USA > Illinois > Lee County > War history of Lee County, Illinois, 1917-1919 : a history of the part taken by the people of Lee County, Illinois, in the World War, 1917-1919 > Part 6
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The League was organized in Lee County by the appointment on April 16th, 1917 of Mr. Albert B. Whiteombe as an operator. Shortly afterwards Mr. Whitcombe received his commission as Chief of the League in Lee County. He at onee set to work to organize the County with the result that each community was provided with an operator and every report of enemy propaganda was traced to its source and the author properly dealt with by the officers of the Law.
Mr. H. S. Dixon, Chairman of the State Council of Defense appointed Mr. Whitcombe Chairman of the Loyalty Committee of the County. This enhanced the effectiveness of the Leagues' work as it tended to systematize and coordinate all the war activities.
It should be said for the general conduct of the citizens of Lee County that their loyalty in the support of the Government in its war activities was undisputed from the boys who volunteered for service in the great war, the boys who just as voluntarily offered themselves to their country through the selective draft to the brave men and women at home who planted and harvested, who worked and gave to the various war activities, who sacrificed their own comforts that our soldier boys might have the very best that their supreme sacrifice deserved. It was but natural that some few would misunder- stand the position of our country and that some would prove traitors to their heretage. The long continued efforts on the part of the Imperial German government through the press and through paid emissaries to impress on our people her self styled efficiency and organization, as well as her sympathy for the American people must have an effeet on some. This naturally made a few lukewarm towards the war who needed to have their viewpoint changed. There were some citizens of Germany here whose sympathy for her was entirely too evident. And there were some who while they had become citizens of this country had forgotten the evils of imperialism and only remembered the beauties of the country and the kindly faces of the peasants. It was the work of the League to investigate these eases carefully and judiciously and whenever and wherever necessary to report them to the department of Justice.
This made the League especially helpful to the finance committee of the county andof material assistance in the Liberty Loan and other drives that were undertaken during the strenuous days of the war.
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WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
In this connection it should be mentioned that the work of the 4 Minute Men in Lee County was carried on by practically the same organization. This was on account of the fact that the two activities were so closely allied.
The work of the 4 Minute Man was to counteract propaganda with propaganda. To teach the people by active campaigns of education through the Moving picture theatres, Churches and Lodges the real facts. To show that the so called enemy efficiency was directed towards the destruction of Democracy, the reckless killing of men, women and children and the establishing of Imperialism and militarism. To convince the public that the only safeguard was the establishing in all civilized countries of free peoples eap- able of and willing to govern themselves.
Thus the two nation wide organizations carried out loyally and faithfully the purposes for which they came into being. And when the need for their services was no longer ap- parent they took up the work of general reconstruction upon the basis of a free people in a free country with the true American spirit.
CHAPTER XII Lee County Chapter American Red Cross
BY LOUIS PITCHER, Secretary
The Lee County Chapter of the American National Red Cross was organized on March 12th, 1917. the following officers being elected:
W. B. Brinton, President John B. Crabtree, Vice-President
W. C. Durkes, Treasurer Miss Neva MeCleary, Secretary
The organization was perfected by the forming of Branch Chapters, with workrooms at Amboy, Ashton, Franklin Grove, Paw Paw, Compton, Steward, Bradford, Scarboro, West Brooklyn, Walton, Harmon, Sublette, and Reynolds, with a main workroom in the Supervisor's Room at the Court House in Dixon, this room being vaeated by that body and turned over for the exclusive use of the Red Cross Society. In addition to these branches, there were nineteen Auxiliaries formed with Headquarters at various churches, school houses and homes throughout the County,-Palmyra, South Dixon, Nelson, Lee Center and Viola Townships being represented by Auxiliaries.
The Women of these Auxiliaries and branches, working under the able direction of Mrs. Ida C. MeCleary of Dixon, who at the time of organization was appointed General Chairman of Women's work, turned out a vast amount of supplies as is shown by the following production figures:
1,200 Hospital garments 81,260 Hospital supplies 87,380 Miscellaneous supplies
2.920 Trench Kits and Packets
7,200 Knitted articles
654,963 Surgical dressings
16.750 Refugee Garments Total 851,673
In addition to the above supplies, forty-three barrels of used clothing were collected, packed and shipped for Belgium refugees.
