Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 152, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 July 1917 — GET BUSY IN JASPER COUNTY [ARTICLE]

GET BUSY IN JASPER COUNTY

MUST AWAKE TO THE TREMENDOUS TASK THIS GOVERNMENT HAS UNDERTAKEN. Thursday afternoon there was assembled in the House of Representatives in the State House at Indianapolis a great body of men and women. . These people were members of the county councils of defense and came from the several counties of the state. But three counties were not represented. Some counties had as many as twelve members present. The presiding officer of the meeting was Will H. Heyes, who is chairman of the council of defense. Mr. Hayes has an enthusiasm that is electrifying and he made a very great impression on all present. His statement that he was trying to put into execution every order received from Washington. Not one of these orders were being questioned, but they were taken as commands which were to be obeyed. No one anywhere is more enthusiastically back of the administration than Will H. Hayes and in his words and action he reflects the sentiment of every loyal Indianian. We have a very serious business to attend to. So serious that everything else must be considered as secondary. We are not to ask why, but we must do. It is as imperative that we do the bidding of the councils of defense as that the soldiers obey their generals. Every man, woman and child in the nation must enlist .in this great work. There will be a sufficient number of soL diers, but there must be food and equipment. The greatest service that must be rendered in this great war is, of course, that of the soldiers. But there is much that must *be done by those who are not to go to the front. Our labor and money will be needed and it must be forthcoming. That this part of our duty may b'e discharged, the national, state and county councils of defense have been organized and are at work, and in their endeavor everyone must cooperate. The principal address at Indianapolis was made by G. P. Porter, of Washington. He is a member of the National Council of Defense, his duties being the co-ordination of the work between the states.

Mr. Porter had had the opportunity of talking to the members of both the French and English commissions that visited our country not long ago, and they all seemed to think that the war was not more than" half over. - • Everyone who has had an opportunity to know anything of the general situation seems to think that the end of the war is a long way off and that the sooner we awaken to its tremendous responsibility the sooner the end will come. Mr. Porter said that in the defense work Indiana was the banner and the work she was doing was greatly appreciated. But Jasper county is behind in this work and Chairman Welsh is very anxious that we get to work and do our part. In many ways our county has done ler full share. We responded nobly m the Liberty Loan, the Y. M. C. A. and Red Cross. Our women in the work of the Navy League put Jasper county in the forefront and a poster sent out by the state department placed the name of Rensselaer as one of the headquarter places where “Sox for Soldiers” are being made. <. At the next meeting of the county council 'of defense there will be appointed committees that will look after sonfe important features of the work. Among the committees needed will be a legal adviser, a fourminute men committee, a committee to organize the boys, one to organiz ethe women and many others.

Let everyone be interested and let Jasper county do her “bit.”