Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-18
ALL MUST KEEP ON
AIDING RED CROSS
UNTIL END OF WAR

When you, Mr.. Rock Island citizen,
paid 81 for a membership and placed
a Red Cross button in the lapel Of
your coat your obligation towards the
maintenance Of that great agency Of
mercy did not end. On the contrary,
it was but the beginning of the sup
port that you must contribute unin-
terruptedly until the conclusion of the
war. 1t Is not that Rock Island peO-
pie are any more unpatriotic than are
their fellowmen in other commune
ties Of the nation; the fact that they
have not met the Red Cross records
established in cities of similar size
throughout the country is due wholly
to their failure to have been aroused
to the importance of the work that the
organization is conducting incidental
to the war; how essential it is to the
success of the allied cause in Europe.
Each citizen owes Red Cross SER
vice to his country, and he must be
impressed with the necessity Of keep
ing that thought constantly before
him. You ask the average man or
woman of Rock Island what the Red
Cross has done or is doing IN this city
and you will be informed that some of
the good ladies of the city put in a
few hours each week at the headquar-
ters in the State bank building max
ing bandages for wounded soldiers
and wearables for the American boys
in the trenches on the other side Of
the ocean. They perhaps are persons
who are occupied at their places of
employment during the day; they
have purchased memberships in the
society; they have done their bit, they
take it, and they feel that there is
nothing more to be expected from
them. You scan the headlines in the
newspapers telling that your local
chapter of Red Cross is. making regu-
lar shipments Of manufactured arti-
cles, but you assume that persons bet
ter able financially than you, are buy
ing the materials and preparing the
articles that are being forwarded for
use on the battlefelds. You are patri-
otto. all right, but you know some
folks have lot more money than you
have and yon know that they just en-
JOY keeping going an establishment
like branch of the Red Cross.
You are entirely mistaken in your
notions. The Red Cross is supported
| through sentimental and patriotic
promptings of all of the people. The
| beautiful side of the enterprise would
| be destroyed were it to be maintained
exclusively by the wealthy classes O.
| the nation. 1t is such an impression
that the directing chieftians of Rec
Cross are seeking to dissipate. Rec
| Cross is the spirit of the people; thu
expression of the great heart tina
throbs in the breast of us all. no mat
| ter our social or financial station il
life. 1t is possible for everybody tt
give to the Red Cross. If you hav'
| bought a membership it is your bust
ness to purchase another and then SCI
| to it that your neighbor is enrolled. /
+ is likely that the latter would cheer
: fully buy second or third mem
bership if he had his attention called
to the need for a steady flow of none.
| to keep up the work Of the organiza
ton.
At the present rate supplies are be
ing turned out here. what do you sup
pose it costs to buy materials for tn
Rock Island chapter of the Red Cros
for a year? l. S. White. chairman o
the local Red Cross. approximates tn
figure at $4,000, Against that amour
there is performed labor representing
about an equal sum. But this labor !
given gratis. 1t is the voluntary con
tribution of the mothers and daugh
ters of Rock Island, many of whom
have relatives in the war They ar
giving unstintingly of their time
some of them an hour a day, others
few hours week, and others six day
of the week, that the functionings Q
the Red Cross be prosecuted in keep
ing with the demands. There are S
many. too, who are of a belief tina
Red Cross serves only on the battle
field. The truth is that II is every