USA > Iowa > Scott County > History of the war activities of Scott County Iowa, 1917-1918 > Part 14
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The Retail Merchants Bureau of the Commercial Club successfully conducted a campaign for the elimination of special deliveries of mer-
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chandise and to minimize the exchange of purchased articles. The Traffic Bureau of the Club worked for the fullest possible utilization of transportation by loading cars to capacity and elimination of de- murrage.
Throughout the entire war hardly a week passed but what the main dining room of the Commercial Club was utilized for addresses by various speakers in the interest of war measures.
The inability of the Davenport Chapter of the American Red Cross to obtain suitable headquarters and workrooms in the down town sec- tion brought about the allotment of the pool room, ladies' parlor, and reading room of the Commercial Club for this purpose, and throughout the war these rooms were used from early morning until late at night by scores of patriotic women engaged in making surgical dressings, garments, and other Red Cross requisites.
The Club brought about the establishment in Davenport of a secret organization of traveling men that did its bit in assisting the govern- ment to conduct its campaign against treasonable utterances and for the saving of food and fuel.
The Secretary of the Greater Davenport Committee and Davenport Commercial Club accepted and served as manager of a Red Cross Fair which brought $12,000 into the treasury of the Davenport Chapter. The secretarial and house forces of the Club also were utilized in the estab- lishment of an Emergency Red Cross Hospital during the influenza epidemic. The bureaus of the Club assisted in the measures instituted at that time to prevent the spread of the dread disease.
Throughout the entire war the privileges of the Club were offered to all officers stationed at the Rock Island Arsenal or engaged in other duties in this community, and hundreds of them availed themselves of this courtesy. This action on the part of the Club was particularly ap- preciated during the time the ordnance school for officers was located at the Arsenal.
The Commercial Club assisted in the establishment of the War Camp Community Service in Davenport and for a time supplied office facilities for those engaged in that work.
Through the medium of the Charities and Advertising Bureau of the Club scores of entertainments, fairs, etc., purporting to be in the interest of war activities were investigated and endorsement was given only those which were found to be as represented.
The Press
BY J. E. HARDMAN
The newspapers of Scott county, during the world war, did their part well in assisting to mobilize all the forces of the community to the end that Scott county should perform its full share and more of the great work that was so suddenly thrust upon the nation when America entered the conflict. A rather unusual condition existed in April, 1917, and continues now, for all the newspapers published in the county are printed in Davenport. It was from Davenport, therefore, that all the information and all the appeals carried by newspapers to the people of the county went out to every town and village and farm home.
The five newspapers-the Iowa Reform, a German semi-weekly; the Catholic Messenger, an English weekly; Der Demokrat, a German daily; The Democrat and Leader, an English daily, evening five days and Sunday morning, and The Times, an English evening paper-all contributed to the success of the war. Owing to the conditions that developed the Iowa Reform returned to weekly publication, and on Sep- tember 7, 1918, Der Demokrat announced that it would no longer be published. Der Demokrat had been a loyal supporter of the govern- ment since the declaration of war, but as Fred A. Lischer, the pub- lisher, announced, a prejudice had developed that made it advisable to suspend. The machinery was disposed of and a publication that had been a feature of the community life for over half a century came to an end.
For a time the other newspapers faced strenuous days, in common with newspapers all over the country, for there was a shortage of print paper, and in addition to soaring prices it was necessary to contend with this shortage by agreeing to receive paper as it was doled out under strict government regulations, limiting the amount of news that could be printed in proportion to the amount of advertising carried.
The newspapers printed all the war news that was available and which did not come in the class of news the government had requested them not to print. Telegraph and cable news pertaining to the war was, of course, censored at its source. But there was much news at Rock Island Arsenal, available at all times to Davenport newspaper men, which could not be printed out of consideration of safety for the government. This was a self-imposed censorship, just as the movements of troop trains, which passed through the city daily, were not reported out of respect to the request of the government. There was at no time any official with a blue pencil limiting what Scott county papers might print-the requests made by the government were always observed by these newspapers.
