USA > Indiana > The war purse of Indiana; the five liberty loans and war savings and thrift campaigns in Indiana during the world war > Part 10
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About April 19th and 20th the campaign began to drag. On the night of April 19th messages were sent out from state headquarters to some twenty-five counties in the northern dis- trict urging that they help put the northern counties over the top at once. Thirty-three counties in the northern tier had oversubscribed on that date, but thirty-one had not yet reached their minimum. Many of the counties which had reached their minimum allotments early in the campaign, had by this time practically ceased their efforts to sell additional bonds. The totals at the Liberty Loan headquarters were not piling up as they had done in the early days of the drive.
A statement sent out from the office of the state committee on April 20th declared: "The people of Indiana, who have not yet bought Liberty Bonds 'till it hurts' in this Third Liberty Loan issue, apparently are not reading the story of the Battle of Picardy from day to day."
U. S. Treasury Calls for Fifty Per Cent. Oversubscription
It was in the midst of this slump that the message from Secretary McAdoo, asking for an oversubscription of 50 per cent. reached the Indianapolis headquarters, through the Fed- eral Reserve Bank War Loan Organization. Loan executives immediately transmitted the message to the various county chairmen and plunged into the task of developing a new cam- paign for the last week of the drive. The new request from the Treasury increased Indiana's total quota-at least men- tally-to above eighty millions of dollars. Meanwhile the sub- scription period for the Loan had been lengthened to May 4th, the original impression having been that it would close April 27th.
Secretary McAdoo's statement read: "With our sons ac- tually dying on the battlefields of France, we should not abate
39. Indianapolis News, April 18, 1918.
101
THE WAR PURSE OF INDIANA
our efforts in the slightest degree to support them to the ut- most extent of our resources. I earnestly hope that you will see that each of the Liberty Loan committees in the Seventh Federal Reserve District oversubscribes its quota by at least 50 per cent."40 The Secretary deplored the apparent tendency to stop the drive when the quota had been reached.
Indiana spurred herself into the fight again and counties where organizations had ceased work and broken down swiftly built them up again, although some murmured against the task. The publicity chairmen throughout the state were notified that a new publicity campaign should be inaugurated and the sales forces everywhere went into the struggle again.
Eventually the county chairmen began to notify state head- quarters that their local organizations would respond to the new call. A report from H. G. Hay, Jr., chairman in Lake County, announced the cheerful news on April 20th that his county would probably double its big quota of $3,000,000. The final report shows that the county did more than this, as did four other northern counties.
A Washington dispatch to an Indianapolis newspaper on April 19th, stated: "Today's official Liberty Loan statement, issued by the United States Treasury Department, says :
"'Southern Indiana-that part of the state lying in the Eighth Federal Reserve District, has oversubscribed its quota, but the remainder of the state has not equalled the record of the southern half. Southern Indiana has reported nearly $11,000,000 of subscriptions, with a percentage of 15 per cent. in excess of quota, and individual subscriptions numbering 35,991.'"41
Thomas R. Marshall, vice-president of the United States, came to Indianapolis for a brief visit on April 21st, and gave out the following statement: "Americans are not making enough of the psychological effect on the soldiers in France of quickly subscribing the Liberty Loan. Quick subscription of the Loan would let the boys know the country is fully back- ing them. Then, too, the news of how America is quickly subscribing and oversubscribing the Liberty Loans will perco- late through to the Germans and they will learn that America is in earnest in this fight."42
40. Copied in Indianapolis Star, April 20, 1918.
41. Indianapolis News, April 19, 1918.
42. Indianapolis Star, April 21, 1918.
102
INDIANA WORLD WAR RECORDS
At this point in the campaign word went out from the state headquarters calling upon the bankers of Indiana to under- write the necessary oversubscriptions required to complete the Loan. The bankers readily accepted the suggestion, and a notable increase in the sale of bonds was reported from many counties.
On April 22, Noble, Hamilton, Fayette, Hendricks and Ohio Counties reported that their complete allotment had been sold, and notified state headquarters that they would continue in an effort to sell 50 per cent. oversubscription. On April 23, the sixty-eight northern counties lacked but three million dollars of completing their allotment. Warren County went over the top that night. Forty-five of the sixty-eight northern coun- ties were "white" on the newspaper Loan maps by the next day.
