USA > Indiana > The war purse of Indiana; the five liberty loans and war savings and thrift campaigns in Indiana during the world war > Part 20
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Reports began to come to state headquarters at South Bend of the War Savings Stamp activity in thousands of homes, churches, schools, stores, cities, counties, and organizations.
11. Indiana W. S. S. Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 4, January 28, 1918.
12. "The Columbian Enameling Company of Terre Haute distributed as Christmas bonuses $22,404.50 in Thrift Stanmps, and other employers of labor over the state dis- tributed many thousand dollars more." Indiana W. S. S. Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 4, January 28, 1918.
13. Indiana W. S. S. Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 5, February 4, 1918.
208
INDIANA WORLD WAR RECORDS
Sales at various postoffices throughout the state were mount- ing by the middle of February. Laporte and Michigan City were leading the state in the number of sales stations estab- lished in proportion to the population on February 11th. On this same date Evansville, which had been conducting an ex- tensive campaign for a week, was leading the state in the total amount of sales.14 For the week ending January 19th, Indian- apolis had sold a total of $24,077.51, being far in the lead of such cities as Atlanta, Ga .; Buffalo, N. Y .; Cleveland, Ohio; Grand Rapids, Mich .; Des Moines, Ia .; Jersey City, N. J .; Louisville, Ky .; Memphis, Tenn .; Minneapolis, Minn .; New Orleans, La .; St. Paul, Minn .; and Toledo, Ohio.15
Special efforts to interest the farmers of the state were being made in many counties by this time. Famous writers throughout America were lending their pens to the support of the campaign in many fashions early in February. The Indiana War Savings Stamps Bulletin quoted one of Ring W. Lardner's "Thrift Jingles" on February 11th as follows :
"There was a foolish man And he bought a foolish block Of Yaki Hula common, And foolish mining stock. And now he dines on field mice And pals with other tramps, Which never would have happened If he'd bought War Savings Stamps."
Indiana Stood First In War Savings Societies
As a result of numerous county war conferences held throughout Indiana under the auspices of the State Council of Defense during the early weeks of February, the War Savings campaign received decided impetus. Elkhart, Huntington, Wells, Union, Clinton, Bartholomew, Allen, Putnam, Sullivan, Lawrence, Gibson, Vanderburgh, Cass, Decatur, Carroll, Tip- ton, Blackford, Dearborn, Adams, Hamilton, Whitley and La- porte counties were reported as being in "good" or "excellent" condition on February 18th.
Indiana had the proud distinction of being the first state in the Union to go "over the top" with its quota of War Savings societies.16 The quota for Indiana had been 9,173 War Sav-
14. Ibid., Vol. 1, No. 6, February 11, 1918.
15. Ibid.
18. Ibid. Vol. 1, No. 8, February 26, 1918.
209
THE WAR PURSE OF INDIANA
ings societies or one for every 300 estimated population. The work of organizing War Savings societies went on, however, to a much larger total. The quotas for each county for War Savings securities were published during the middle of Febru- ary, and Washington headquarters reported at this time that the sale of War Savings stamps had passed the fifty million dollar mark, and that daily receipts throughout the country were ranging from $1,500,000 to $2,500,000 a day. Early in March it was believed Indiana was leading the country in the sales of War Savings and Thrift stamps on the basis of popu- lation. On this date forty-seven counties out of ninety-two in Indiana reported sales totalling $1,851,517.51.17
On February 18th Johnson County was leading the United States in the per capita amount of sales of War Savings and Thrift stamps. Up to the end of January, Johnson County sales totalled $91,868, or a per capita of $4.47. In addition the Johnson County committee held pledges amounting to $75,000, which were to be redeemed that year. The daily average of the county's allotment was $1,100. The daily sales were $1,531.18
On March 18th eight small towns in the state had exceeded their quota for the year as follows: Laotto, Comiskey, Ne- braska, Whitestown, Spartansburg, Desoto, Westfield and Whiteland. The state as a whole at the end of March had not caught up with its monthly quota, but was doing well as compared with other states. By the end of March the state was honeycombed with Thrift and War Savings societies. March 25th, Center Township, of Wayne County, claimed the national record of per capita sales of War Savings and Thrift stamps.19 With a population of 1,710, Center Township, with O. K. Dunbar as chairman, had bought $47,000 worth of se- curities or $27 per capita. Sugar Creek Township in Hancock County was given credit April 1 for being the second Indiana Township to meet its War Savings quota.20
Liberty Loan Campaign Stimulates W. S. S. Sales
There was the closest possible co-operation between the Lib- erty loan campaigns and the War Savings stamp sales in Indi-
