Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-04-29

An article N a recent ;ssre Of COL
liers will not only be rad With inter-
est by Augusta Elks. but also by
those not fortunate enough 20 belong
20 this organization. Why 1t Is Of
unusual interest to the zntiered fra
.ernity is the fact that the Elks Of
this country backed the Salvation
Army. better known as the "Cinder.
ella OF War Relief organizations. In
prefacing tho article the editor says:
TIA no, surprising to read about
the Tremendously good work done BY
the Red Cross. the Z. u. c. 4. and
similar organizations, but who has
ever heard anything Of what the Elks
have DONE Very quietly and unos-
,entatiously they've been doing their
fun share-which IS VIII this article
is doubly interesting.
The following excerpts are from
Golfers and penned oy William Al
mon Wolff:
IF you happen TO be an Elk. a
member Of the Benevolent anu Pro-
tec,ive Order Of Elks. rou will know
a good deal Of what Ii to be told. II
you are not, YOU may be surprised as
I was when learned what the Eiks
had dons.
To begin With. to Be- al Elk YOU
must be an American. the Eiks
eliminated the hEphen long before the
var made that symbol unpopular il
these United States. The Eihs aren't
exclusive. They don't care whether
a man Is Jew, Gentle. Catholic or
Protestant. They're not particular
about his tailor and ,hey'rc not m
.er-sted in his ideas about poiitlc1-
But if ne isn't one hundred per cent.
American he doesn't belong. 50,
AMEN We got into var, the Elks- With
their membership OF half a million.
don't have 20 worry about divided
LOYALTY. They knew their member
ship: .1ev could count on them. ElkS
began enlist:ng Immediately; before
GERMANY gave Up more than Hf-y
thousand of them were IN servlce-a
remarkable record when you consider
that a good many Elks. naturally, are
veil beyond the military age.
heip Where NesdsH and 1t Once
The rirsI step the E.lks took toward
organizing their var work was the
appointment OF the Elks' War Relief
Commission. on Juno !. 1877. John
x. Tener. VINO Is about equally proud
Of having been Governor of Pennsyl-
vanis and president at the National
Leaxue. headed the commission. and
has been giving up nearly aIrhls TINE
"a it, work ever since bis appoint
meut. His fellow workers-~ere so-
seph r Tanning. Jerome B. Fisher,
James r. Nicholson. Edward Right
or. and Fred Harper.
Tener's .commlSsion begun by con-
sulting with the Red Cross and the
War Department. In July it report
cd 10 the Grand Lodge that the frs,
thing 70 be done was the establish
ment Of base hospital units. TO be
eauipped by the Elks and operated
BY tho War Department. Immediate
~ tho Grand Lodge voted a million
dollars and authorized Tener and his
associates to 80 ahead. No strings
were ,ied TO the commission: the Eiks
wanted TO give help where 1t vas
needed. and give It at once. Ana II
vas we'll understood that II q million
dollars didn': prove 70 be enough. an
other million could be- had for the
asking. As a matter Of tact the first
,n1llioa has not all been spent yet. but
if the work OF reconstruction requires
if, any part Of another million can
be had AT once.
The University of Virginia and the
University of Oregon had both organ.