New Britain herald., 1919-07-10

a In spite off war work activities in which nearly all the citizens of the country were engaged, and the un- precedented number of deaths from the epidemic that swept the country during that time, the Elks had a net increase in membership during the last year of more than 50000
 Various circum stances account for the prosperity of the Order of Elks during the war It is purely an Amer ican institution. Its membership is limited to white citizens of the United States, and it's sut ordinate lodges are to be found only on United States soil.
 Recently when the Salvation Army was entering upon a drive for $13,- Q00,000, Grand Exalted Ruler Camp bell officially directed that all Elks subordinate lodges lend their support to this undertaking. Tn many cities in which Elks lodges are loHlted-near- ly 1900 in number-they were among the leaders in the organized effort to put the fund across. Commander Evangeline c. Booth has personally thanked the Elks, through the grand lodge for what they have done for the Salvation Army during the period of, the war. without the help of the sElks'' she says "the Salvation Army could not have made the success it did at the battle front"
 It is a matter of record that through the subordinate Elks lodges members of the order have saos@ribea~ for five .ef1,ion dollars of Liberty and Victory bor1na.they have given over three hundred thousand dollars to the Red Cross q to the Y. M, c. A. and more than a million dollars to various other war charities.
 Leaders in War Relief Work.
 With this general understanding of the principles and leadership of the Elks, it IS easy to understand why the order took a leading part in war ac- tivities, and why it is today in actual exclusive partnership with the United States government in one of the most important and far-reaching undertak- ings ever put into effect in the history of Ille world-that of vocational train ing or re-education of disabled sol diers, sailors and marines in the Great war.
 The Elks are unique in one feature of their ganization--though not ex- elusive among secret fraternal orders in the fact that only one subordin- ate lodge is permitted in each city, which permits the resources of each subordinate lodge to be centralized. The result is that practically every city in the country of over 5000 inha bi- tants has an Elks home or club.
 During the war hundreds of these homes were given over either wholly or in part for war work activities car ried on in the munity by such or ganizations as the Red Cross, the Y. M. C. A., the Knights of Columbus, the Salvation Army, the Jewish Welfare and others that had reason 10 appre- ciate the patriotic spirit Of Elkdom as thus eXemplifled.
 E1ks War Relief Commission.
 Early in the war the E.llks became especially impressed with the unsel- fish spirit in which the Salvation Army was carrying on it's work and partic- ularly with the fine standing it had with the boys at the front. The re- suit was that hundreds Of Elks lodges placed all their resources behind the Salvation Army drives for funds, and the slogan "Elks Raise Dollars for Doughnuts'' became countrywide.
 At the Elks grand lodge session in Boston in July, 1917, provision was made for the appointment of a special committee to be known as the Elks War Relief commission, which, to- gether with the grand exalted ruler, would have charge Of the expenditure of whatever moneys were raised by the Elks for war work or war relief pur- poses. This commission vas made Up of ex-Governor John K. Tener of Pennsylvania, JJoseph T. Tanning of Pennsylvania, Joseph T. Tanning of Indianapolis Jerome B. Fisher of Jamestown, N. Y, Inles R. Nicholson of Boston, Edward Harper of Vir- ginia,, all past grand exalted rulers, and Grand Exalted Ruler Bruce A. Campbell of East St. Louis, III.
 This commission at once rendered it's services and resources to the Unit ed States government through the war department. At that time the University of Virginia and the Univer- sity of Oregon were organizing base hospitals for service in France, but no provision had been made for outfitting