Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-02-16
AGAINST WAR
PICTURES ON
The SABBATH
S. S. Wyan:l Says Day is FOR
Distinctive Pur-
poses. {

POoSS
To the Editor:
Being urged by many good citizens
OF Grand Forks, who are deeply in
terested in welfare and humanitarian
agencies-local, state and national
Sunday war pictures, n with our
Indulgence the following Is submit
ted:
Purpose Of War Pictures Not Cndcr-
stood.
The full purpose and unique sig
nif1cance of the pictures a not as
yet been fully stated. 1t is to a%cquaint
the people or public with the state of
the nation, and to arouse n larger re-
Spouse, a fuller patriotic expression. a
higher courage and a loftier heroism.
Also to cure disloyalty, heal pro-
Germanism, and to call the united
country into a supreme service which
will carry liberty, justice n civili-
%zation, to all the world. (Not to use
the word democracy as we know so
little about such a big word.) The
pictures are therefore educational. in
spirational and should be considered
to have other values. All people should
see them, especially u boys and girls
in the schools and colleges and homes
of our land, for they are to give
much OF themselves in service to hui
manity in the new ero of benevolence,
charity, good will and brotherhood,
again be the same us it was, and the
standards of living, of service, of
righteousness, of equality, of achieves
ments, will be highly exalted. Fire
and blood have beer healing agencies
in every age. when the town burns a
new city springs up out Of h ashes
of Il old. When an old order of So
ciety and government passes through
the fire and blood of war. a new CIV
ilization lights up the way to happi-
ness.
State Council of Defense Not For
Sunday Showing.
AS worthy as these pictures are, as
helpful as they may be, and as service
able as they may prove, still the State
Council of Defense decided it was not
best to attempt to show them on Sun
day. And they are right. 1t is the
one day set apart by civil and divine
law for mans highest thought. deep
est purpose and sup:emest resolution,
in life's most sacred expressions for
mental, physical and spiritual achieve
mcnts. When a representative came
into North Dakota to present these
pictures to the State Council of De-
tense. he suggested Sunday as the
proper day for their showing. We
have two members of his council liv-
ing in the city of Grand Forks and
they were both present at the meeting
! when the Sunday proposal was de-
MED. The question OF the law was
brought to the attention of the repre-
sentative, as well as the sentiment or
the good citizenship of the state, and
the personal attitude of various MEM
bers of the council. all to show Sun
day to be not the suitable day. The
undersigned has talked with several
members of the state council, includ-
ing the above two members who re-
side in our city. The governor of the
| state does not sanction the showing
Of the pictures on Sunday, and so
urges the council not to exhibit on
| that day.. The attorney general says
he has sent out orders all Over the'
state closing theatres on Sunday.
Hence local committees have no re-
| quest from the government at Wash
! ington, as shown by r. B. Griffith, no
request from the State Council of De-
| Tense, or the governor of the state, to
so show the pictures as has been at
tempted here and elsewhere, in u
state, in c~ontravention of our law and
the spirit of good citizenship.
1T mas been urged h a Sunday is
better for the pictures as the re-
Spouse, the returns, and the pay are
better. In talking with said member
of council on Monday, February II,
he urged with much emphasis the
showing on Sunday, for the main rea-
son it brought them more money as
this is what they needed. The state
council has put up a minimum guar
antee of $4,000 for use and service
OF these pictures. There will. be 9TH
err expenses added in the way of cur
rent items for "erting these pictures
before the people. But the pictures
are to appear in twenty-six series, or
Tor t~wenty-siX weeks, II in many
! hundred communities of the state.
Should the state council get a maxi
mum retur of SIG, 1000. which would
lie $1,000 q week this then should be
more han ample for all needs. since
these pictures arc for purely patri-
Otto purposes.
How many towns would it take. all
showing simultaneously. to raise the
$1,000 per week? The pictures are
for a service agcncy and should not
be run for pay. Sunday or weekday.
The poor should have a chance as
we'll as the rich. the little as we'll as
the big. The pictures will very great
~ miss the mark if pushed through
and along in the direction now head
tCu. ouI AIIoIAtALAOlldt dSCIlSACS, WALL
their good offices employed or en-
gagged, could pick up these forces and
coordinate them through strong
channels to reach the last man and
child with this service and therefore
make possible this larger success of a
good agency.
Should Plan for Larger Service
Feature.
With the pictures shown exclusive.
ly on Sunday the number seeing them
will be limited or restricted to a GER
tain few, as these will constitute about
the same audiences from Sunday to
Sunday. IT will discriminate and diff
~ferentiate in favor Of one class only
While on weekday the exhibitions
would reach all and all would have a
chance and feel free to go. This
would unity the forces Of the entire
|, community and put warm blood II
the hearts of all and fan the fires Of
!. patriotism to brighter flames. Ar
rangements had been made by the
undersigned with two theaters in the
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