The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-07-05

on Monday, July 1th, there will go ringing through the country a awakening cry to loyal Americans and a stinRing warning to the Bolshevist element seeking to disorganize the Government and disentegrate the principals of law and order.
 The Elks is essentially ar Ameri- can organization, loyal in its incep- ton and patriotic In all Hts en- deavors, as a glance at it's work during the war will disclose. It hates Bolshevism as the devil does holy water.
 In the order are nearly 60O,00T members and to every member will go the word to nip the cancer of BoI- shevism on the American body polite in the bud.
 While there are perhaps not more than 600,0O0 Elks in the country, the call to arms to them Is only a start in the propaganda against the Bolshe- wiki. The Elks have carried the word and the message will be emphasized in the Convention, to their relatives, to their mothers and brothers, their sweethearts, sisters, fathers and wives and by this means have arrayed an active army of 1O,O00,0OO or 15,00O, 900 against the invader.
 It was easy for this great order to fall into line when the call to arms came after America had entered the war. The Elks didn't wait to be asked for their help.
 They gave I'D their clubhouses for the needs of the Government They helped to sell Liberty Bor s, sold War Saving Stamps, helped the Red Cross, helped the Salvation Army; started the first Irlief committee, built the first reconstruction hospital before any of our boys had been wounded, knowing the necessity for 1t and 5O,oOO Ellss shouldered rifles marched to the war, many of them never to return.
 And the Elks did all their work within themselves, within their own organization as they were equipped to do. Members of Elkdom are from ell walks of life-Goverr DTS, Senators. Congressman, judges, mayors, lawyers, doctors, newspa permen, actors, also shertts, chiefs of police and members Of the force, engineers, architects. artists and artisans-all are found in the ranks.
 With an organization of this char acter, 100 per cent. American, noth- ing was impossible in the way of war work. The Big Elk sent out the word to go to it and the antlered herd did the rest. The work that was done will go down into history as one of Americas great chapters. The Big Elk in 1917 was Grand Exalted Ruler Fred Harper who halls from Lynch burg, Va. He called the Grand Lodge together and on June ? of that year the Elks War Relief Commission was appointed.
 John K. Tener, former Governor Of Pennsylvania, was made Chairman of the Commission and the other mem bers are the following: Joseph T. Tanning of New York, Secretary; Je- rome E. Fisher, Jamestown, N. Y; James R Nicholson, Boston. Mass; Edward Fighter, New Orleans, La; Fred Harper, Lynchburgh, Va; Bruce A. Campbell, present Grand Exalted Ruler, East St. Louis, III.
 These able men lost no time in quibbling about what was to be done. They reported to the grand lodge in July that the first thing to be done was the establishment of the Elks and operated by the War Department. This was after consul tation with the Red Cross and the the War Department. The Grand Lodge told the Commission to go ahead and voted S1,00O,O00 for the work and told them further that there were no strings to the million and that another could be had if necessary.
 The first reconstruction hospital built and paid for by the Elks, the first planned in America, stands on Parker Hill in Boston and there is no more perfectly equipped institution of the kind in the country. The E1ks oII ment a a cost of over s30O,00O. Then they were told by Fred Harper of the old University of Virginia having or ganized a base hospital unit. They pitched in and went to the help of the University and equipped it at cost of $60,0O0. A little later they did the same thing for the University of Ore gon at the suggestion of U. s. Senator Chamberlain, himself an Elk hailing from Oregon. Both units have done excellent work in France.
 The E1ks were among the first to learn of the work being done by the Salvation Army in France. They knew that the workers of the poke bonnets and cloaks had no machinery for raising money and weren't members of a rich organization; so the Elks went quietly to the assistance of the doughnut makers for the doughboys. The biggest check they gave them was for s60,000.
 So, is 1t any wonder that the Elks are going to Atlantic City to rejoice in the work they have accomplished, without meetings or marches or bands of music7 But there will be plenty of music at the Convention City by the Aa. plenty of joy and parade-their own ,parade;..,the most wonderful page of E1kdom ever witnessed in it's history.
 Thousands of EIks are going to Atlantic City from all over the coun- try, for every big city a>d small city and every little town and village and hamlet has its quota of the antlered herd. And every lodge will bring with it its own service flag and bear 1t aloft in the parade. And every big lodge will bring it's own band. There will be music galore in Atlantic City; and if Gen. John J. Pershing should perchance arrive in America by that time he will review the parade.[ For mt only did 50OOO F,lkS RO tO the