17. Ibid. Vol. 1, No. 9, March 4, 1918.
18. Ibid. Vol. 1, No. 7, February 18, 1918.
19. Ibid. Vol. 1, No. 12, March 25, 1918.
20. Charles Fletcher, a mail carrier at Frankfort, had sold $12,500 worth of War Savings stamps up to March 19th. This was regarded as a record in Indiana.
14-21521
210
INDIANA WORLD WAR RECORDS
ana. At the opening of the Third Liberty Loan in the month of April, 1918, notices were sent out broadcast by both the War Savings and Liberty loan officials stating that the Loan bonds and War Savings stamps were "no more rivals than the super-dreadnaughts and the destroyers of our navy are rivals."21
It was pointed out that each was a separate form of the financial operation by the U. S. Government, and that each was intended to supplement the other. "The person of limited means who invests all he can save in War Savings stamps, does his share just as truly as does the wealthier man who buys a quantity of Liberty bonds," War Savings stamps offi- cials pointed out, and "nearly ten million individual Americans already hold securities of their country as the result of the Liberty Loan drives, and feel a just pride in their possession. In addition, through the organization of War Savings socie- ties, at least thirty million men, women and children will be added to this list."22
H. F. Bucklin, chairman of Clay County Liberty Loan com- mittee, sent out personal letters, shortly after the opening of the Third loan drive, to the 1,800 bond holders in his county, suggesting that they invest the interest from their bonds in War Savings stamps.23 This spirit of friendly co-operation was a source of gratification to the state officials, and resulted in success for both. As a matter of fact in many parts of the state the two organizations-the Liberty Loan committees and the War Savings committees-overlapped, and in some in- stances the personnel of the two committees was identical. The plan of co-operation functioned successfully, since the two methods of raising money had for their end the same common object, viz., the hearty, vigorous, and enthusiastic prosecution of the war to the limit.
By April 1st, a total of $6,500,000 of War Savings and Thrift stamps had been sold in Indiana.24 Some of the coun- ties had made unusual records. Wayne County by April 15th, with Joseph H. Mills of Richmond acting as chairman, had sold in excess of $350,000 worth of stamps, which was fifty per cent. in excess of its quota to that date, and one hundred per cent. of its quota to June 1st.25
