Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1920-12-28
WAR RELIEF ACTIVITIES
OF THE ORDER Or ELKS
Order Placed Forssss u All volan-
IN Notable Speech By Congressman Reed OF New
York-sensed Frghaul Consequences Ard Es-
tablished Relief Commission

zatioa to successfully accomplish re-
,lts ansoag those In the trenches that
9fe reeeaei Tie unslinted praise 81
aeactically every person connected
with tire American Expeditionary
Forces asroad as we'll as the mothers
md fathers of every boy in the sery-
Ice. Ii has cen publicly stated by
Commander Egaageline Booth that bur
FOR The ass stance OF The Elks the Sal
walton Army could not have accom-
piished the results that il did at the
front This in itself is q great tri-
Bute 10 any organization.
"0ur attitude toward vocational
raining IS shown by The fac, that the
law providing for 1t vas passed By
unanimous vote in 10th Houses OF
Congress. But there have developed
some Obstacles 10 The successful car
rying out OF the Governments voca
ional-training program that could not
lie foreseen when The law was being
enacted
Here, again. the Benevolent and
Protective Order Of Eiks, through the
Elks War Relief Commission, has
shown broadness of vision and q
spirit OF practical progressiveness
hat, in MY opinion merits the sim
crest appreciation and highest re-
,ard Of every citizen Of this country.
PARTICULARLY IS this true because of
he tineliness and the generosity with
which the Elks met very urgent
md pressing need and emergency. But
this is, in fact a well-known char
lcteristic of the Order OF Elks
THE vocationai-training law makes
hese disabled men eligible for train
ng on their discharge from the hos
oital, but their training compensation
! not PAYABLE in advance and few
nen on leaving the hospital are able
o maintain themselves even for the
short period while they must await
heir Government allowance. The
Elks war Relief Commission gener
ously and. We might say, proyiden-
tally, met this serious situation by
providing a large revolving fund with
which to meet the financial needs Of
these DISABLED men and permit them
q Immediately enter upon their train
ing courses.
I'm all Of these matters undertaken
and SO successfully carried out BY
Tie Elks there have teen no public
drives or no street canvassing for
funds, and no money has been soli-
cited or received by them from any
sources outside the individual Elks or
the subordinate Elks' lodges
"As was stated on the floor of the
House by the gentleman from Wash
ington (Mr. Miller) al tie time this
generous offer vas accepted on behalf
of the Representative OF the Govern
ment
1.-The Elks' fund thus provided is
the first instance Of the kind in the
history of the country where great
patriotic, fraternals organization has
come to the aid of tic Government in
50 timely. helpful, and substantial a
manner.
And greater than all this giving Of
money, greater than the erection of
the magnificent reconstruction hospi-
tai al Boston, or the equipping Of the
two large base hospitals in France, or
the donations and assistance to the
Salvation Army, has been the spirit
Of sympathy and helpfulness rejecting
the fraternal fellowship In which the
membership Of the splendid Benevo
lent and Protective Order of Eiks has
by personal contact encouraged SO
many thousands of our wounded and
disabled heroes 10 successfully carry
on in redtting or reeducating them
selves for the future.
"The patriotic services rendered by
the Elks War Relief Commission have
no fayorably impressed those Of US
who have had occasion especially To-
investigate tho subject al the voca-
tional training Of our disabled sol
diers, sailors and marines, that | de-
sire to record the names Of the mem
bers OF it as slight mark Of appre-
citation