The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1918-12-10
PRESIDENT N.
PROCLAMATION
URGES ALL. TO
JOIN THE R. c.
Christmas Roll Call Week to
Be Dec. 16 to 23; Cam
paign Nationwide .-.
LOCAL CHAPTER WILL
TAKE PART IN DRIVE
Membership Renewals and
New Members Should Join
Noble Organization

Bemidji will play her part in the
American Red Cross Christmas roll
call week. December, 16 to 23, when
he nationwide campaign for re-
newal of memberships and securing
new members will be on. A COM
mittee is already at work on prepara-
tons for the campaign by the south
Beltrami county chapter, and to the
nation President Wilson has issued a
proclamation urging every one to
Join the Red Cross and thus send
forth to the whole human family the
Christmas greeting for, which 1t waits
and for which it stands in greatest
need.
Presidents Proclamation.
The proclamation, prepared before
the president departed for Europe,
follows:
ITO the American people: One
year ago 100000 Americans. by
enrolling as members of the Red
Cross at Christmas time, sent to the
men who were fighting our, battles
overseas stimulating message OF
cheer and good will. They made, it
clear that our people were Of their
own free choice united with their
government in the determination not
only to wage war with the instru-
ments of destruction. but also by
every means Of their power to repay
the ravages Of the invader and sus-
tain and renew the spirit of the army
and of the homes which they repre-
sented The friends Of the American
Red Cross in Italy, France and Bel
gium have told and will tell again
the story Of how the Red Cross work
ers restored morale in the hospitals,
in the camps and at the cantonmentss
and we ought to be very proud that
we have been permitted to be of serv-
ice to those whose sufferings and
whose glory are the heritage Of hu-
manity. , "&',"
Message Of Peace.
'"Now. by Gods grace. the Red
Cross Christmas message Of 1918 Is
to be a message Of peace as we'll as
message Of good will. But peace
does not mean that we can fold our
hands, it means further sacrifice. We
must prove conclusively to an atten-
tive world that America is perma-
nently aroused to the needs Of the
new era, our old indifference gone
forever.
1.-THE exact nature of the future
service of the Red Cross will depend
upon the program Of the associated
governments. but there is Immediate
need today for every heartening word
and for every helpful service. We
must not forget that our soldiers and
our sailors are still under orders and
still have duties to perform of the
highest consequence, and that the
Red Cross Christmas membership
means a great deal to them. The
people Of the saddened lands, more
over, returning home today, where
there are not homes, must have the
assurance that the hearts Of our peo-
pie are with them in the dark and
doubtful days ahead. Let us, so far
as we can. help them back to faith in
mercy and in future happiness.
"As president Of the Red Cross.
conscious in this great hour of the
value Of such a message from the
American people, | should be glad If
every American would join the Red
Cross for 1919 and thus send forth
TO the whole human family the
Christmas greeting for which it
awaits and for which it stands in
greatest need.
"WOODROW WILSON,"