The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-05-15
MAKE MEMORIAL
DAY A REAL one

tBy Isabel Worrell Ball in the Ma
tional Tribune)
Every newspaper you pick up these
days advertlses some kind of sport
that will start May 80. p"
Why May 80? What on earth makes
al! the bali players, fist fighters. ten
MS champions and golf fiends want to
start on May 80?
Some fool women in New York have
a new fad. They want 10 have par
ace Of brOken-dOwn horses on May 80.
A lot Of these sporty gnat brains come
right out and say Ion Memorial Day"
We will be glad and don glad rags and
root for our fayOrIte fad in sports.
All this is deplorable. Not the
sports themselves. but the tendency to
fasten in the minds of the American
people the idea that Memorial Day,
May 80, which IL legal holiday in 40
states in the Union. Is established for
a Joyous holiday, much play and more
eating. We have but 20 JOY days; |
guess more when you sum them all up;
SO why seize upon the most sacred of
all our holidays to start the sporting
season?
May 80 has come to be recognized in
every state but the eight really south
ern states as the national sabbath of
patriotism. A day when men, women
and children should pause and gather
in social centers TO tell the tales Of
heroism of the men who wore the blue,
| and TO reflect on what that herolsm
means to US who are living today.
| tGAn dow - hII htat bNr tho
| Grand Army of the Republic, May 80.
1868, for the purpose of commemorat.
ing the ideals of the dead of the Union
army, day that has been held in such
tender respect that 40 of the greatest
states of the Union have gravely in
corporated it into their laws, not for
sports. but that the people of the
state might pause for day and think
of their mighty dead.
A veteran soldier sand of Kansas
Estates are not great, except as men
may make them,
Men are not great, except they do and
dare.
But for the men who fought the bat
ties for the Union, and their sturdy
contention for right and Justice for
many years after the battle flags were
furled. the United States would be
only third-rate nation today.
But for the four years of awful
fighting, when the nations life was in
the balance, there would be no nation
today. We would be in the condition
of the waspish little nations controlled
by banditti overseas. The right won
at a cost IN lives and money that stag
gered the nation. The United States
government did mighty little for the
returning veterans compared with
what is being done today. There were
no triumphal arches in enduring mar
bic, no pensions commensurate with
the perils endured, no waiting jobs, no
soft berths for returning soldiers. The
returning armies passed in review in
ragged regiments, an army OF
tramps, in appearance. and went home
in that plight. The fires were dead il
the forge, the farms had grown tC
weeds, the carpenters tools wert
rusty, and the boys were too old tC
take up the dog cared school books
they had left in the knife scarreC
desks. There were no vocational
schools, no schools for blinded soldiers
The shell shocked went on in that con
dition or died in insane asylums.
For these men, dead and living Me
mortal Day was established. Isn't il
the very least that any of US can do t(
let the world slip out of sight for lit
tie while-just and remember
for that one day all the honors, all the
material wealth, if you will, thai
these $500, 600 have brought to US ant
ours?
All, but that isn't all
The Spanish American war laid trib
y ute at the feet Of reunited country
Over in Arlington | saw one day 20,
Flag draped coffins beside 200 opel
graves. They were the dead of tn,
Maine. and had the honor to be on,
of five who held the first commemora
tion exercises over the Maine dead
We honor all the Spanish war veter
ans wherever we find the little mounds
And the dead of this war; They ar,
as blades of grass for number, owe
1000, 600 sleeping here and overseas
and meath the oceans waves. Full,
100, 600 of them sleep because Americi
bade them do or die.
And in spite of all these millions o
dead, whose names the people of tn,
country will honor in their hearts OF
Memorial Day, the miserable, short
sighted, unpatriotic, sport-drunk mel
e and women will "open the sport sea
son" on Memorial Day.