At this time a united effort on part of several business and fraternal organizations helped materially to increase the sub- scriptions for the Loan. New York officials of the Chicago and Erie Railroad started on a Liberty Bond selling junket over the entire system on April 24th. A subscription of $500,000 in Marion County by the Insurance Department of the Supreme Lodge, Knights of Pythias, helped push the state over the top. On April 24th, the total subscription for the northern counties exceeded $51,000,000, thereby reaching the minimum allotment.
Governor Goodrich on that day expressed himself publicly : "I know that the Government's wishes in regard to complete distribution of these Third Liberty Loan bonds to the ultimate investors have been carried out almost to the last dollar in Indiana, and the record of this state in accomplishing such a tremendous task, as the complete absorption of more than $53,000,000 in bonds, is in itself a notable achievement in war endeavor."43
Following the announcement that the state had met its mini- mum quota the Loan officials decided to start a drive in an endeavor to pile up a 50 per cent. oversubscription. This was never reached.
Allen, Jennings, Bartholomew and White Counties had com- pleted their quotas by April 24th. The campaign in Allen County apparently had been the exception that proved the rule as to the laggard qualities of the larger population cen-
43. Indianapolis News, April 23, 1918.
103
THE WAR PURSE OF INDIANA
ters. The county, according to newspaper reports of the time, had not begun its drive until during the last week, in which it oversubscribed its big allotment of $3,800,000. Eventually the county subscribed 135 per cent. of its quota.
Elkhart, Miami and Putnam Counties, were "white" on the map April 26th. A dispatch from Gary, said one in every three persons in Lake County had bought bonds of the Third loan. Morgan, Dekalb, Whitley and Adams Counties subscribed their 100 per cent. quotas on April 27th, and the total for the northern counties approached $60,000,000 on the state bulletin board. Howard County took its place in the "white" list April 29th. Clinton County passed its 100 per cent. goal in the morning of April 30th. Tippecanoe and Steuben Coun- ties were reported "over" that night.
Indiana Exceeds Her Quota
The sixty-eight northern counties April 30th, had reached a total subscription of 114 per cent. of their quota, with Marion County showing a little over $11,000,000 subscribed on a total quota of $12,500,000. Eight counties on that date had not yet reached 100 per cent. subscription. Dearborn County, on May 1, reported to state Loan headquarters an oversubscrip- tion, which put its total figure at 218 per cent. of its quota. Eventually this county showed 270 per cent. of the Third loan quota subscribed.
In the Loan map, published in the Indianapolis Star May 2, Marion, Cass, Wabash and Jay Counties were lonesomely "black". St. Joseph County, which had been causing the state officials not a little worry, and which a week earlier had sub- scribed only 48 per cent. of its allotment of $2,500,000, took its place among the "white" counties following a big Liberty Loan meeting of the South Bend Rotary Club on May 1st.
The Marion County committee and the thousands of work- ers in the capital city were using every effort at this time to bring in the necessary totals. Josiah K. Lilly, chairman of the county committee, announced that the only feature of the work which merited praise was the unusually large number of bond buyers. An urgent public appeal was made to the people of Marion County on May 3, by Mr. Lilly, J. Fred Hoke and Alfred M. Glossbrenner of the executive committee, and
104
INDIANA WORLD WAR RECORDS
finally, on the last day of the Loan, the county "wandered over."44
Jay County was the last Indiana county "black" on the map, as the last night of the campaign came on, and late that night assurances were received that the county would go over the top. The official report, made at state headquarters later, showed Jay County subscribed 109 per cent. of its quota. Marion County subscribed 118 per cent., while Cass County went over with a subscription of 107 per cent., and Wabash County in the final report had a total subscription of 150 per cent.
The "Loan of Education" had done its work. The real re- sults of the widespread educational efforts came even later, during the Fourth loan, which really was the high water mark of the war financing.
