9-Every message given to Congress by President Wilson was furnished to county chairmen in bulletin form, and the salient facts of these important war-time utterances were communicated to the people by the Four-Minute men. 10-Registration Campaigns. The Four-Minute men explained the purposes of the registration of men for military service, gave the registration dates, and outlined important facts concerning the registration. 11-Health Campaign. The necessity of the general public to keep health conditions above normal through proper sanitation and correct living was emphasized to overcome a condition brought about by the enlistment of many physicians in the military service. 12-Gardening. There was a campaign calculated to create interest in home-gardening as an aid to the general movement to increase food production. The Four-Minute organization, under Dr. Biechele's chairmanship, was made up of the following men: Ross P. Thomas, college teacher; Clyde E. Taylor, clerk; Joseph O. Fritz, attorney; Frank J. Daubel, newspaper manager; W. G. Leamon, chemist; Frank R. Fortune, salesman; Walter A. Kerr, merchant; Howard C. Winey, insurance salesman; Emil Paumier, manufacturer; C. L. Allis, manufacturer; Edward Hauenstein, newspaper editor; Walter C. Foster, real estate salesman; Mrs. Henrietta Quinby, wife of Lieut. Edward C. Quinby. While all of the Four-Minute speakers rendered valuable services, Mrs. Quinby undoubtedly held the attention of her audiences better than any of the men. She was one of the few women in Ohio who joined this organization. Dr. Biechele, as chairman for Wayne County, received a personal letter of thanks from President Wilson thanking him for his services. Each one of the first nine men named in the above list received a Service Button in consideration of excellent service extending over a given period of time. The organization was demobilized December 24, 1918. Edward P. Mott, manager of the Lyric Theater, Louis Mohn, manager of the Wallace Theater, and W. M. Yeagle, manager of the Rex Theater, in Wooster, were each awarded special certificates in recognition of their co-operation in arranging their programs so that FourMinute speakers were given the opportunity to talk. CHAPTER XIII. FIRST LIBERTY LOAN Immediately after the declaration of war in April, 1917, Congress arranged for a bond issue of $2,000,000,000, which was known as the Liberty Loan, and later, when other bond issues were announced, this initial issue was referred to as the First Liberty Loan. Wayne County's quota in this loan was $390,000. For some weeks no organization was formed in Wayne County, and while the banks offered the bonds for sale, the demand was very small. The general public did not understand that it would take the whole-hearted efforts of every community to finance the war for the government. Some progress was made in larger cities, but in rural communities like our own the gospel of investment in government bonds had not been preached. On May 22nd, 1917, Walter D. Foss, President of The Wooster Brush Co., received a telephone message from an officer of The Federal Reserve Bank, at Cleveland, requesting him to attend a meeting at the bank on Wednesday, the day following, when, he was told, plans for a campaign in counties in northern Ohio would be mapped out. Mr. Foss, through his connection with business interests in Cleveland, was one of the few men in the county awake to the situation, and his choice was indeed a happy one. Before leaving for Cleveland Mr. Foss, according to The Republican, said: "People as a rule do not realize the importance of this loan. It involves a tremendous amount of money, and bankers all over the country are hard at work to float it. There are only twenty-five days left in which to subscribe. Our Wooster and Wayne County people should do their part." This condition was not local, but quite general, as is evidenced by the following dispatch sent out of Washington by the International News service under date of May 24, 1917: Washington, May 24, 1917-Administration leaders today set to work in real earnest to meet what has become a very serious situation. It is to end the apathy now existing throughout the country and bring home to the people-especially those of the central and far west-the bitter realization of what the nation is actually facing. From every section of the west the word has come that the people seemingly do not consider the war as a serious factor. The worst part of it all is that the President himself is in part to blame. His utterances have been interpreted literally and the opponents of war are do ing their best to take advantage of this fact to arouse a nation-wide peace sentiment. So serious is the situation that it is admitted the success of the liberty loan is imperiled and senators and representatives have felt called upon to apologize for the construction that was placed upon the President's speech at the Red Cross building dedication a couple of weeks ago. During the next few days every effort is to be made to make it plain to the people of the country not only has the U. S. a real grievance against Germany but unless all of the man power and money power of the nation is exerted to aid Germany's enemies and crush that nation, the result may prove serious. That is the real reason why the U. S. has refused passports to the socialist delegates, Victor Berger, of Milwaukee; Morris Hillquit, and Algernon Lee, of New York-who want to attend the proposed socialist conference in Stockholm. Sweden has backed German peace suggestions for months. The government has complete evidence that the proposed conference not alone is backed by German agents and German money, but that also has in view taking steps which will prove most embarrassing to the enemies of Germany. Because of this the socialist delegates will not be permitted to go as the state department has made it plain that the