All credit is due the women of the county who gave so freely of their time and the skill of nimble fingers to this work, for there was hardly a family in the county, some of the members of which did not assist the Red Cross in its production, practically all the knitted articles being made in homes or wherever a lady found time to add a few stitches, -even a few of the men turned their hands to knitting, making garments which compared favorably with the best work of the ladies.
Shortly after the organization, Mr. E. B. Raymond was appointed assistant to Miss MeCleary, Secretary. He resigned before the expiration of the year and Mr. Louis Pitcher was appointed to fill out the term, and at the succeeding annual election, Mr. Pitcher was elected Secretary and assuming the duties of manager, he continued in this dual capacity for the duration of the war. No other change was made in the official force of the chapter during the war period. Under the able leadership of Col. Brinton, the officers discharged the duties falling to their lot, cheerfully and efficiently.
In the fall of 1918, Mrs. Mahlon R. Forsythe was appointed General Chairman of the Junior Red Cross and assisted by Mrs. H. E. Lager, as executive secretary, she organized the county schools, the work meeting with such hearty co-operation on the part of the teacher and pupils that within a short time an enthusiastic membership of 2,500 had been enrolled.
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WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
The Home Service and Civilian Relief Committee, the efforts of which were directed by Mr. Henry Schmidt and Miss Eleanor Powell, did a most worthy work in aiding depend- ent families of soldiers and sailors with advice, handling their business transactions with Government Departments, and extending material and financial aid when such was needed, from the funds of the Chapter.
Lee County may look with pride upon its Red Cross War record for its workrooms turned out supplies in quantities as high as ten times the average chapter production for the United States, and the quality of its work was highly commended by the Central Division in Chicago where all work was sent for inspection and distribution.
During the first active campaign for membership, by Chapters generally throughout the county, under the management of John Der Kinderen, then Secretary of the Dixon Y. M. C. A., Lee County tripled the quota of members assigned to it and enrolled the highest percentage of population of any county in the State of Illinois, the next nearest county having only 75% as many enrolled as Lee, in proportion to its population.
The First Red Cross War Drive, in the spring of 1917, was launched with a dinner for business men at the Elks Club, which was addressed by the Hon. Judge Kenesaw M. Landis. Immediately after the dinner, Judge Landis addressed a mass meeting which packed the Opera House to hear this fearless and sterling patriot expound his views on the war.
President Brinton appointed a committee headed by Hon. Richard S. Farrand, to solicit funds and in a short time $12,000.00 had been raised, largely among Dixon business men.
The Second Red Cross War Drive was handled by the County Finance Committee of the State Council of Defense and on Monday, May 20th, 1918, the people of the County went to their respective polling places and voluntarily subscribed $39,747.04, 98% of the amount being paid in cash to the workers at the polls on that day. The novelty and sue- cess of this plan was the subject of an Associated Press dispatch, which appeared through- out the newspapers of the country, and the Red Cross Bulletin circulated among the Chapters of the Country gave an explanation of the plan, and highly commended the County. It also attracted the attention of the National Officers of the Red Cross, as is evidenced by the following telegram to the Central Division in Chicago:
"Congratulations to the whole Central Division. Dixon, Illinois has used the most unique money raising scheme I ever heard of. Give the Town my congratulations." George S. Fowler, Executive Secretary, American Red Cross"
Inasmuch as nearly all the people of the county at some time during the war rendered signal service to the so called "Greatest Mother of the World", the American Red Cross, it would be unwise and is unnecessary to give individuals, responsible for the splendid accomplishments of this society, credit for their work. In its substitute for rules and reg- ulations, "The Red Cross is directed by the hearts of the workers",-will the workers find compensation for their efforts for those same hearts cannot but swell with pride for having been a worker in an organization which did its work at the front so splendidly that it is the recipient of the thanks and commendation of every returning hero from overseas.