Accurate statistics with regard to Indiana's success in the Third loan campaign are more easily found than in either of the preceding efforts. It truly is an inspiring record and is exceeded rather than detracted from, by the Federal Reserve Bank reports. It is set out herewith in full, as the official rec- ord drawn up by State Loan Headquarters on May 16, 1918. The Loan closed on April 27th.
This state record, which may be found on file in the Loan material under "Statistics", Third loan, shows that Monroe County was the first to "go over the top". Other counties have claimed the honor. But reference is made here only to the written record. It also adds another bright page to the history of Dearborn County. It shows that Dearborn County subscribed 270 per cent. of its allotment in the Third loan.
44. It was a constant thing at State Loan Headquarters for outside county chair- men to point to lagging Marion County, when they were taken to task for lack of spirit or success in their own counties. Perhaps a word of explanation is not out of place here. Enormous quotas-approximately one-fifth of the totals in the sixty-eight northern counties for cach loan, and one-sixth of the quota for the entire ninety-two counties of the state-were laid on Marion County in each loan. The population of the county was great, it was true, but it also was true that practically cvery large city in the United States from that time on found difficulty in completing the large totals given it in the war financing program. Never, so it seemed to the author, did these outstate counties fully realize the tremendous burden of organization that fell on the Marion County executives, or the constant efforts that were put forth to make the county "white" on the Liberty Loan maps that became daily features of the news- papers. While it is true that in county after county outstate the executives fought. without stint or thought of self, it was nevertheless true that oftentimes the outstate patriots were prone to judge too quickly the executives and others in Marion County, who made such gallant fights in the name of the whole state to keep the capital city's record clear. Always the quotas were "loaded" against Marion County. This state- ment was made to the author time and time again by members of the state quota committee,
105
THE WAR PURSE OF INDIANA
Likewise it shows five of the sixty-eight northern counties sub- scribed more than 200 per cent. of their Third loan quotas, and that every county oversubscribed.
A total of fourteen counties in the state made an oversub- scription of more than 200 per cent .; Clark, with 258 per cent .; Daviess, with 240 per cent .; Dearborn, with 270 per cent .; Franklin, with 213 per cent .; Jasper, with 261 per cent .; Lake, with 225 per cent .; Martin, with 302 per cent .; Parke, with 221 per cent .; Perry, with 225 per cent .; Pike with 235 per cent .; Spencer, with 276 per cent .; Switzerland, with 229 per cent .; Warrick, with 226 per cent .; and Washington, with 239 per cent.
RESULTS FOR THIRD LOAN
The table, as prepared by State headquarters for both northern and south- ern counties, follows:
County
Chairman
Quota Subscription
Percent
Adams
F. M. Schirmeyer
$400,000
$582,200
145
Allen
Byron Somers
3,800,000
5,125,050
135
Bartholomew
Will G. Irwin.
420,000
575,750
138
Benton
George L. Robey
275,000
436,500
159
Blackford
A. G. Lupton
285,000
287,100
101
Boone
W. J. Devol
450,000
576,700
128
Brown
George W. Long
10,000
17,450
175
Carroll
W. S. Margowski
400,000
559,300
140
Cass
W. H. Porter
1,000,000
1,073,700
107
Clark
Homer M. Frank
273,200
703,000
258
Clay
H. Stevenson
430,000
604,700
140
Clinton
John A. Ross
720,000
1,104,050
153
Crawford
S. J. Elsby
81,950
97,650
120
Daviess
M. F. Burke
261,200
625,350
240
Dearborn
W. H. O'Brien
340,000
918,500
270
Decatur
Walter W. Bonner
370,000
674,850
182
Dekalb
I. M. Zent
300,000
497,300
166
Delawar
Harry L. Kitselman
1,000,000
1,515,000
152
Dubois
Felix L. Schneider
205,500
400,900
196
Elkhart
B. F. Deahl
900,000
1,250,000
139
Fayette
Arthur Dixon
375,000
591,850
158
Floyd
H. E. Jewett
507,850
737,600
146
Fountain.
