The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1921-12-22
ARE AMERICANS
TOO CHARITABLE
SENATOR PORTER EXPRESSES
DOUBTS REGARDING GIVING
FOR EVERY FOREIGN DEMAND

FOR EVERY FOREIGN DEMAND
Editor Star-Mirror:
We appear to enjoy perennial
season of drives" in this country
and nearly every day some enthusi-
astic and well meaning man or men
rush us into making some sort of a
contribution for the benefit of the
starving or needy in some far away
country.
1t was found during the wartime
that this was an easy way to get
funds and the live wires who during
that period were the dispensers of
charity so obtained seem reluctant to
go back to ordinary pursuits.
The Armenian like the poor is al
ways with us, his reputation for men
delaney extends back to the days of
our Saviour and then some and he has
run true to form ever since. The ap
palling tales he has sown over the
world of the atrOcity of the terrible
Turk has brought tears to eyes of the
most hardened and has caused the
most confirmed tight wads of Ameri-
ca to unbuckle.
l wonder why the Armenian does
not go to work or move to some
place where he can produce food and
clothing. During the war the Eng
lish soldiers who were opposed by the
Turks in Asia Minor reported that
fighters, more merciful to prisoners
and to the wounded than any others
opposed to them. This seemed
strange to the on-looking world who
had for so long been taught that the
Turk was unspeakable in his hideous
cruelties.
1 see we are doing much for the
starving Russian in the Ukraine and
the valley of the Black sea. This
country is as rich and fertile as the
Mississippi valley. Corn, grain, and
fruits grow there in abundance AND
all sorts of fruit running from the
tropical to the temperate zone is pro-
duced there in wonderful quality and
quantity under normal conditions.
They have experimental with social
ism as taught by Karl Marx and tried
out the theory that everything pro-
duced belongs not to the producer but
to the state, so afer a farmer had pro- !
duced crop it was promptly taken
away from him on the theory that the
state was the proper distributor and
that he would be cared for by the
state. This in the application did not
suit the Russian farmer any more
than it would have suited an Ameri-
can farmer, with the result that the
farmers ceased trying to produce
food and Russia is foodless. t
The American flag is not permitted t
to be displayed in Russia today and 9
an American who goes over with the t
food that our country is lavishly e
sending, likely to be imprisoned if S
be opens his mouth. Many Ameri- Il
cans are still imprisoned there now,
our government exacted a
promise that they were to be released
Is one of the conditions for supplying {
,ood which of course has been broken. '
There will be a drive to sell white e
cross stamps for the benefit of the e
anti-tubercular society very soon if Y
t is not already under way. Before
anyone gives money for this drive
letailed statement as to just what was
lone with that raised last year should
,e furnished to the donors. There is
| case now in Moscow of bright
voung man who has tuberculosis of
he spine and whose case has been
brought to the attention Of the lady
Who appears to have the manage
nent of the funds raised and SO far
q I can learn, all that could be got o
en- was advice, SO far as I know =
his is the only case that has been -
to the Anti-tubercular So |.
iety from Latah county, and that d
7as without result. o.
possihIu other countios have haon h;
nore fortunate. The amount Of the
unds SO raised in this state are said M
, be only about $4,000, not enough b.
0 go very far in taking care of m
1bercular folks but still enough to vi
1terest one as to what this money al
spent for. dc
Now these are only a few of the
lany activities that clamOr for
lnds. I do not pretend to know all Sc
them, but there are many more. q
An officer of the Salvation Army E1
ne of the charitable institutions of M
lis country of which every Ameri- he
an ought to feel proud, told me ~
lat after a hard campaign of sew in
al days on the Normal Hill in
ewiston they we're able to raise rs
)out $4,000 for the benefit of the
aviation Army. Normal Hill is the
'sidence portion of Lewiston where
e wealthiest people of that en-
rprising city live. They probably =. ~
'ntribute freely to some other ~, ~
IuSS OI Lar l0SS real Charity Douo- -
and would resent it If accused of 81 ~
ling slacckers in charity towards PC
ffering humanity. The trouble is nr lns
at these drives are put on and put ~ ~
'er, not so much for the reason W W.n'
at communities love to help the We We
edy but because of the propa- .nt .n
nda and dislike to be behind some 'r1 r1
her community in reputation. The aao az;
nors in most part give about as ral
eerfully as though six shooter we
IS behind the request and not IN
spirit Of cheerfulness at all. But crc
ey give. sio
We have nearby a state, where 1t bill
8 been said, that many who have VIII
'rked hard, have not been able to die
oduce crop in the last five years. viii
nks have failed, merchants gone ant
nkrupt, and there must be want Ma
suffering. Has there been any low
k of drive for the benefit Of
,se people! Has there been any
Ills for help from that nearby '
ality? I for one have not heard Da'
n fhoro hac hoon Tho rnasor pro