The officers, elected and appointed at the annual election of 1918, of the Lee County Chapter were as follows:
W. B. Brinton, President Tim Sullivan, Ass't. Secretary
John B. Crabtree, Vice-President
W. C. Durkes, Treasurer
Lillian Morris, Ass't. Treasurer
Louis Pitcher, Secretary Ada Brink, Ass't. Treasurer
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WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
FIRST RED CROSS DRIVE BY E. H. BREWSTER
The Chamber of Commerce appointed a Committee on June 30, 1917 to take charge of the Red Cross drive funds. The following men were named:
R. S. Farrand 1. B. Countryman J. W. Crawford
E. H. Brewster S. S. Dodge
A. H. Bosworth
W. J. MeAlpine
A. C. Warner W. C. Andrus
J. C. Ayres
C. H. MeKinney
T. Wilbur Leake
Dr. E. S. Murphy
On the following Monday morning, these men held a meeting at the Dixon National Bank and organized with Judge R. S. Farrand as Chairman to take charge of the work to raise funds for the Red Cross. In order to make a beginning they assessed themselves at this meeting and raised $2825 among themselves.
With a few volunteers, the city was canvassed and in two days $10,000, the sum that they wished to raise. The work continued for one week at the end of which $12.659.10 was subscribed.
The names of the subscribers and the amounts given by each were published in the papers with the result that people from outside the city of Dixon telephoned in or wrote, sending subscriptions.
Judge Farrand, Chairman, became ill the second day of the drive and Mr. Edward Brewster took his place, taking charge of the campaign and the records.
CHAPTER XIII Legal Advisory Board
BY E. E. WINGERT
As a part of the necessary war machinery there was created in each County a Legal Advisory Board for the purpose of assisting by way of advice and of actual clerical work the registrants in making out properly their Questionnaires. At the recommendation of the Attorney General and Adjutant General of Illinois President Wilson commissioned Attorneys E. E. Wingert, John P. Devine and William H. Winn, of Dixon, to aet as the members of the Legal Advisory Board for Lee County. They were empowered to appoint such assistant members of the Board as might be required and accordingly selected as such assistants the other members of the Bar of said County. As the work developed and its enormous extent was ascertained over sixty laymen, selected for their ability and situation were called upon to aid in the task.
The Court House was designated as a place where at all reasonable hours members of such Board and assistants could be found for the aid of such registrants. In various parts of the County other places and persons were specified for the convenience of such as were unable to come to the county seat to fill out their questionnaires.
As the questionnaires were long and complicated, and in many cases had not received the study from the registrants which had been advised, the labor of the Board and Assist- ants was found to be very onerous. The necessary attention which this work required practically brought to a standstill all legal business in the County during the period of the several drafts, and the other forms of war activities which filled the intervals made the whole period of the war one of very serious sacrifice in point of time and money for the whole Bar of Lee County. No pay was received by them for any of this work, which in general was satisfactorily and impartially performed, and lessened greatly the task of the Exemption Boards. It is a pleasure to record that seldom, if ever, did any member of the Advisory Board or Assistants allow himself to aid any undeserving registrant in obtaining deferred classification, although the demands for such help were ineessant and most important in many cases.
At the conclusion of the war the various members of the Board were given appropriate bronze commemorative buttons for their services, with the thanks of the Adjutant General.
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CHAPTER XIV Non-War Construction Bureau BY HENRY S. DIXON, Chairman
The Non-war Construction Burean was organized in the State of Illinois on September 17, 1918. The State organization embraced a general committee of seven, namely, Samuel Insull, Chairman; John P. Hopkins, John H. Harrison, John Y. Oglesby, David E. Shana- han, John A. Spoor and John H. Walker, with E. W. Lloyd as Secretary. This committee had its office at the State Council of Defense Building, 120 W. Adams St., Chicago.