21. Indiana W. S. S. Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 14, April 8, 1918.
22. Ibid.
23. Ibid. Vol. 1, No. 17, April 29, 1918.
24. Ibid. Vol. 1, No. 15, April 15, 1918.
25. Ibid.
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THE WAR PURSE OF INDIANA
E. U. Graff, superintendent of schools in Indianapolis, re- ported that the school children had sold $82,893 worth of Thrift and War Savings stamps by the middle of April. Under the leadership of Felix M. McWhirter, county chair- man, a "Thrift Army" had been established in the Marion County schools. More than 15,000 pupils in this county were owners of War Savings and Thrift stamps at this time, "most of them purchased with money earned from hard labor or from the giving up of the things which children love best." Hundreds of schools, including parochial and private institu- tions, were reporting large sales of the stamps among their pupils at this time. Children in the Mt. Vernon Schools in Posey County had sold $4,077.25 worth of stamps by April 22d, exceeding the allotment of these schools by $77.26 Some banks and other business organizations had adopted the policy at this time of paying all dividends to stockholders with War Savings stamps.27
The first of a series of district conferences on War Savings was held at Vincennes, Thursday, May 2d. The following Sun- day a conference was scheduled for Indianapolis. Then Di- rector Oliver and his staff moved on to Seymour, Muncie, New Albany, Terre Haute and other Indiana cities. Unusual rec- ords in sales were being piled up in many cities, townships and counties by this time. Indiana was asked to buy during that week $7,500,000 worth of stamps or $2.50 per capita. In the district meeting at Indianapolis held in May, Mr. Oliver said that he was very proud "of what Indiana has done in the War Savings campaign."28
Thursday, May 16th, a Sixth District conference on War Savings stamps was held at Newcastle. The Ninth District meeting was held at Tipton, Friday, May 17th; the Eleventh District meeting was held at Logansport, Saturday, May 18th, and the Tenth District meeting was held in Kentland on Sun- day, May 19th. The results of the district conferences had a stimulating effect upon the sale of War Savings stamps. By the end of May the total sales in Indiana had reached $10,145,- 040.37. As a result of the district conferences numerous
26. Ibid. Vol. 1, No. 16, April 22, 1918.
27. "The Directors of the Leavenworth State Bank have elected to pay all dividends this year with W. S. S. Mention of other banks taking this step caused this action on the part of the board." Indiana W. S. S. Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 17, April 29, 1918. The Bulletin of June 3rd showed the bank of Salem at Salem, Indiana, taking the same action with dividends approximating $6,000.
28. Indiana W. S. S. Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 19, May 13, 1918.
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INDIANA WORLD WAR RECORDS
towns reported that they had met their entire 1918 quotas- among these being Atlanta, Cortland, English, Vevay and Zionsville.
Thrift Week, May 27-June 3
A great "Thrift Stamp Week" for Indiana was set for May 27th to June 3d. Elaborate preparations had been made by both state and local War Savings committees to make "Thrift Stamp Week" a period when every individual in Indiana should give something, however little it may be, to the support of his Government. As a result of intensive efforts on the part of the workers, the following counties were reported to have gone "over" in the Thrift Stamp Week drive:
Adams, Bartholomew, Blackford, Boone, Cass, Clinton, Crawford, Dearborn, Decatur, Dekalb, Fayette, Floyd, Frank- lin, Fulton, Gibson, Grant, Hancock, Jackson, Jasper, Jay, Jef- ferson, Johnson, Knox, Kosciusko, Lagrange, Laporte, Miami, Noble, Ohio, Porter, Posey, Ripley, St. Joseph, Scott, Shelby, Sullivan, Switzerland, Wabash, Wayne, Wells, White and Whitley.
By June 10th, one week following the close of Thrift Stamp Week, Indiana's total sales had reached $11,358,272.87, or a per capita of $3.88. Fayette County had pledged its full quota by this time, and Frank A. Vanderlip, National War Service Chairman, wired congratulations on this county's record in Indiana.
Pledge Day, June 28th.
The state headquarters set June 28th as Pledge Day throughout Indiana. On or before that day, it was planned to pledge every man, woman and child to save to the utmost limit of his ability, and from these savings to buy, at regular intervals, a specified amount of War Savings stamps until the end of the year.29 Officials pointed out that the pledge quota was $20 (maturity value) for every man, woman and child within the state. In many counties considerable parts of this quota already had been assumed, and it was planned that on or before June 28th, the unassumed portion should be pledged everywhere.
President Wilson issued a statement early in June in sup- port of the War Savings Pledge campaign. In his message he said that "this war is one of nations-not of armies-and
29. Indiana W. S. S. Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 24, June 17, 1918.
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THE WAR PURSE OF INDIANA
all of our 100,000,000 people must be economically and indus- trially adjusted to war conditions if this nation is to play its full part in the conflict. I appeal to all who now own either Liberty bonds or War Savings stamps to continue to practice economy and thrift and to appeal to all who do not own gov- ernment securities to do likewise and purchase them to the extent of their means. The man who buys government secur- ities transfers the purchasing power of his money to the United States government until after this war, and to that same degree does not buy in competition with the govern- ment."30 The President's message urged that June 28th be the National War Savings Day throughout America. Gov- ernor Goodrich and mayors of Indiana cities issued proclama- tions calling attention to the day.