conference really is planned along the lines which would place the U. S. in a false light. While a great part of the country remains apathetic, to the war spirit, officials, who know the real situation say that the war very easily can last for three years more. They say very frankly, that while the selective draft plan calls for only 500,000 in the first conscripted army and for enough additional men to fill the gaps in the regular army and the national guard, that the war department is working along lines for an army of 3,000,000 men at the out set. This army will be trained as fast as possible so that when the time comes to crush Germany by the combined weight of the allies the U. S. will do a real man's part on the field. No one who has talked to the members of the various missions who have been in this country and now are here, can have any delusions about the real situation. Gains have been made by the French and British on the west front but they are far from being a large factor in defeating Germany. There is not the slightest evidence anywhere that victory is not considered certain in the end. But it will be no triumphal procession, officials say and the U. S. will pay a staggering price for the final result. The utmost confidence is felt by the military experts here that the ingenuity of the U. S. will devise new death dealing devices which will crush the German defensive. So far the Yankee inventor has been doing good work. Scores of devices have been furnished the war and navy departments and at least a dozen of them have been accepted. What they are will first be shown by Americans in active service. How thoroughly the patriotic people of Wayne County absorbed the patriotic idea of Liberty Loans is evidenced by the fact that a year later, in the third loan, the people of Wooster and immediate vicinity invested $301,100 on the first day the bonds were for sale. Mr. Foss returned from the Cleveland meeting with the message that as a patriotic duty each community was expected to purchase the apportionment of securities set off to it by the treasury department. This apportionment was based upon a stipulated percentage of bank deposits. At a meeting of bankers and business men held in the common pleas courtroom an organization was effected. Mr. Foss had been designated as chairman at the federal bank meeting, and Charles F. Gay, a bond salesman who resided on Quinby Avenue, Wooster, was made secretary of the organization. Special committees were appointed and the following were named chairmen : Merchants committee, Herman Freedlander, chairman These committees worked hard and faithfully. The limited amount of time prevented a thorough campaign, such as was conducted in later loans, but the county, nevertheless, turned in a fine oversubscription. When final reports were checked up it was found that there were 1143 separate subscriptions amounting to $499,500, an average of $12.50 for each man, woman and child in the county. A special feature of the campaign was a trip over the city by Ruth Law, woman aviator, in which she dropped bombs in imitation of Zeppelin raids over London and Paris. The bombs were made of paper, and bore this inscription: "If you can't fight, your money can. Buy a Liberty Bond to keep off German bombs. Buy your bond today. (Signed) Ruth Law." Miss Law flew over Wooster from east to west late on the afternoon of June 6th. SECOND LIBERTY LOAN The campaign for the Second Liberty Loan began October 5th, 1917, the issue this time being for $3,000,000,000. The county's appor tionment was raised from $390,000 to $577,500. Mr. Foss again had Mr. Gay for his secretary, and the organization established headquarters in the offices of Walter G. Whitaker, at the southwest corner of the public square. J. W. Robison was selected as publicity manager, his first task being the distribution of 25,000 postThis publicity was followed by numerous full-page advertisements in Wooster newspapers, which were paid for by patriotic citizens. Proprietors of the larger manufacturing plants paid for the majority of this advertising, the government providing no fund for this purpose. ers. The campaign was carried on through the organization of the bankers of the county, the services of the committees which served dur ing the First Liberty Loan, and two sets of committees, one of which covered the rural routes out of Wooster and the other which covered the mail routes within the city. Solicitors also canvassed rural routes leading out from other towns in the county. Canvassers in this campaign were aided in making sales because bonds were issued in amounts as low as $50. The plan of payment was as follows: 2 per cent with application; 18 per cent November 15th; 40 per cent December 15th; 40 per cent January 15th. Banks also formed special clubs which appealed to the working girl, or the family man with a very limited income, the payments being $1 per week. A considerable number of bonds were sold in this way. The campaign closed, Saturday, October 27th, with a total of 2438 subscriptions, against 1143 in the first loan, while the total sales amounted to $759,100, against $499,500 in the first loan. The oversubscription was 32 per cent, and the sales amounted to $19 per capita against $12.50 per capita during the first loan. The Boy Scouts sold bonds amounting to $3500 during this campaign. The committees which canvassed the Wooster rural and city mail routes, and the subscriptions taken by the various banks of the county during this loan were as follows: Rural Route teams, 288 subscriptions, $43,900. Two teams worked on each route. Figure preceding amount in dollars is number of subs. Route No. 1-Judge C. A. Weiser, Dr. W. E. Chancellor, Ross W. Funk, C. P. Funk; 19, $2250. Route No. 1-William Myers, William Reece, Lloyd Sanborn, Floyd Specht; 7, $500. Route No. 2-A. D. Metz, H. A. Hoffstott, Albert Dix, Phil Horn; 14, $1,000. |