Subordinates to the general organization was a committee of three in each county. The Lee County Committee was appointed a few days after the organization of a general committee and consisted of Henry S. Dixon, Chairman, Wm. B. Brinton and A. P. Arming- ton, with E. S. Rosecrans as Secretary. The committee had its office in the Lee County Court House and met every Monday at 11 o'clock A. M. until its discharge from further responsibility about the middle of November, 1918.
The creation of this organization became necessary in order that construction work of all kinds not absolutely necessary for the winning of the war he stopped.
On March 21, 1918 the War Industries Board at Washington adopted the following resolution :
"Whereas, it has come to the notice of this Board that new industrial corpora- tions are being organized in different sections of the United States for the erection of industrial plants which can not be utilized in the prosecution of the war; and,
Whereas plans are being considered by certain states, counties, cities and towns for the construction of publie buildings and other improvements which will not con- tribute toward winning the war; and
Whereas the carrying forward of these activities will involve the utilization of labor, capital and materials urgently required for war purposes; now, therefore, be it,
Resolved by the War Industries Board, that in the public interest all new under- takings not essential to and not contributing either directly or indirectly towards winning the war, which involve the utilization of labor, material and capital required in the production, supply or distribution of direct or indirect war needs will be dis- couraged, notwithstanding they may be of local importance and of a character which shall in normal time meet with every encouragement; and be it further
Resolved, that in fairness to those interested notice is hereby given, that this Board will withold from such projects priority assistance, without which new con- struction of the character mentioned will frequently be found impracticable, and that this notice shall be given wide publicity, that all parties interested may be fully appraised of the difficulties and delays to which they will be subjected and embark upon them at their peril."
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WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
Shortly afterwards the manufacturers of the principal building materials, including brick, tile, cement and lime agreed to co-operate with the War Industries Board in carry- ing into effect the spirit of the foregoing resolution and the individual manufacturers signed and filed with the Priorities Division the following pledge:
"The undersigned hereby pledges itself not to use, nor so far as lies within its power permit to be used, any products of its manufacture now in, or which may hereafter come into its possession or control, save (a) for essential uses as that term has been or may be defined or applied from time to time by the Priorities Division of the War Industries Board, or (b) under permits in writing signed by or under authority of such Priorities Division; that it will make no sale or delivery of such products to any customer for resale until such customer has filed with it a similar pledge in writing, and that it will use its utmost endeavor to insure that its products shall be distributed solely for essential uses."
On September 3, 1918 Edwin B. Parker, Priorities Commissioner of the Priorities Division of the War Industries Board issued a circular, approved by Bernard N. Baruch, Chairman War Industries Board and directed to all manufacturers, jobbers, distributors, dealers and consumers of building materials, in which directions were given as to requirements of permits for engaging in construction work. By the circular it was pro- vided that when any one contemplating building who conceives his proposed project to be in the public interest or of sufficient importance that under existing conditions it should not be postponed he will make a full statement in writing, under oath, and present same to the local representative of the Council of National Defense, applying to such representative for his approval of the proposed construction;that should such local rep- resentative approve the project he will promptly transmit the application, with a state- ment as to his reasons for approving same, to the Chairman of the State Council of Defense for his consideration; that if approved by the latter he will transmit it to the Chief of the Non-War Construction Section of the Priorities Division of the War Industries Board at Washington, D. C. for consideration, if need be further investigation, and final decision. In case the application have final approval it was provided that a construction permit Je issued which would constitute a warrant to manufacturers and dealers to sell and deliver the materials required.
It was further provided that certain projects should require no permits, such being construction work done or to be done under the authority of the War Industries Board and other Federal Government agencies and a very few other limited lines; also that repairs and extensions of existing buildings to cost not more than $2500 and new con- struetion of farm buildings costing not to exceed $1000 should require no permit from the Priorities Division.
It was afterwards provided under date of October 3, 1918 that the Local County Com- mittee should without referring the matter to higher authority, pass upon applications for farm building construction to cost less than $1000 and repairs on existing buildings to cost less than $2500.
