and much
more, instead Of having to turn tail
and run as they are now running
One other point was rather foreibly
brought out. Today il looks as
1910 Herbert NJ. Swift, Manches-
ter Center.
l9il Jacob Hanna. Bennington.
1912 Herbert S. Noel, Bennington
tqAg Joeenh f. FarUum. Peru