The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1918-04-18
MESSAGE CAUSES
HIGH RESOLVE
DIR. KERR TALK Is SERIOUS ONE
Educator Appeals for Active Cooperation
Capt. Humphreys Warn Against
German Propaganda

!
Oregon Agricultural College who is on
tour of the Northwestern states as
representative of the national govern
ment, to inform the people of the seri-
BUSINESS of the war situation, returned
to their homes sobered, with renewed
determination and with high resolves
to actively cooperate with the eountry's
leaders in every work necessary for
winning the war.
Although punctuated by frequent
applause, both in greeting of the
forceful appeals of the well known
educator and of the rousing speech OF
Capt. l.. W. Humphreys, Portland /
attorney, who was assigned from Camp t
Lewis, where he commands company |
of the new National army, to tour
Oregon for the liberty bond campaign,
the meeting was characterized by the |
absence of levity and the presence of
an all pervading breath of purpose.
Your support of your government,
declared DR.. Kerr, SHOULD not be con-
fined to a mere acquiescence and a |
declaration of confidence in your lead |
ers, but it calls for the active cooper
ative assistance of all the American |
people.
DIR. Kerr with five other prominent |
men from various points of the country |
were called to Washington for a CON
ference that lasted several days. As |
he explained last Friday night, all |
facts of the serious situations that |
face America and her allies were
placed face up, and those attending |
the conference were detailed to tour |
the states and give the truth to the |
people.
DIR. Kerr by the presentation of a |
convincing array of figures and statis-
ties pointed out to his hearers the |
famine that stalks over the allied |
countries. He showed how Russia, the |
civil population demoralzed by hunger |
and weakened for the poisonous attack |
of German propaganda, collapsed be-
hind the battle lines, crumbling with |
it the morale of the Russian army. He |
showed how similar attempt of Ger |
many had been made on the Italians. |
How the lack of food had broken the |
spirit of the Italian civilian population. |
how the distressing situation had made |
itself felt in the army, and how the |
Germans, taking advantage of such a |
condition had poured masses of Ger
man and Austrian armies down into |
Italy to sweep the Italians back from |
the ground they had gained.
Victory will go to the combattants |
who are best fed" said DR.. Kerr,
reading from a recent official British |
bulletin, land best nourished. Even |
Won Hindenburg not so long ago dared
to send to the kaiser message declar-
ing that he must have larger supply |
of fats and oils for his munition work
ers and soldiers or he would not be
| responsible for the consequences.
DR.. Kerr showed how the shortage |
of supplies, of breads and meats, must |
be made up for the allied countries |
from America and Canada. Because
of the lack Of ships, it was pointed out
how these products could not be
shipped from Argentine, India or Aus
tralia. He presented figures showing |
that the shortages of cereals in the
| allied countries was greater than the
annual consumption had normally been
in America.
DR.. Kerr paid the highest tribute to
the people of France, whose faith and
! nope anu SpIIlI nave UctIi HldiliIdilcu
despite the fact that they have cut and
cut and cut in their ratoning. With
l6 per cent cut in their food, the
French soldier, engaged in the greatest
battle of the world, has been holding
the German, not only from his own
land but back from the American
| homes.
France had population of ..35, 000.-
600 people," said DR.. Kerr, ''of which
2, 200, 600 are now in territory conquered
and occupied by the Germans. Yet
France has raised and equipped an
army of 1000, 900 men.
| DIR. Kerr turned to the Belgian
atrocities, of their unspeakable terri
bleness.
'Those people over there so close to
Belgium and northern France" he
said, know what they have to fight.
They know that they are fighting not
only for their national existence but
for the very protection of their women
and their children.
DR.. Kerr declared that France had
reached the limit of her endurance.
He declared as ridiculous and nonsen-
sical that idea that America could
starve Germany by the operation of an
embargo He pointed out the occupa
tion of Russian territory, territory
nine times the size of Oregon and
populated by 56,000,000 people. The
American people, he appealed, must
arouse and consider with more serious
ness their undertaking. Should France
collapse, Italy would follow within
"a hours.
"And you know the German pro-
gram" said DR.. Kerr, 1T is Paris,
London and America. 1t has been the
German plan to make America pay
back to Germany and Austria every
dollar those two countries have ex-
pended. Which do we prefer, liberty
bonds or bonds of German slavery?
Let me close with those inspiring
words of the Marseilaise, March on,
March on, All hearts uniting on
; victory or death.
Captain Humphreys, who had the
. highest praise for the men of the
; National army, warned the civilian
! population to be wary of attacks of
propaganda that would be directed at
; them.
1.-THE Hun, he said, lis not only
going to attack US soldiers with bullets
. but he is going to try to overcome you
people back here at home with the
poison gas Of his rumors. He is going
. to work from every standpoint. He
will play on your prejudices. Forget
them until after the war He will
. play upon your heartstrings in an
effort to break your spirit. .
. Captain Humphreys recalled that old
. rumor, which he characterized as hav-
4 ing had its origin in Berlin and started
with German money, of the Red Cross
sweater which had been purchased by
4 an Alaskan fisherman.
"I'll tell you what has become Of
those sweaters, he declared "Up at
! Camp Lewis we have 256 men and off,