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HISTORY OF WAR ACTIVITIES
Every form of community organization or united effort, having for its object to contribute to the winning of the war, was given the fullest publicity day after day by the Scott county newspapers. The appeals for workers at the Arsenal, the need of growing more wheat, the im- portance of war gardens, the necessity for conserving fuel, the full ex- planation of the process of the draft, the publication of names, the an- nouncements of the local draft boards, the explanation of the work done by the Salvation Army, the Y. M. C. A., the Y. W. C. A., the Knights of Columbus, the Jewish Welfare Board, the plans for entertaining men in the camps and here, to mention only a few things, were all given liberal space.
There was no single phase of the war work that was not given the fullest support by the Davenport papers. And this was particularly apparent in the appeal for funds for the Red Cross, whose quick organ- ization was one of the happy incidents of Davenport's war period. But it was in the explanation and appeals for loyal support of the Liberty Loans that the Davenport newspapers gave space most liberally. In editorial and news columns they endeavored to make every person in the county fully conversant with every phase of these loan drives and the wonderful record of the county was made possible, in no small way, by the work of the papers. Linked with the loans were the War Sav- ings Certificates and the Thrift Stamps, and these like the bond issues had to be most minutely explained.
The entire community war activity was reflected in the columns of the papers from day to day, for there was not an important speech or other event connected with the war here in Scott county that did not receive full consideration in the news columns. In the bound files of the Davenport newspapers throughout the war period is to be found from day to day the history of Scott county in the war-a marvelous record of achievement surpassed nowhere in the country. And it should not be omitted, even in a brief survey of local newspaper activity during the war, that to a very large extent it was the loyalty and sup- port of the subscribers and advertisers that made it possible for the newspapers during this period to be the medium through which there was developed in Scott county a new community spirit of co-operation and a new power to do big things in a big way that have commanded for the county the admiration and respect of the entire state.
Housing
BY PARKE T. BURROWS, Architect
Soon after the United States entered the world war it became evi- dent that the great expansion of the government plant at Rock Island Arsenal, requiring an approximate increase in the number of employes from 2,000 to 15,000, would require a commensurate expansion in the housing facilities of the Tri-Cities.
In the winter of 1918, steps were taken by Davenport business men to interest the government in providing suitable housing in order that Davenport might take care of her quota of the thousands of people brought to this community by the war work. It was proposed that a local company be formed which should receive financial assistance from the government, but should be responsible for carrying out all of the details of the building operation. The cities on the Illinois side of the river took similar action. The government sent representatives to investigate the situation and report in detail with recommendations as to whether houses, boarding houses, or hotels should be built; where the buildings should be built, and the proportion in which the number of houses to be erected should be divided between the Iowa and Illinois sides of the river. It was found, upon such investigation, that about 60 per cent of the Arsenal employes were living, or preferred to live, in Davenport.
It was soon decided by the government authorities that it would be preferable, as similar building operations were required in various parts of the country, to control the whole building operation in each case rather than to be associated with various local corporations.
On May 16, 1918, Congress declared by an act that it was essential that provision be made for housing facilities for employes of the United States whose service in essential war work required them to reside in certain localities; and, on June 18, 1918, the President, by executive order, directed that the Secretary of Labor have and exercise all power and authority vested in the President by the act of Congress of May 16, 1918, entitled "An act to authorize the President to provide housing for war needs," and by the act of Congress entitled "An act making appropriations to supply additional urgent deficiencies in appro- priations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1918, on account of war expenses and for other purposes," approved June 4, 1918, insofar as the same relates to "housing for war needs."