The State Council of Defense and the various county Coun- cils of Defense, co-operated with the W. S. S. state and county officials in making June 28th the high point in the campaign for 1918. An editorial in the Bulletin of June 24th declared that "Indiana has never been better organized for war work than for this W. S. S. drive." In many counties unusual ad- vertising efforts were undertaken to make the day a success. In Marion County a large cash register was installed at Meri- dian and Washington streets, and sales were recorded thereon, while a model battleship Indianapolis was set up in East Market street to be used in promoting the drive.
Great meetings in all counties were planned for June 28th, at which the Governor's proclamation and the "call to pledge" were to be read, together with the names and amounts on the pledge cards. Governor Goodrich had urged in his proclama- tion June 28th "between the hours of twelve o'clock noon and ten o'clock p. m., as the time when all the citizens of Indiana may either in person or by proxy of previously signed War Savings pledge cards, appear at the schoolhouse or other place designated by those in authority to comply with the re- quest of the President of the United States in registering pledges to save and to economize to help win the war; and as immediate and definite fulfillment of such pledges, to purchase or pledge to purchase such specified number of War Savings stamps during the remaining months of 1918 as, by rigid economy, each one's means will justify."31
30. Ibid. Vol. 1, No. 23, June 10, 1918.
31. Ibid. Vol. 1, No. 25, June 24, 1918.
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INDIANA WORLD WAR RECORDS
June 28th was to be the culmination of an intensified drive. Up to and including June 22d, the state had sold $14,- 990,019.92 in Thrift and War Savings stamps, or a per capita of $5.14. A note published on that day said that Fayette, Ohio, Crawford and Jackson counties were "over the top" for the full year's quota with cash and pledges.
Many counties in the state had reported excellent per capita sales on this date. Some of them were: Decatur, with sales of $10.52; Fayette, with sales of $13.48; Huntington, with sales of $11.36; Jackson, with sales of $11.16; Johnson, with sales of $17.90; Ohio, with sales of $12.00; Ripley, with sales of $10.32; Steuben, with sales of $12.22; and Wayne, with sales of $11.70.
Fayette County on July 1, had sold in actual cash $232,- 490.75, and had taken pledges for $128,695, making a total of pledges and cash of $361,185.75 against the county's quota for the year of $301,700.32
In the Bulletin of July 11th the standing of the counties fol- lowing the great drive on June 28th was printed. It showed that the following counties had gone "over":
Boone, Cass, Clinton, Crawford, Decatur, Dekalb, Delaware, Elkhart, Fayette, Franklin, Grant, Greene, Hamilton, Han- cock, Henry, Huntington, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Morgan, Newton, Noble, Ohio, Perry, Putnam, Ripley, Rush, Shelby, Steuben, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Union, Wayne, Wells, White, and Whitley.33
Efforts were begun throughout Indiana near the middle of July to follow up the pledges. "Reap where you have sown", was the advice of the state committee, and "devote every min- ute you can afford to this work. See that every pledge is fulfilled."34 On July 15th eighty of the ninety-two counties in Indiana, had sold or pledged War Savings stamps to the amount of $43,493,548.75. The state committee estimated that the total sales and pledges actually made exceeded $45,000,000.
Two weeks later, July 29th, Indiana's total subscriptions in War Savings stamps had reached $49,433,416.50.35 A total of forty-four counties had reached or exceeded their quotas on
32. Ibid. Vol. 1, No. 26, July 1, 1918.
33. Ibid. Vol. 1, No. 27, July 11, 1918.
34. Ibid. Vol. 1, No. 28, July 15, 1918.
35. The total U. S. Treasury receipts from the sale of War Savings Stamps up to and Including July 22nd amounted to $447,820,970.
