Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-10-29
AVOIDING FIRES
IS WEEKS TOPIC
OF 4-NINuTE MEN
Prevention of Unnecessary
Losses is Being Impressed
Upon Public Chamber Of
Commerce Lends Its Aid,

usins "Fire Prevention" as their to-
pic-that is, they are speaking on
this subject where public meetings
are permitted. if such places exist
during the influenza epidemic. Where
public meetings are not allowed the
four-minute men arc using the news
papers TO get this important matter
before the people. ..-.
Fire prevention is one OF the most
important matters with every person
he he youth or adult, has to CONTEND
nevertheless il receives scant atten-
ton. We see our own home, or our
neighbors home, devoured by the
flames which started as the result
of carelessness on the part OF some
body. and for the time being we are
somewhat worked up and express
determination to labor necessarily Tor
the prevention Of such unnecessary
waste in the future. But before the
ruins of the once beautiful home or
commodious business block are colo
we forgot our resolution and relapse
into a lethargic state regarding IRE
prevention.
The following address on fire pre-
vention was prepared by w. II. Chap
man, one of the local four-minute
men:
THE apparently useless destruction
of crops, fruit trees and property III
the evacuated districts of France ana
Belgium by the retiring boches mas
caused fierce Indignation in the al
lied countries, but these acts were
premeditatci and ordered in pursali
of the brutal program OF efficiency
dictated by the rulers of Germany
who understood that we are Just be
ginning TO realize: namely, that tins
war is war of resources as well as
men. and that the more property
that they can destroy the more they
will weaken the power of the Allies.
1t was this knowledge that caused
the extensive campaign of incendiar-
ism launched by the paid agents OF
the kaiser in this country
But Germany has found an uneX-
pected ally in America in the form
of inexcusable carelessness in the
prevention of fire.
owing to our war activities, mea-
sures for fire prevention ordinarily
effective have been weakened ana
the losses from fires have increased
enormously The destruction from
| fires originated solely through care
| Iessness exceeds by many times thai
caused by incendiarism, SO serious
is this situation that the Councils Of
| National Defense in several states,
notably California, Oregon and Wash
! ington. have devoted especial atten-
| ton to campaigns for fire prevention
! to put an end to the destruction OF
| crops and forests.
Recently in Minnesota, forest fires
took a toll of over 1909 lives and one
hundred million dollars in property,
Claims were made that these fires
were the work of pro-Germans and
|. w w. sympathizers because the
results are so obviously, an aid and
encouragement to the enemy. Re-
sources lost in this manner directly
diminish the funds available for in
vestment in Liberty Bonds ana the
raw produce demanded by our armies,
But in fact these fires were due not
to alien enemies but directly to the
carelessness and indifference of the
citizens of that state to the presence
of fire danger. OF the several fires
which united in producing this holo-
caust, practically all We're burning
for weeks before the catastrophe hap
pened, and when proper conditions
arose We're famed into destructive
tornadces. This spirit of Indifference
to risk is the sole cause for the fact
that seventy SeVen per cent of all oul
national fire losses are avoidable
Carelessness with five at this time is
a crime against our Allies and treach-
cry to the cause of civilization. Wood
products are needed in every depart
ment of war work, and their great
impol lance is only beginning to he
realized. Forest fires are practically
all preyentable, and most of them are
caused by the neglect to exercise the
simplest precautions. Not every
lighted cigarette tossed into forest lit
ter starts q destructive blaze; son1e-
times the cigarette goes out; some
tines the litter is too wet to burn,
and frequently the fire is eXtinguish-
ed by fire guards before it gets be-
yond bounds
We provide fire departments for
the sole purpose of preventing the
damage which would otherwise re-
suit from carelessnesS of citizens who
ought to know better. No amount Of
care and efficiency on the part OF
lll' ttIdl tllitllS Ol lOFtSL GdllSelb
can prevent fires as long as the av-
eraSe G ti2en continues to be careless
Our national fire bill is many times
greater than that of any other coun-
Try in spite of the superior efficiency
in organization of our fire depart
mCnts. Forest fires are usually
caused by smokers, hunters and
campers who fail to eXtinguish their
camp fires. Fires in cities and towns
are due primarily to leaving inflam-
ma'ble rubbish in places where it
may catch fire. and the lack of pre-
caution in the construction Of build
ings to guard against defective wir-
ing and flues. In this time of stress
when every dollar of property des-
troyed by fire is a dollar lost to the
cause OF civilization in defeating the
Kaiser. Let every citizen and proper
ty owner set himself to the task of
taking every precaution which sug-
geSts itself to him to absolutely pre-
vent the possibility of loss by fire,
either to his own or to public prop
erty. This tremendous waste of ma
! tional assets from ineXcusable care
lessness must cease. 1t is time that
we learned as a nation that there are
! better uses for eur savings than the
replacement of resources which have
gone up in smoke.