Kennewick Mobilizes for World War I
Local women organize a Red Cross auxiliary and plan a patriotic rally to support the nation as conflict looms.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Are the citizens of Kennewick ready to fight for their country’s cause? Are they back of the country’s leaders in the present great crisis? The Princess Theatre will host a big patriotic rally next Tuesday evening, April 3rd. The rally is to be held under the auspices of the local D.A.R. auxiliary of the American Red Cross which has just been organized. Volunteer workers are putting forth every effort to furnish the Red Cross with non-perishable goods, including 'housewives'—small cloth folders containing scissors, safety pins, needles, buttons, thread, and adhesive tape—to meet the first demands should our country be involved in war. The rally will raise funds for these materials. Regent Mrs. Averill Beavers was chosen president of the auxiliary, with Mrs. Geo. D. Peters as secretary-treasurer. Mrs. Edward Sheppard and Mrs. Thos. McKain will manage the finance committee.
“Are they ready to fight for their country’s cause? Do they believe the principles upon which this nation was founded should be upheld even tho the price be war?”
This reflects the nervous energy of a small town on the precipice of global catastrophe. Just like today's local aid efforts, the town turned to its women to shoulder the logistics of crisis management before the federal government was fully prepared.
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