The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 13

INDIAN! EEQSiiBEIt 1 9 TOENTIBTH 1 7 ess 4 Governors of Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky I Send Messages of Christ- mas Cheer to "The Boys" at Camp Zachary Taylor. 1 5. jSintjrfiUHiw'to. 9Sir of (StUstfmor. December 19, 1917 Although we are in midst of a world-wide war, Chr le tmas brings to our soldiers the old message, "Peace on earth, good-will to men." There might be, a semblance of peaoe on earth, if the Central Hmpirss were to win this war and become masters of the world.

For all peoples then would be under the heel of military despotism. But the peaoe that then would' come would be the peaoe of the hopeless slave. It would be a peaoe, on earth, with ill-will toward all men. The Christmas ideal of peaoe puts emphasis upon "good-will to men." That peaoe will never oome to earth until those who seek to rule the world by force alone, who hold that the cannon and the sword are the only foundation of the are forever crushed. Our soldiers, therefore, have the mo8t perfect right of all to celebrate this Christmas, for they are offering the supreme sacrifice in order that the future generations of men may have interminable Christmases of genuine "peace Ik.

Itis with" great regret that dec line your generous invitatiorf'to be presentat7thaChri8tmas oslebration given honor ol'tha hoys at Camp Taylor and I want to. assure you and is.ronly a trio orders from mjrphy6loian, ma from publio functions for the next three months that oorapelsme to the pleasure of wi th you. Christmae'is always' a time of goodrcheer and. I beliova.we can well afford to be cheerful this "year offthe olouds ofwar.iiloh surround us-oheerful eoause ot iviotory, cheerfulTin the knowledge "that a--sons are Jandtrue tygona days "and ihthe.fcnowledgethatthe unity of spirit and purpose whioh' "fills the land to day vi 11 support ithe toys' in the field'until the enemy is overcome. On behalf of the "people of Indiana, there-f eiSand to the bes i she orj.

ajterry, Chr i tmas Very ru ly-your 7 Jranjcrt December 1917. Sl.O.iflcwtiy Kindlyconvey to the brave boys 'in khaki for me the proud and affectionate interest which 'the whole State feels for them at this tiiqe, and may they be" permitted by the next Christmaa at least" to present to this Nation the most precious-. Christmas gift ever bestowed upon a fre.e 'people a lasting and victorious peace. Host cordially' and yours, on earth, good-will to men." PC Jl Military Representatives In the Christmas Cheer Club The Story of the Beginning, of the Growth and of the Success of the Courier-Journal Camp Zachary Taylor Christmas Cheer Club. GIFT for every man in khaki." With this motto as an ideal, and the soldiers of Camp Zachary Taylor specific IT- ou.FREDERICK JOHNSTON LlEUT.v$71LUS.TT.HfLE 1 JL.AUGUSTC.NISSEN fit- jwsivv "Here is our plan, subject to your views in the matter, of course: "We will erect a giant Christmas tree "for each regiment.

We will communicate with the next of kin of every officer and man at the- camp and tell them this. We will suggest that ttiey send their gift through us. We will put it on the tree and have a Santa Claus distribute the gifts, as marked, Christmas Eve. "This, in brief, is what The Courier-Journal is willing and anxious to do. We think it will generate a lot of happiness at Camp Zachary Taylor.

What do you think? "Yours sincerely, (Signed) "THE COURIER-JOURNAL." The commander of the Lincoln Division replied in the following letter: "My Dear Sirs: "In response to your letter of October 26th, containing a generous offer to provide regimental Christmas trees and a general Christmas celebration for the command at Camp Zachary Taylor, I write in behalf of the S4th Division to thank you and to say that we are glad to accept your help in this matter and will co-operate with you in every way to add to the success of the celebration and the happiness of the men. "Your offer to communicate with the families of all officers and men of the camp, suggesting to them to send their gifts through you, should effect a great saving in time and labor at these headquarters. "Very sincerely yours, (Signed) "HARRY C. HALE, "Major General, National Army." The Courier-Journal Camp Zachary Taylor Christmas Cheer Club was organized with C. C.

Ousley as chairman, Edmund P. Rucker as secretary and John W. Barr, as treasurer, and an appeal was published for public subscriptions. The Fidelity Columbia Trust Company was selected as depository for funds contributed for the purchase of soldiers' Christmas gifts. Members of the Executive Committee are: Theodore Ahrens, A.

