Evening journal., 1918-12-12
DIR. 0DELL TALKS
OF GOVERNMENT.
Service Citizens Director
Says People Get That Form
Which They Demand
CHARLES WARNER
ALSO MEETS GRANGERS

~ idsb nights session or the state
Grange Conference, at Dover, DR.. Joseph
II. Odell, the newly elected director OF
the Service Citizens. gave the opening
address. Or. Odell was introduced by
Charles Warner. a member OF the exc
cutive committee OF the Service Citi-
zens. Mr.. Warner spoke briefly Of the
history Of the civic movement now
represented by the Service Citizens. as
It had developed from the initial activi-
ties OF the General Service Board which
had started In a smaller way. and what
the larger organization had now been
created TO carry forward with the as
sistance Of the citizens Of the State in
I terested in its real welfare lie said
| That ne regarded Il as most fitting that
the first public address made by Mr.
Odell since he had accepted the dlrec-
! torship Of the new citizen body. should
! be made before agriculturlsts Of the
State.
Dr. Odell opened his address by say
ing that the great determining policies
Of this country are shaped by the rural
districts; that the citys influence in
shaping the development Of our de-
moeracy is overestimated. particularly
by The cities themselves; that the rural
vote has been the great factor; that
the only conservative nation in the
world today is really the United States
and that the rural districts are the
backbone Of this conservatism. Euro
pean countries are seething with Boil
shevik theories and activities. No one
can tell what may happen even I'm
cautious and staid England but the
world has learned 10 think OF America
as the only stable democracy IN the
world
Dr. Odell was not prepared TO say
very much about Delaware. but said
that he must leave that until he had
lived here and had become a citizen.
He had heard much that was fatterlng
about the State from outside and some
things that were not especially flat
tering, but that as a new person he
was keeping strictly 10 the middle Of
the road, being sure that he could de-
pend on Delaware people, first OF all.
TO be human and 10 have the good
points which belong TO the very human
Side OF the citizens OF any State. and
that they probably had the energy.
the patience. the interest and the in
huence which can be depended upon
when they set out to really work for |
the State.
I'VE are proud OF the work done |
by America in this war" continued DR.. |
Odell, -sbut we cannot estimate it In |
material terms. We are proud Of our |
place in the family Of nations. We un-
dertOok a big task and we did II well |
but we cannot be too proud. We are /
proud OF the boys who saw Il through |
on the other side We know that we
have done a wonderful piece OF work |
across the sea but this very work |
which we have done for the countries |
OF Europe and for the world I'm these /
last three years has proved clearly |
that we have never even begun 10 work /
FOR ourselves. We have thrown our re-
sources into the struggle for demOo-
racy. We have made the nations OF
The world look 10 us for the saving OF
The highest ideals OF democracy. II
We have done all this for the world
It large why have we not shown the
same courage, strength and intelligence
applied 10 our own country. Have we
10 the world that our
democracy has reached the perfection
" human government? Millions OF
leOple In Europe who look across the
,cean TO this country today imagine
What America Is. It is an FL Dorado.
M Americans are idealists who can put
heir ideals into practical effect. In
he minds OF these millions OF Rus
fans and Germans and Belgisns and
,nglish and French and Italians there |
5 no poverty in this country. none OF
he shame that comes from poverty. IL (,
~ mi afr :
hey think that we carry out the great ,,
rinolples OF democracy without count /,
ng the cost"
Can we imagine the disillusiOnment
when they come 30 our shores 10 see !
or themselves and are thrown upon ,
heir own resources in our American !
tiles without the opportunities 20 ,
earn our language, without contact ,
With the American institutions they ,
lave believed in, and have TO fight for !
heir very lives, for the crusts which !
hey must live upon in a bitter struggle. 4
"And when they have been here a 7
hort time they find that we do count I
he cost, and we know that we count !
he cost. We know that thousands Of ! :
ur citizens die every year and that
thousands more suffer untold misery h
lst because we do count the cost OF I
ealth and OF the welfare Of our peO- h
le. 4
why is II not now the time" Or. c
dell said, ito make good our own 4
ieals OF democracy in this country. 10 b
lake come true the dreams In the r
carts OF these people over there Of n
hat America stands for and what h
merica Is. Do we want 10 give 10 II
lose people Of Europe as an example h
the perfection Of our democracy n
)me OF our rural schools, for Instance. y
1r Over-burdened and worn-out II
omen Of the working classes. our tre- n
endOus death rate from tuberculosis I,
hich can be prevented, or are we M
lady TO meet our own problems with .,
le same courage and the same readl- h.
'ss for sacrifice at home with which ID
lr men have fought for democracy is
arnQH9 hatr.a ] -