Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-02-14
SALVATION ARMY
STARTS BIG DRIVE
Local Corps Stages Meeting at
Majestic Theatre as Prelim-
mary to Secure Chittenden
County's Quota of Million
Dollars for Work in the War.

spent more than q million dollars on the |
soldiers in France out of the nickels and |
dimes collected. without asking cent
from outside sources, Sunday opened It's ,
nationwide drive for a million dollars
which Is intended to be spent in furthering
the work, for the funds Of the army which |
can be spared now in giving comfort to
the soldiers are at low ebb. The local meet |
ing Sunday was held at the Majestic
theatre and while the audience was small
the meeting evidently was productive Of
much good. No collection was taken but
It was apparent that those present were
in thorough sympathy with the aims OF
the army.
The quota for Chittenden county is only
800 and II Is not anticipated that much
difficulty will be experienced in obtaining
the money The million is to be used for
the good of the soldiers and for no other
purpose.
Judge c. H. Darling presided at the
meeting Sunday and he was introduced
by Adjutant Fowler Of the Salvation Army
in this city. After the singing Of verse
Of Coward Christian Soldiers prayer
was offered by the Rev. C. c. Adams of
the First Church.
Before introducing the next speaker,
Judge Darling expressed his regret that
there were not more present. He said that
the Salvation Army was, perhaps. the least
understood Of those big organizations
which are helping the boys in France.
They have methods which reach some as
no other organization could, and he COM
pared their transformations way Of work.
ing to that of Christ. They were productive
Of wonderful amount of good and
deserving Of support.
| Col. ]. H. Mimms said that the smallness
of the audience must be made up for in
courage which would carry the million
dollar drive lover tho top" He en-
phasized the fact that, although the Red
Cross. the Y. M. c. A.. the knights Of
Columbus and others were in the field.
too much cannot be done. The necessity
for work is SO great that the territory
cannot be covered. AS an instance, he
spoke on Fort Ethan Allen last summer.
The Y. M. c. A. started in a small way
Then a big Y. NJ. c. A. was built. When
the Knights Of Columbus erected their
building. some thought the work was
being duplicated, but before long the rid
ing hall was brought into play ard then
there was not half enough done for the
accommodation Of the soldiers.
I'm ordinary peace times" said James
p. Taylor. the next speaker I'VE depend
on the men in the sos, 4O's, sos and CO.'S
to do the work Of the nation. But this
is war and we are asking the boys Of 30
and under to go to France and fight for
US. We are not only asking them. we
are demanding them. We ask Of them
that they keep fit and fine in order to give
the best that is in them and that they
keep At and fine so that when they come
back they may give the highest sort OF
citizenship. We are now plunging mil
lion youngsters into that tragic life where
everything tends to keep them far from
fit and fine Mr.. Taylor then made a
strong point Of the duty owed the boys
in France. He compared what society
i. did for the tired business man in the
way Of clubs, churches recreation, home
. and all. and asked IL too much could BIZ
done for the men in France who needed
every possible aid a thousand times more
. There was no danger in any duplication
OF work. In his mind. The field of use.
fulness could never be adequately covered
q The next speaker was Sergeant McGuir,
OF the Fifth Canadian overseas division
who has served three years in the army
n He spoke briefly, telling of life in tn,
trenches and Of the first gas tank evel
used In civilized or uncivilzed warfare
1t was used in the Ypres salient and h,
was with the Canadians at the crsi
when the colonials fed, thinking the tanl
was new sort Of devil, and It remained
with the Canadians to hold this impor
tant part of the lines at terrible cos
OF lives. He painted wildly life in tn,
trenches when the soldier returns at day
break after sortie out into No Man. Ian,
and tries to sleep In the mud and ftl
OF the dug-outs. Some times he ha
bed fellows which are not soldiers, grea
rats which flourish where men die. Whe,
relieved with shattered nerves, covere,
I nd IL,
the great Joy Of bath. a cigarette an,
perhaps little bit Of music in one of tn
huts cannot be described. These make tn
fellows forget lot and bring them back
The sergeant closed with an appeal, "Al
the work needs from you is a heart an
q dollar You have both"
After music by the Misses Georr.
Clark and Smith. an address was give
by Major Hughes of the Salvatio
Army, stationed In Hartford, Conn. TIL
l. major emphasized that the drive wa
not for the army itself but for the sol
diers In France. He said that mora
H. courage would be one of the two fac
II tors which would win the war. Tn
m other was physical courage. When h
went into evil life both were destroye
In the boy. He told of stories relate
20 to him by officers from the front, VIII
~ said that the men lined up in front {
u the huts awaiting admission as thong
for world series baseball game an
r those who couldn't get in went to som
~ French farmhouse where they procure
X. liquor and where there was the accom-
r panytng prostitution. He had letter
"a from Governor Beeckman of Rhod
" Island and some congressman teilin
g. or the great work the Salvation Arm
re was doing in France. The army We
X the hrst to engage in war work an
H. the last to ask outside help. 1t had
re no way "butted in"
to salvation Army fighting with the ALI,
Is and $40 Salvationists serving as an
r. bulance drivers and nurses. There al
IS; 155 recreation places at the front ar
nv about 100000 soldiers have been take
ia. care of. 1t made no difference to Il
IN army whether the soldiers were Pr,
h. testant or Catholic. Jew or GENTLE
~. was intended, with the money sougl
, now. to build ~ more huts amor
-, other things.
80 In closing Judge Darling made q
appeal for aid for the army and Al
~ jutant Fowler passed out pledge car,
" at the door. The pledge cards were n
'e' for money but for those who would d.
as nate a part of their time to helping Il
~ work Of raising the fund.
or. 80
M NJ WOMAN'S COMMITTEE
T. SENDS OUT APPEA
d.
~; Middlebury, Feb. THE woman COZ