Dan C. Reed
400,000
506,550
126
Franklin
John C. Shirk
205,000
437,900
213
Fulton
Frank E. Bryant
330,000
(a)421,000
128
Gibson
Frank M. Harris
448,150
703,400
158
Grant
H. D. Hunter.
1,100,000
1,650,250
150
Greene
Q. T. Mitchell
331,250
378,700
115
(a) F. E. Bryant of Rochester, Chairman of the Second, Third and Fourth loans in Fulton County, reported in a letter dated April 7, 1922, that Fulton County's subscrip- tion in the Third loan reached $456,750.
106
INDIANA WORLD WAR RECORDS
County
Chairman
Quota
Subscription
Percent
Hamilton R. S. Truitt .
520,000
681,100
131
Hancock
William B. Bottsford
240,000
371,850
155
Harrison W. E. Cook
163,000
201,250
124
Hendricks
W. C. Osborne
330,000
454,300
138
Henry
. George M. Barnard .
590,000
700,000
119
Howard
Henry C. Davis
880,000
971,300
110
Huntington
John R. Emley
750,000
867,850
116
Jackson
J. H. Andrews .
334,450
518,350
155
Jasper
James H. Chapman
170,000
443,800
261
Jay
Orin A. Rawlings
500,000
546,000
109
Jefferson
John W. Tevis
393,500
626,800
160
Jennings
W. S. Matthews
125,000
172,100
138
Johnson
Harry C. Hougham
375,000
482,000
129
Knox.
J. L. Bayard, Jr
906,600
1,001,900
111
Kosciusko
M. L. Gochenour
450,000
632,800
140
Lagrange
Leon Rose
315,000
351,100
111
Lake
H. G. Hay, Jr
3,000,000
6,756,650
225
Laporte
Frank J. Pitner
1,260,000
1,800,000
143
Lawrence
T. J. Brooks.
277,600
350,950
127
Madison
John F. McClure
950,000
1,530,000
161
Marion
J. Fred Hoke
12,500,000
14,700,000
118
Marshall
Clinton A. Bondurant
475,000
565,400
119
Martin
Edgar Witcher
69,850
(b)210,550
302
Miami
Dudley H. Brattin
585,000
S81,700
151
Monroe
W. E. Showers
190,000
286,600
150
Montgomery
. Charles Goodbar
720,000
798,450
111
Morgan
Karl I. Nutter.
340,000
370,200
110
Newton
Warren T. McCray
190,000
(c)377,400
199
Noble
Morton P. Thomas
530,000
777,250
147
Ohio
Hugh S. Espey
90,000
174,000
193
Orange
Owen C. Ham
134,550
176,850
132
Owen
Homer Elliott .
90,000
145,500
162
Parke
George L. Laney
215,000
475,000
221
Perry
W. F. Huthsteiner
155,600
349,850
225
Pike
George A. Hurst
114,850
269,050
235
Porter
Maurice R. Lowenstine
360,000
602,150
167
Posey
John W. Turner
398,850
638,350
161
Pulaski
Elmer Johnson
175,000
190,500
109
Putnam
Clement C. Hurst
375,000
465,150
124
Randolph
Jacob E. Hinshaw
520,000
644,100
124
Ripley
John A. Hillenbrand
330,000
515,150
156
Rush
Earl Payne
495,000
797,950
161
Scott.
W. M. Wells.
61,350
103,100
169
(b) Martin County claimed the honor of being the first county in the country to "go over" in the Third drive. According to Edgar Witcher, County Chairman, a tele- gram was filed shortly after nine o'clock a. m. on the first day of the drive, announcing that their quota had been met. See Files Third Liberty Loan, letter dated April 20, 1922, from Edgar Witcher.
(c) As early as April 11, 1918, Mr. Wade wrote to Warren T. McCray, Chairman for Newton County, announcing "It is a pleasure to receive your report that Newton County has 'gone over,' and is still going." Files Third Liberty Loan.