Pursuant to said acts and said authority, the United States Housing Corporation was created. The action of the President had been antici- pated, in that a large amount of preliminary work had been done to- wards the formation of the corporation by assembling the men who were to form its personnel. These men were at work for some months before the United States Housing Corporation was finally authorized,
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preparing a plan of action, determining standards, and framing with great haste the skeleton of a great business organization. The officers and heads of departments of the United States Housing Corporation have been men, in the main, of national reputation who took up their work in the corporation as a patriotic service without material compen- sation. The Director of the Housing Corporation, Otto M. Eidlitz, was a well-known New York contractor. Associated with Mr. Eidlitz were such men as Burt L. Fenner, of McKim, Mead & White, architects, of New York, Manager of the Housing Corporation; Fred Law Olmstead, landscape architect, of Boston, who was head of the Town Planning Department; John W. Alvord, well-known Chicago engineer, one of whose assistants in Washington was William H. Kimball, of Davenport, and many other men eminent as architects, engineers, or contractors.
The original amount appropriated for the housing work was $60,000,000, and this amount later on was more than trebled. Of the original appropriation, a little less than $2,000,000 was set aside for the Davenport project. At once, upon the promulgation of the Presi- dent's order of June 18, 1918, the Housing Corporation started definite action on the Davenport project. A committee of designers was ap- pointed, consisting of Temple & Burrows, Davenport, architects; W. S. Shields, Chicago, engineer, and George E. Kessler, St. Louis, town planner. Edward S. Judd, of Chicago, was appointed to select and purchase sites for the houses, and, after the necessary investigation and negotiations, bought three tracts of land in Davenport.
On these it was determined that 400 houses should be built, 189 to be located on ground at the west end of the city known as McManus Tract, ninety-one on ground northwest of Vander Veer Park called the Park Lane Tract, and 120 on a tract in the northeastern part of the city called the King Tract. All of these properties were entirely un- developed.
Before the tracts were selected, the architects were at work on plans for the houses, and, as soon as the tracts were tentatively selected, the engineer and town planner began their work of laying out streets, blocks, and lots, and making provision for the extension of sewers, water and gas mains, and electric light wires to them.
The officials of the Housing Corporation at Washington maintained constant supervision of the preliminary work in all its stages and passed upon all details of the plans and specifications as they pro- gressed. The working drawings and specifications were turned over to the corporation complete, ready for figuring by the contractors, on August 31st. After taking figures from various contractors, the work was let September 26th for the entire 400 houses to a combination of the interests of the Gordon-Van Tine Company and the Central Engi- neering Company of Davenport; the contract being let in the name of the Central Engineering Company. The personnel of the interests in- volved consisted of E. C. Roberts, H. G. Roberts, and H. V. Scott, of the Gordon-Van Tine Company, and Col. G. W. French, Decker French, and Otto Nobis, of the Central Engineering Company. The work was handled directly by H. V. Scott and Otto Nobis.
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SCOTT COUNTY, IOWA
Work was started at once upon the McManus Tract after the letting of the contract, and was carried on under the handicaps usual to work let under war-time conditions; being hampered by shortage of labor, the difficulties of securing material, and transportation troubles. Frank Lederer, of St. Louis, was appointed works superintendent, acting under the construction division of the Housing Corporation, which was di- rectly represented in the general direction of the work by F. H. Michaelis, acting as project manager. Upon Mr. Michaelis' resignation, his work was taken up by H. W. Martin, who in turn was succeeded by H. D. Belcher. Fred W. Jenkins was the local representative of the project manager. C. P. Richardson, as cost reports engineer, was later succeeded by C. A. James, and he by A. G. Bisbee. George Fernandez and C. S. Rosenberger successively held the office of field auditor.
At once, upon the signing of the armistice, work on the Park Lane Tract, upon which but little work had been done up to that time, was discontinued, and later on work was also abandoned on the King Tract. The McManus Tract will be completed as originally planned.
