Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-04-29
NOBLE WORK Of SALVATION
ARMY IN FRANCE WAS MADE
POSSIBLE BY ElkS OF U. 5,
First Step Taken in Movement in 1917, When
Governor Tener; of Pennsylvania, Headed
Commission
BUILT FINE J. 5. l. RECONSTRUCTION HOSPITAL
First Hospital Of It's Kind Constructed After
America Entered the War Erected on
Parker Hill, Boston. Mass

led base hospital units. Frefi Ea--
per. who vas. IN 1917. Grand -.xaited
Ruler Of the Eiks. vas a virginia
man and kae" about his uuiver2,t, 5
work. So the Eiks and the old Ii -.
versity got together. The ElkS pro
vided the equipment al a cost OF $50
900 for base hospital unit OF a .llcu-
sand beds. ami Z: little later. at the
suggestion of Senator Chamberlain,
Of Oregon. who is an Elk. did the
same thing for the Oregon unit. Both
hospitals have done splendid work
n France.
At the same time Tener and t,1e
others we're looking ailead. The Elks
nave always worried about mon whom
iiIe has more or less knocked out.
Eiks have gwen many a poor devil i
helping hand. as individuals ana as
an organization. And good man OF
the Dig men n the organization = ere
pre-occupied with The problem 81 ~
men "ho we're coming back from
France blind and crippled. They we're
smong The rirst people -nu deter
mined that 50 far as II la IN Their
mower 10 prevent IL. no man blinded
OF = ppied N this var should e.----
need charity.
On Pa.kt-, Hall. N Boston there
Stands oda.- he Elks /. :. 4. T.Aroa-
slrac' on, apspisai-the first re.on-
sirIc. III hospital piannel after
America went 10 var Il has thIee
hundred ana fifty beds. anu no NOR.
perfect institution Of Its type an -
found anya;,ere n the world IT,
Liks have nothing 20 DO with It's OF.
GRAFTON. T-iey simply built ana
enulDneti re hospital. The worked
themselves. ana they worked
with the medical department Of lie
army IN finding out Just what vas
needed. And they furnished ever
cent Of the cost-nearIy $500, 900.
These were the big, centralized con-
tr!butions OF the E.ks 20 the winning
OF the war There we're others u
somewhat sim character. Al Camp
Sherman. Aear ChllIicothe. D. Eor ez:-
ample. 4 bad situation developed BE-
cause the little town couIdnt AXE
care of the relatives ana friends VINO
came to visit men and officers IN The
camp. The local lodge Of the Elks
did It's best, and finally asked the
grand lodge-the central body of the
order for help. The answer vas
the erection Of building where COM
Portable rooms were al the disposal
Of the visitors at COST price
Cinderella. the Salvation Army
pffT the ~
isfv the Elks-the half million or more
individual Elks. scattered al, over
the country n their local lodges. They
knew the part their order vas lay
Ing. They we're proud of that But
the tTo base hospitals. thc biz re-
construction hospital IN Boston. all
the other things the grand lodge aad
done and was DONG, didn't give the
individual Elk much chance 10 feel
that he himself vas helping. After
all. what did paying an assessm ent
Of 4 dollar or 50 amount 20. Il
amounted 10 lot IN the aggregate.
Of course, and the Elks knew that.
and were glad. But-,hey wanted
TO 10 more
They did. No one knows Just how
the association between the Elks and
The Salvation .arTny began. Sut L
grew into one Of the DIG things oi the
war.
The Salvation Army went 70 work.
quietly ana without any talk as soon
a. We began mobiiizing our new
armies. The Salvation Army isn't
rich 1t hasn't any nachirerv for
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