Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-12-23
ORE CON NOW ONLY
FIFTY PER CENT OVER
IR RED CROSS Drive
II Membership Is insufficient
There Must Be Another
Drive For Funds.

Portland, Or, Dec. 23.-With this the
last day of the official drive for mem
berships in the Red Cross the state has
enrolled a little more than 100000 or
about SO per cent Of what would be
possible if every adult in the state on
rolled
Unless there are sufficient number
of members enrolled in this drive. it
will be necessary for the Red Cross to
come before, the people within Jew
months to make a money campaign, and
this is something the Red Cross man
agcmcnt dislikes to do. Word received
from Washington states that it was be-
lieved enrollments would be so heavy
that no further drives for funds won
be required The slow manner in which
the people are responding, however,
gives rise to the doubt as to whether
the organization can get along "unvat
the money drive. If Oregon does its
share and finishes strong, as there is
still a possibility of its doing, this will
cancel any war fund drive for the Red
Cross, so far as this state is concerned.
There are 100000 wounded American
soldiers in France who will have to be
cared for an indefinite number of
months. The Red Cross is expected to
look after these boys and will do so. In
addition there will be a million Ameri'
can soldiers in Europe for prooa.., ii
entire year, and these, too, will receive
the attention of the Red Cross. The
signing Of the armistice has not demob-
ilized the Red Cross. The work must 60
on and there is vast amount to be ac
complished. President Wilson caDied
from Paris to Mr.. Davidson, president
of the Red Cross, to proceed to Europe
to arrange for the enlarged efforts of
the organization. LII response, Mr. Da.
wilson is now ON the high seas.
Officially the drive closes tonight
Until that hour the faithful crew of
women and men who have been solicit
ing memberships all of last week will
continue their labors. They have re-
NAMED doggedly on the job and if Ore
gon fails to register what it should the
responsibility is on the public. In one
county, Baker, local manager, "Dol-
lar Bill" Ellis, is considering publish
ing the names of the people who posi-.
lively refuse to enroll without having
a good and sufficient reason. This
drastic action is under consideration in
several other counties. That such a
scheme of publicity will MT be relished
by those whose names are printed is
acknowledged, but the attitude of some
people toward patriotic movements
since the war ended has given birth to
the suspicion that they have not been
100 per cent loyal to America during
the period the United States was in tho
European trouble.
A few precincts in the state have ac-
complished wonderful record, report
ing 100 per cent and better in certain
instances, but ON the whole there has
been slackness that has been 1epress
ing. One day remains in which Oregon
can redeem itself and no effort will bn
overlooked by the managers to see that
at the finish Oregon is in the right col.
umn. While no quota has been given
the state other than universal mem
bcrship," the proportion the kste
should enroll, based on the desired 50,-
000, 900 in the nation, is about 100000
and the figures up to last night eompil-
ed by State Manager II Z. Witham dis.
close that barely half that number ha,
been registered. To date Oregon has
not equaled the membership enrolled a
year ags, and if ii is to maintain ils
record it will have to double last year $
enrolment.
Oregon 3 reputation is at stake. It
is now facing for the first time the
prospect Of being delinquent in a patri.
otie service.