The houses are of substantial, permanent construction, built in accordance with government standards. They are unusually complete in their equipment; each having a furnace, bath room, hot water heater, electric light wiring, cement floor in basement, hardwood floors, screens, etc. The houses are of varied exterior design and materials. They are built from four to six rooms, in addition to the bath room; some being one-story bungalows and some two-story houses. In the proportioning of the various types to be built, the preferences of Arsenal employes were consulted through Lieutenant J. Reed Lane, who repre- sented the War Department in this work. The lots will be finished complete with sod and seeding, cement sidewalks, trees, and shrubbery. R. C. Baldwin, town manager, represents the operating division of the United States Housing Corporation in the rental and sale of these houses.
Rock Island Arsenal
A review of the war activities of Scott county would not be com- plete without reference to the governmental work done at Rock Island Arsenal, the development and protection of which, so far as the civilian population could co-operate, was tied up intimately with our war service as a county.
From the day that the United States entered the war until the armistice was signed, the government authorized the expenditure at Rock Island of $108,955,974.07. Of this amount $19,612,133.48 has been revoked, leaving an actual expenditure of $89,343,840.59 by Rock Island Arsenal during the period of the war.
The average yearly allotments for Rock Island Arsenal in the three years prior to the entrance of the United States into the war were ap- proximately $9,000,000, indicating that in spite of the criticism that has been leveled at the War Department, it has gone at the business of fitting the country for war in a manner that showed results on Novem- ber 11th.
Of the $89,343,840.07, credited to this Arsenal for all purposes $66,- 526,540.31 was devoted to the manufacture of war material and pur- chases for this manufacture. This amount also includes labor, which in the nineteen months and eleven days since the beginning of the war has amounted to $17,120,515.51. For increased facilities, new ma- chinery, alterations, and new buildings, the government has spent $17,341,487.96, while for storage, temporary barracks, guard houses, and other incidental buildings $3,915,812.59 has been spent.
The Savanna proving ground is also under the supervision of the commanding officer of Rock Island Arsenal, and $1,560,000 has been ex- pended there, including the purchase of 13,000 acres of land, the con- struction of several miles of concrete road, and the erection of a large number of permanent buildings, officers' quarters, barracks, etc.
Interesting comparisons can be drawn between the total and average monthly expenditures at Rock Island Arsenal for the three years prior to the war and for the period during which the United States was pre- paring or actually fighting in the war.
A STRIKING CONTRAST
During the period from August, 1914, when the European nations began fighting, until April, 1917, when the United States declared itself in the struggle, the total expenditure at Rock Island Arsenal was $11,759,935.90, of which purchases amounted to $7,115,849.53 and labor $4,644,086.37. The average monthly expenditure during this period was $222,370.29 for purchases and $145,127.69, or a total average ex- penditure for the thirty-two months preceding the United States' par- ticipation in the war of $347,497.98. .
In striking contrast to these amounts are the figures shown during the period this country was in the war. The total amount expended
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for purchases and labor was $59,587,390.18, divided into $42,466,874.67 for purchases and $17,120,515.51, making the average expenditure per month $3,077,861. Of this average $2,193,536.91 was for purchases and $884,324.14 for labor. These figures, it must be understood, are for the manufacturing department of Rock Island Arsenal and do not include the huge sums expended for labor and material by the construction companies at work here.
NUMBER OF EMPLOYES
For some time prior to the outbreak of the war in 1914, the em- ployes at Rock Island Arsenal totaled approximately 1,800 men and 175 women, the latter all office workers, typists, and stenographers. From that time until the spring of 1916 there was little tendency to increase the number of workers, but at that time the disturbance on the Mexican border started increased activities here, and by July 1, 1916, there had been added to the force about 100 men and twenty-five women, the latter still being confined to clerical positions. From that time until the United States entered the war employes were added at the rate of about 200 per month, and on the sixth day of April, 1917, there were employed 3,600 men and 300 women office workers. High speed and maximum production then became the watchword and employes were added at a rate of about 250 or 300 per month. On December 31, 1917, the total was 6,100 men and 376 women office workers. On May 31, 1918, this total was increased to 8,926 men and 450 women office work- ers. About 100 women shop workers had also been employed. The first of the women shop workers were employed May 20, 1918, and when the armistice was signed about 1,500 women were employed in the shops. The following table shows the increase in the number of em- ployes during the war period:
Men
Women
August, 1914
1,800
175
July, 1916
1,900
200
April, 1917
3,600
300
January, 1918
6,100
376
May, 1918 (office 100), shop
8,926
450
July, 1918
10,268
572
August, 1918
.11,244
722
September, 1918
.11,899
902
October, 1918
12,342
1,227
November, 1918
13,361
1,417
CIVILIAN AND MILITARY GUARD
One of the most striking changes to those who have been accustomed to conditions at Rock Island Arsenal, during the period of the war, was the careful and efficient manner of guarding the government property by means of both civil and military guards, on and about the island.
