Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-05-24
BIG RED CROSS DRIVE

wood, was inaugurated quite tormldably on tuesday eve
ming, the 21st inst, by a mass meeting in the auditorium of
the High school building, preceded by a street parade of
very creditab1e proportions, under fhe direction of ]. Albert
Harris, chairman of the Red Cross Drive committee for
Wildwood.
The parade formed at the corner of Pacific and Maple
avenues, and from there proceeded straight down Pacific
avenue until the High school building was reached. AS the
synthetic units swung into line at the point of formation,
Oscar Huebner's Wildwood band led the van, while finging
to the breeze those stirring martial strains by Sousa, the
Stars and Stripes Forever" Directly following the band
was seen a company of 90 New Jersey State militia men,
showing up ~splendidly in their bright new uniforms. Close
to the militia were marshalled 100 members of the Wild
wood branch of the Cape May county chapter of Red Cross
nurses, wearing white dresses, aprons and caps, the latter
ornamented in front with red, the standard emblem of their
order. Next in line to the main body of Red Cross nurses
was a group of twelve recent graduate nurses, wearing blue
Icaps, as the insignia of their standing. Immediately behind
the twelve blue-capped young women, were at least 100
contributing Red Cross members, both girls and boys, most
of the former wearing each a white handkerchief over her
head. Bringing up the rear was Wildwoods premium
company of boy scouts, under command of Assistant Scout
master CORTLAND Steelman.
On arriving at the High school building, the band con-
tinued to discourse martial airs until all of the participants
in the parade had filed into the auditorium, packing it to its
capacity, as many persons had anticipated the entrance OF
the paraders, and still others followed the Red Gross con-
tingents. Unable to find seats below, there was a grand
rush for the galleries.
1t was shortly after nine o'clock when Chairman Harris
appeared upon the stage Of the auditorium, plotting the
following attendants: Rev. l. H. Fisher, Hon. J. Thompson
Baker, J. Fithian Tatem, Luther c. Ogden, chairman of the
drive for Cape May county, and City Clerk J. E. Whitesell
treasurer of the Red Cross drive.
Rev. Fisher responded fervently to the chairman's re-
quest for an opening prayer, after which MI. Baker was in
troduced. In a remarkable forensic effort, replete with
thrills, Mr.. Baker branded Prussianism to the depth it de-
served. In one of his characteristic %crouching poses, with
his hands above his head and fingers parted like the talons
of an eagle, and trembling with emotion, Mr.. Baker referred
to the German Empires; fetish-the odious Kaiser, as hav-
ing been born of the fumes of hell. 1t was a dramatic
moment and all felt, that while the arraignment was bitter
in the extreme, it fell short of portraying adequately the
monstrosity aimed al. In truth, as Mr.. Baker showed,
there is no language strong enough, nor action powerful
enough to condemn and doom for all time, this grossest of all
fallaces, Prussian autocracy and militarism, filling as they
do all enlightened minds with horror and nameless fear.
J. Fithian Tatem in his usual happy style, predicated
the duties devolvins upon those whose labor it is to provide
the funds for the prosecution of this most righteous war,
and laid stress upon the fact that no sacrifices civilians can
make will ever be equal to the sacrifices made by the brave
soldiers at the front. Chairman Ogden exhibited the Cape
May County service with BIS stars thereon.
Chairman Harris and Treasurer Whitesell both made
a strong appeal for contributions to the Red Cross fund,
showing what a meritorious work the Red Cross service is
and how much credit for its success is due to the energy
and patriotism of the wives, mothers, daughters and sisters
of our American heroes. The money then fairly flew to the
front, in the form of checks and in hard cash. a
Prior to the introduction of the notable speakers, who
were present at this Red Cross meeting, three soldiers from
Cape May Emergency hospital, gave practical talks on the
terrible realities of 10th century warfare, out-ranking, as it
does, in barbarous cruelty and savagery, all that has ever
gone before, in ages once described as dark, medieval and
crude. No parallel to this war was ever conceived by the
mind of man. Who ever would have dared to dream that
an effort would be made at this late day, to substitute for
the laws and refnements of civilized life, the coarse, gross
instincts and practireS of the inn oleS the and the