107
THE WAR PURSE OF INDIANA
County
Chairman
Quota Subscription
Percent
Shelby H. C. Morrison
495,000
710,000
144
Spencer
T. E. Snyder
192,050
528,350
276
St. Joseph
Arthur D. Baker
2,500,000
2,688,000
107
Starke
M. D. Falvey
90,000
127,300
141
Steuben
E. S. Croxton
250,000
(d)336,000
134
Sullivan J. F. Bolinger
427,700
451,150
106
Switzerland
Frank Riley
100,050
228,350
229
Tippecanoe
. Thomas Bauer
1,700,000
1,794,450
105
Tipton
F. E. Davis.
360,000
470,000
125
Union
Charles D. Johnson
180,000
270,000
150
Vanderburgh
.. John J. Nolan
2,944,800
3,792,550
129
Vermillion .J. C. Straw
315,000
618,550
198
Vigo
James S. Royse
2,700,000
3,157,400
117
Wabash
Charles S. Haas
610,000
918,750
150
Warren
Burt Fleming
175,000
274,500
157
Warrick
Louis W. Bohn
204,600
460,550
226
Washington
Frank M. Wilson
148,800
354,900
239
Wayne
W. C Secker and Demas
S. Coe
1,100,000
1,460,000
133
Wells
. Benjamin A. Batson
400,000
424,000
105
White . B. B. Baker
325,000
450,000
139
Whitley
H. D. McLallen
425,000
478,000
112
Total
$53,770,000 $73,110,000
136
State Percent
(d) In a letter dated April 21, 1922, from W. A. Croxton of Angola, the state- ment is made that Steuben County subscribed a total of $350,000 in the Third loan drive.
CHAPTER V.
THE FOURTH LIBERTY LOAN IN INDIANA
The real crisis in the World War had been reached in the late summer of 1918. The Germans were at the Marne. The Austrians were at the Piave. Russia was beaten from within and crumbling. The Bulldog of The Islands was worn down. France, with her white breast bared to the stroke, was fight- ing grimly on. At that crucial moment the Yanks appeared at Cantigny. And then at Chateau Thierry the strange 'devil- dogs' fresh from the waves of the Atlantic, laughed as they fought, and the Prussian Guard felt at last the steel of the conqueror, and the black heart of the Man of Iron behind the Rhine thereby was chilled.
Then came Belleau Wood! And the Yanks-those strange, laughing, never-stopping Yanks-went through again there to the northwest of Chateau Thierry. And then early in July, they captured Vaux, and celebrated their historical Independ- ence Day by taking Hamel. Two millions of them-out of the waters of the Atlantic-suddenly were in France!
Then the last great German offensive rolling up the Marne towards Epernay! And those laughing boys from across the Atlantic-who never drew back-who would not understand an order to retreat-there they were, in the path of Victory with that strange, unconquered flag of stars. And then in the middle of July, Marshal Foch struck back, a new blow, strengthened this time with the power of two million Yanks behind his arm. Followed the battles of Berzy-le-Sec, and Tigny, and Epieds, and Jaulgonne. And 21,000 prisoners fell into the hands of those laughing boys from out the waves of the Atlantic. Then began the last retreat of the Germans from the Marne, from the Somme, then back across Picardy, then from the Vesle, and later from the Aisne Heights. Next came the victory of St. Mihiel. Then followed the great Argonne drive, and the vaunted Hindenburg Line began to crumble.
In such a setting as this was the Fourth liberty loan cam- paign started. Is it, then, any wonder that America rose, in her financial strength, and poured out at the feet of those laughing boys in France the greatest treasure that the world
(108)
FOR VICTORY, BUY MORE DONDS FOURTH LIBERTY L AN
109
THE WAR PURSE OF INDIANA
had ever seen? Almost seven billions of dollars the country gave. In reviewing the campaign in the central west it will be the final verdict of history that neither interest rate, nor market conditions, nor any other investment feature of those bonds had a thing to do with that response. The seven billion was poured out as a mere natural, uncalculated act of a na- tion, whose chief interest was elsewhere. The eyes of Amer- ica were on her boys during the Fourth liberty loan. And, standing there watching them across the Atlantic, without taking her eyes away for an instant, America just dug down into her pockets and silently held forth to those boys what- ever came up from the pockets. It was no sacrifice. It was another tiny privilege that God was good enough to give the folks back home in those days.
