Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1942-06-18
CONGRESSMAN SECREST
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!
him by Attorney Young, and re-
marked that it gives some idea OF
the free country in which we live.
/ The congressman said he had voted
/, for billions to be used for defense
! but hoped that we would never
have to use it. He urged the all out
and out preparedness and said that
when the President asked for vast
numbers of planes, tanks, ships,
! etc, it seemed almost impossible to
achieve in such a short time the
construction of such vast quantities
of them. He told of the immense
cost of the implements of war, such
as fighter plane costs, $780, 900, a
torpedo bomber, $1S8, 900; coast
gun, 100000; submarine chasers
several millions; parachutes, 500
/ each This will give some idea as
I to why such vast sums of money
! are necessary, and the speaker said
we can't win this war without mon
ey, and urged the purchase Of war
saving bonds and stamps. He point
Z
chase, such as bandages and other
hospital articles. Another reason
he urged the purchase of bonds was
to stop imitation.
The speaker said while we have
had Flag Day long time, it today
has a greater significance than ever
before, and he read the poem Hats
off-the Flag Is Passing By and
went on to say that this country
has heritage such as no other ma
ton, and spoke of the wisdom and
foresight of the writer's of the con-
stitution, which has been changed
but little silce it was first adopted,
and has ever stood for freedom
freedom of the press; freedom of
worship, and right of trial by jury,
and other rights only found in our
individual liberties He went on to
state how people have suffered and
died for those principles, and urged
thorough preparedness saying no
one knows what is ahead, but he
added we will win, but it will take
at Bataan and Corregidor prayed
to the same God as did Washington
and his soldiers at Valley Forge,
and Lincoln during the Civil war.
Mr.. Secrest said don't get the
! idea that because the boys in the
service smoke and chew and some
| Of them drink occasionally, that
| they are not religious, and said
Christian boys are fighting a
! Christian war" Near the close of
his address Congressman Secrest
read Lincoln's Gettysburg address.
and in conclusion said generations
have lived under the American flag
which epresents life overflowing-
men follow that fiag-it represents
the dead and the living, and it rep
resents everything America ever
had or ever hopes to get-a great
country, great nation on whom
shall certainly descend the great
light of victory. Mr. Secrest said
that it had been two years since he
had addressed an audience here,
and hoped that the next time he
came it would be after the war
ends to celebrate a great victory.
Earle Eveland presided, and the
meeting opened with the national
anthem, followed by pledge to the
flag, by little Jimmie Haynes, son
of Mrs. Katie Haynes; Rev. L. s.
Wees, pastor of Grace Methodist
church, offered prayer; choir Of
young people from McKendree
church sang God Bless America"
with Mrs. Walter Elliott, accom-
panying, who had charge of the
music
Richard Mcclure, commander of
the Civilian Defense Corps, spoke
briefly, as did also Rufus K. Brown,
chairman of the defense bond sales
of Morgan county. He reported that
the sale of bonds for the month Of
May went over the top-three times
more than our quota. and the first
week of this month more than the
ever he urged that we not let down,
since the quotas would increase in
the months to come, when the gov
ernment hopes to sell a billion dol
lars worth of bonds every month.
Other numbers on the program in
cluded an original poem by Mrs.
Ethel Skinner, which was an urge
for the people to buy bonds with
which to help our boys. The au
thor has two sons-both now in the
armed forces. Louanna and Wayne
Roberts, aged 10 and eight re-
spectively, son and daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Ernest Roberts, Of Malta,
sang :EThe White Cliffs of Dover,
their mother accompanying. The
stage was beautifully decorated
with flags, and across the front
were huge baskets Of choicest flow
ers The exercises closed with sing-l
ing America and the benediction by
Rev. L. s. Wees.