T. Benson, Bernard Bernheim, Robt. W. Bingham, Joseph Burge, Dr. S.

G. Dabney, Jas. F. Fairleigh, Frank Fehr, Oscar Fenley, Dr. Louis Frank, Chas.

F. Grainger, Maj. Gen. Harry C. Hale, Fred W.

Keisker, Maj. John H. Leathers, Marvin H. Lewis, Geo. J.

Long, Edward J. McDermott, Donald McDonald, Rt. Denis O'Donaghue, John W. Price, Cale Young Rice, Louis Seelbach, George Weissinger Smith, Milton H. Smith, Henry L.

Stone, Marion E. Taylor, R. C. Ballard Thruston, Philip S. Tuley, Henry Watterson, Gen.

Wilber E. Wilder, Rt. Rev. Charles E. Woodcock.

Gen. Wilder appointed the following committee of officers to represent Camp Zachary Taylor in the Christmas Cheer Club: Col. Sidney A. Cloman, Col. Lincoln F.

Kilbotjrne, Col. Frederick L. Knudsen, Col. Charles F. Crain, Col.

Hugh D. Wise, Col. Glenn H. Davis, Col. August C.

Nissen, Col. William B. Cochran, Col. Frederick E. Johnston, Col.

Charles M. Bundel, ol. Augustine Mclntyre, Col. William L. Guthrie, Col.

Melville F. Jarvis, Lieut. Willis H. Hale. Lieut.

Hale was placed In charge of all camp details by Gen. Wilder' and was in daily touch wiCh Cheer Club headquarters, rendering most valuable assistance. The Courier-Journal agreed to pay all expenses connected with the raising of funds. Not one penny has been deducted for the expenses of this campaign. The Courier-Journal Christmas Cheer Club imme- diately set to work to enlist the co-operation and support of leading citizens in every Kentucky, In-.

IrwL mu I' ally in mind, the Courier-Journal Christmas Cheer Club was organized last October. As a tiny stream grows and expands into a mighty river, so the initial impulse given the soldiers' Christmas cheer movement by the Courier-Journal grew and gathered momentum until it culminated in a Tuletide entertainment of unmatched material and spiritual success. A survey of the map of the entire nation shows that the Louisville cantonment is the only army camp where the Christmas cheer of 1917 was organized with the community spirit of the civilian populace as a factor. Believing that the sentiment prompting a gift at Christmas time is of more importance that the intrinsic value of the gift itself, the Courier-Journal conceived the idea of arranging the Camp Zachary Taylor Yuletide programme so. that the "folks back home" might communicate to the soldiers something of the devotion, sympathy and comradeship they feel for the boys who are to defend their lives and their homes from the gravest peril that has ever confronted humanity.

The Courier-Journal believed this was not only a humanitarian duty, but a truly patriotic one, for such a Christmas demonstration of affection and support would raise the spirits and thereby the efficiency of the soldiers. The Courier-Journal is proud of the 'success that has crowned its colossal undertaking, believing that it has contributed practical aid toward civilization's defense in the hour of supreme crisis. The Courier-Journal conceived the idea of organizing the patriotism and generosity of the "folks back home" in the three great Commonwealths sending their sons to Camp Zachary Taylor. The success of the undertaking has exceeded the fondest hopes of its originators. The first step toward this undertaking was taken on Octobej- 26 when the Courier-Journal sent a letter to Gen.

H. C. Hale, commanding the S-ith Division of Camp Zachary Taylor, in which the ambitions of the Courier-Journal to play Santa Claus for the boys in khaki were set forth thus: "Dear General Hale: "The Courier-Journal is willing to play Santa Claus for every officer and man at Camp Zachary Taylor. If our plan meets with your approvel, we will take entire charge of a general Christmas celebration, Southern style, and see that everyone gets the present intended for him by his home folks. If he has no home folks.

The Cburier-Journal' will substitute for them. 2oL.VJ7lL.UrVM L.5UTHR1E mm. (Concluded on Page Four.) BUNDEL Col. 2. F.

CRAIN Col. F.L. KNUDSEN BMLMiLliui nun nil nun.