The enormous proceeds of the Third liberty loan cam- paign had been spent by the Government almost before the Loan was completed. In the latter days of June the Treasury department had begun issuing certificates of indebtedness in anticipation of the Fourth loan, and on July 9, Congress had enacted the Fourth liberty bond act, authorizing a net in- crease of some sixteen billions, if necessary, in war bonds.1 Everyone hoped that the financial effort of that fall would be the climax, but none dared to say that it would be the end. And so the nation girded itself to continue reaching financial climaxes, until the end. In those days it was not uncommon for men to talk of three years and five years and ten years of war. And somehow, although they could not reason it out, always they knew there would be a financial way out, even to the end.
It was in this spirit of tight-lipped determination that the Fourth loan was faced. Six billion dollars would have awed the world a short three years before. Yet half that vast amount caused more trepidation in America before the Third loan than did all of it in the Fourth loan. For human life, and civilization's life hung in the balance against mere money in those days. And "over there"-well, the casualties up to September 3, 1918, that had been published back here at home numbered over 23,000.
So what, after all, was a paltry quota of six billion dol- lars ?
1. U. S. Statutes at Large, 65th Congress, Chapter 142. July 9, 1918.
110
INDIANA WORLD WAR RECORDS
Third Loan Organization Used in Fourth Campaign
The same general form of organization that had made the Third loan campaign successful in Indiana, was continued in practically all Indiana counties in the Fourth campaign. Will H. Wade became Federal Reserve Director of Sales in the sixty- eight northern counties, with no intermediate step between the actual state organization and the Federal Reserve Bank. Chester A. Jewett, of Indianapolis, who had been on the state campaign committee since the First loan, was named vice- director of sales and George C. Forrey, also a member of the campaign committee since the First loan, became head of the state speakers' bureau.
Guy W. Cooke, of the First National Bank of Chicago, who had served as the assistant to George H. Dunscomb, the Di- rector of Sales for Indiana in the Third loan, was named at the beginning of the Fourth loan to represent Indiana in the Chicago offices of the War Loan Organization and his service there continued throughout the remaining war financing. He and Leonard L. Campbell eventually were named as addi- tional vice-directors of sales for Indiana.2
In southern Indiana Marcus S. Sonntag again acted as chairman of the twenty-four Indiana counties of the Eighth Federal Reserve District, and had the active co-operation of many of the same county chairmen who had ably served him during the preceding Loan campaigns.
2. At the beginning of the Fourth loan, M. H. Ormsby, editor of the Huntington Press, became the volunteer assistant to the Director of Publicity for Indiana. Mr. Ormsby eventually became the Indiana representative in publicity headquarters of the district loan organization in Chicago and served there throughout the remaining war financing. He and Mr. Cooke handled the vast amount of detail of all sorts that kept Chicago and the remainder of the state in constant touch through the Fourth and Victory loans. In the Fourth campaign a group of district chairmen were named in the northern counties, each chairman having jurisdiction over a certain number of counties. Among those appointed were William H. O'Brien of Lawrenceburg; W. W. Bonner, of Greensburg; W. E. Showers, of Bloomington ; Ed C. Toner, of Anderson ; W. H. Williner, of Auburn ; Byron H. Somers, of Fort Wayne; William A. McInerny, of South Bend; John L. Crawford, of Terre Haute; W. H. Parr, of Lebanon ; J. W. Johnson, of Kokomo; Thomas O'Connor, of Monticello, and others.
Another committee, called an Executive Loan Committee, was appointed, the mem- bership of which consisted of: Governor Goodrich, George Ball, of Muncie; Finley P. Mount, of Laporte; Demas Deming, of Terre Haute; Charles Murdock, of Lafayette; William Lowe Bryan, president of Indiana University; George R. Grose, president of DePauw University ; the Rev. John Cavanaugh, president of the University of Notre Dame : Samuel E. Rauh and Frank D. Stalnaker, of Indianapolis. Changes were also made in the list of "organizers," who operated out of the Indianapolis loan head- quarters, and Fred A. Sims, Joseph W. Stickney, Fred Thomas, and others gave freely of their time in assisting with the Fourth loan organization and details at headquar- ters. Ray D. Jackson, S. N. Campbell and others took up active organization work.
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