Prior to the declaration of war the shop guard consisted of four civilian guards and four soldiers, the latter members of the permanent ordnance detachment of the regular army stationed here. These men were known as "key" men and reported by means of clocks at various points in the shops.
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HISTORY OF WAR ACTIVITIES
Immediately after war was declared, however, means were taken to protect the property and equipment and a high wire enclosure was built around the shops, the main storehouses, and the oil houses. Upon its completion nine more civilian guards were employed to patrol the main gates and the west railroad gate. Admission to the wire enclosure could then only be secured by the presentation of the proper pass. At the same time the gate guards were employed sixteen more civilian guards were placed as shop guards and given posts around the shops to patrol. A sergeant of the ordnance detachment was placed in charge of these guards.
INFANTRY COMES
In February, 1917, the first battalion of the 10th United States In- fantry was brought to the Arsenal for outside guard duty. The bat- talion numbered approximately 1,000 men and patrolled all the island outside the enclosure, establishing thirty-two posts where a sentry was on duty all the time. These posts included the pump house, railroad bridges, magazines, power dam, and other places of importance. In the meantime many other civilian guards and members of the ordnance de- tachment were added to the guards inside the enclosure. Members of the ordnance detachment were assigned to escort all civilians whose business required their presence inside the enclosure and a traffic squad was also organized from the detachment which handled the enormous flow of pedestrians and vehicles to and from the island in the morn- ings and evenings.
During the first week in August, the first battalion United States guards relieved the 10th Infantry from this duty. The guards com- prised twenty officers and about 450 men. This organization was in- creased later by a company of the 20th United States Infantry and both organizations were on duty here.
FIRE PROTECTION
Prior to January 1, 1918, the fire department was entirely inadequate for the protection of the huge amount of property and many buildings, and all members of the department were civilian employes of one of the shops under the direction of Chief Engineer George Patterson, the entire personnel comprising forty men.
January 1, 1918, two men were employed as drivers of the pumping engine.
About April 1, 1918, authorization was given for the reconstruction of the department and Dan H. Shire, a veteran fireman of Denver and Davenport, was assigned as chief. Since that time twenty men have been employed. The double platoon system has been placed in effect and a full equipment of the most modern motorized equipment has re- placed the obsolete types formerly in use. A high pressure water system has been built and an electric alarm system installed. For- tunately no serious fires have occurred, due principally to the pro- paganda of the safety department and constant efforts and inspections by the fire mashals and chief.
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MILITARY PERSONNEL
From a small and comparatively unknown military post a few years ago, Rock Island Arsenal is now recognized all over the country as one of the most noted government posts. A large military personnel is unnecessary here because of the isolated position and natural topo- graphical advantages. At the beginning of hostilities the post had ten officers and an ordnance detachment of eighty-nine enlisted men, six enlisted men of the medical department and three enlisted men of the quartermasters' corps. This has been gradually increased by authoriza- tion of the Chief of Ordnance until at the conclusion of the fighting in Europe there were seventy-six ordnance officers and 169 enlisted men. In addition there were six medical officers with a detachment of forty- five enlisted men, and three officers of the quartermaster's corps with forty-eight enlisted men.
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