A person desiring to construct any building, without reference to its cost, or who wished to make repairs to any structure at a cost of more than $2500, made written application for a permit upon blanks furnished him, giving the estimated cost of the work, character of construction and reason why it should be allowed to be constructed. These applica-
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WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
tions in Lee County were filed with the secretary Mr. Rosecrans and a meeting of the committee held on each Monday morning, which the applicant was requested to attend. The committee having been created at the end of the building season there was not a great amount of work to be done, but usually two or three cases a week only to act upon.
The Board in every instance recommended to the general Committee that permits for new buildings in the cities or villages be refused. In two instances it recommended that permits be granted to build barns to replace barns on farms that had been destroyed by fire. It granted permission to make repairs costing less than $2500 in two or three cases and also granted a number of permits to build eorn cribs, hog houses and cattle sheds costing less than $1000. Its general policy, however, in line with its instructions, was to refuse permits and recommendations for all kinds of construction not shown to be absolutely essential.
The work of the committee was concluded shortly after the signing of the armistice on November 11 as the ban on building operations was raised a few days thereafter.
The work of the committee was greatly aided by its efficient secretary, Mr. E. S. Rose- erans, who had charge of its details and handled them in a most satisfactory and efficient manner.
CHAPTER XV Local Exemption Board BY HENRY S. DIXON, Chairman
The Local Board for Lee County was, in the same manner as all other Local Boards, appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Governor.
The Lee County Board, as originally appointed, consisted of Dr. E. B. Owens, George B. Shaw and Henry S. Dixon, all of Dixon. They were appointed June 23, 1917. Mr. Shaw being subject to military service, declined to serve and never became a member of the Board and in July 1917 John M. Egan of Amboy was appointed to fill the vacaney.
On June 30, 1917, the Board organized by electing Mr. Dixon as Chairman and Dr. Owens as Secretary.
Before the Board was appointed the first step in the way of carrying out the provisions of the selective service system was taken through the first registration of all men between 21 and 31 on June 5, 1917. As a result of the registration on that day and of a few who for one reason and another did not register on that day Lee County has 2548 registered men of the class of 1917 up to September 1, 1917 and thereafter S more registered, making the total registration of this class 2556. This registration was under the direction of Fred G. Dimick, County Clerk, assisted by R. R. Phillips, Sheriff, and three or more registrars in each voting preeinet in the County and was carried through in a most efficient and thorough manner. The registrars returned all cards to the County Clerk and he with the assistance of a number of volunteers immediately completed the making of copies of the registration eards as provided by the regulations.
On the afternoon of June 30, 1917 the Board received its first supply of blanks from the office of the adjutant General of Illinois and first directions as to what work should be done. It was ordered to, as soon as possible, number all cards and copies of cards with what was known as serial numbers, to make lists of registrants in the order of their serial number, to post and publish such lists and to send one copy of the list to the Pro- vost Marshal General at Washington and one set of copies of registration cards to the Adjutant General at Springfield.
This work was begun on the following day by 18 volunteer clerks, continued on July 2 and 3 by 14 clerks and at 4 P. M. of July 3rd this work was completed, the requisite lists posted at the Court House and the cards and lists mailed to the Adjutant General and Provost Marshal General respectively.
Thereafter the Board met daily to plan and perfect its organization. On the recom- mendation of the Board Dr. C. H. Bokhof of Dixon, Dr. F. M. Banker of Franklin Grove and Dr. T. F. Dornblaser of Amboy were appointed as its examining physicians. Early in July John M. Egan was appointed as a member of the Board to fill the vacancy which existed.
On July 20 a meeting of board members from Lee, Ogle, Whiteside and DeKalb Counties was held at Rochelle which was attended by all of the members of the Lee County Board. At this meeting a general discussion was held with respect to business methods and pro- cedure and interpretation of various sections of the regulations, which were very helpful to the members present and tended to aid in clearing up many difficulties.
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WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
Beginning of the Selection.
On July 20, 1917 the drawing of order numbers took place at Washington and within a few days thereafter the arrangement of the Lee County registrants by order numbers was completed, lists of names prepared, posted and published and forwarded to the Adjutant General as provided by the rules.
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