The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1918-06-27
TO PUT PUNCH
INTO WAR WORK
is THE PLAN
Movement has been Started to
Organize Councils of Defense
in Every Part of County
BACKED BY STATE, NATION
Every Man and Woman Who is Will
ing to Sign Patriotic Pledge
Can Become Member

!
For the purpose of more thoroly or
ganizing every community for civilian
war work, Judge Bert Linn, chairman
of the county council of defense, ac-
companied by a number Of Prosser
business and professional men visited
Kennewick Friday evening.
In brief the plan Of organization as
outlined by Judge Linn is to extend
the county Of defense organization to
every community. At the present time
the county council is the only patriotic
organization that has any 'punch"
back Of it. It is backed by the state
council of defense which in turn is
backed by the national council of de-
Tense which by congressional act con-
sists of the six secretaries of war,
navy, interior, agriculture, commerce
and labor, with civilian as director.
BY the organization of community
councils or patriotic leagues as they
are often called, every community will
have an organization that is a part
of the nations civilian war machinery
and which can efficiently handle the
war work and deal effectively with all
cases Of disloyalty or slackerism.
Some Of the purposes of the new or
ganization as outlined by the state
council of defense are as follows:
with the large number of patriotic
organizations already in existence,
many Of them of a permanent char
acter and others which have sprung
into activity since the entrance of the
nation into war with Germany, it is
sometimes asked why further effort
is made to form the citizens into COM
munity councils Of defense. This ques-
tion is frequently asked in small COM
munities where a few loyal citizens
are already carrying the many burdens
incidental to civilian war work, and
where, almost invariably, this work is
being done wonderfully well. The
greatest value in any patriotic organ
ization, outside of the official agencies
of the government, is the educational
feature. The simplest and surest way
to transform man or woman whose
patriotism is weak or inactive, is to
secure his actual participation-no
matter to what small extent-in some
definite line of civilian war work. But
if this educational advantage was the
only one to be gained by organizing
local councils of defense, it is probable
that in most communities the societies
and leagues already in existence would
be sufficient.
"There are, however, many features
of the civilian war work which can be
handled to advantage only thru local
councils, specially built and equipped
for the task. First, the local council,
when properly organized, affords the
government a channel thru which ev-
cry patriotic resident in the commun-
ity may be reached with message In
the shortest possible time.
Next in Importance is the handling
of disloyalty-that sort OF disloyalty
which violates no law, but which
strikes deeply and furtively when al
lowed to spread unchecked. The COM
munity council, composed naturally OF
the highest type Of, our citizens, be-
comes the center of patriotic thoughc
and work within the community and
disloyal or unloyal persons soon learn
to respect public opinion as directed
and clearly and openly express them
selves thru the community council. All
over the nation half-hearted men and
women are being brought to take
stand, firmly and sincerely with the
government, thru the intelligent, fear
less use of the unified strength of our
loyal citizens. While persons actually
pro- German in their sympathy, either
because of foreign birth or other per-
sonal environment, can rarely be
bought to feel right, the may be made
to act right and thus be prevented
from influencing others.
1t it planned to make the member
ship of the community council as large
as possible. Any man or woman OF
legal age, who is a citizen of the
United States, or any ally of the