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THE WAR PURSE OF INDIANA
that date. Indiana stood in sixth place in the list of the states.36
Efforts were made during the latter part of July, 1918, to prevent the cashing of War Savings stamps. Notices were sent to postmasters urging them to discourage this practice. It was announced that the requests for redemption of stamps were few, but that where the requests had been made it should be discountenanced strongly. Postmasters were urged to impress upon the buyers of the stamps, that in purchasing these small securities, many of them had their only oppor- tunity to serve their country in the war period. It was pointed out that the man or woman who bought stamps merely to avoid being called a slacker, and then immediately cashed them in-unless there was a real necessity for doing so-was just as much a slacker as if he had never bought.37
Efforts to Reach Farmers
Government receipts from the country at large for the first ten days in August had totalled more than $6,000,000 daily. The Indiana W. S. S. committee declared that these figures should be doubled, and urged that all pledges taken in June be fulfilled during August and September. At this time it was pointed out that proceeds of the spring and summer crops sold were beginning to be available to the farmers of the state for the purchase of War Savings stamps. This opened up a larger field of buyers.
At the county fairs throughout Indiana during August and September, 1918, War Savings booths were established in order to reach a greater number of farmers. In this manner thousands of dollars worth of certificates were sold, that would otherwise not have been taken. A statement issued from the state headquarters announced that Indiana farmers had been blessed with an unusual wheat crop, and that with a fixed
36. Numerous changes in county and district chairmen occurred at about this time. On July 29th it was announced that Warren T. McCray of Kentland, later Governor of Indiana, was serving as the W. S. S. Chairman for the Tenth Congressional District, succeeding Walter J. Riley of East Chicago. Mr. F. W. Greve of Lafayette had been added to the State Advisory Committee by that time. J. A. Hillenbrand of Batesville had become district chairman of the Fourth District late in March, succeeding W. H. O'Brien of Lawrenceburg. J. E. Frederick of Kokomo had succeeded George Dinwiddie of Frankfort as district chairman of the Ninth Congressional District on the same date that the change was made in the Tenth District; Fred H. Bowers of Huntington had succeeded Frank M. Kistler of Logansport as chairman of the Eleventh Congressional District, and L. M. Hammerschmidt of South Bend had succeeded Rome Stephenson of South Bend as the thirteenth congressional chairman.
37. Indiana W. S. S. Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 30, July 29, 1918.
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INDIANA WORLD WAR RECORDS
price, there was no reason for holding the grain for a higher market. Farmers who had been for a long time with little spare cash, now had money, and they were urged to redeem their pledges to buy War Savings stamps, or if they had not already made pledges, now was the time "for the rural mail carriers, the bankers, and other sales agents to call upon them and see that they have an opportunity to lay by some of these incomparable investments of Uncle Sam's".38
In total War Savings stamp sales from January 1st to Au- gust 1, 1918, Indiana stood in seventh place among the states. The treasury figures showed total sales of $25,395,722.22, or a per capita of $8.70 for Indiana. While Indiana stood sev- enth in the list of states based on per capita sales, yet in none of the six-Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, District of Columbia, Oregon and South Dakota-did the total sales reach the amount that had been subscribed for in Indiana. Nebraska was nearest, but lacked more than two million dollars of ap- proaching Indiana's total.
Three Indiana counties had sold in cash more than their total quota for the year by August 10th. The three counties were Johnson, with a per capita of $22.90; Ohio, with a per capita of $22.00; and Decatur, with a per capita of $20.68. On the same date twenty other counties had cash sales of more than $15.00, or more than three-fourths of the $20 per capita quota for 1918. The counties follow: Blackford, $15.10; Cass, $16.62; Dekalb, $16.94; Fayette, $17.40; Hamil- ton, $15.30; Hancock, $16.24; Huntington, $16.94; Jackson, $16.90; Jefferson, $16.32; Montgomery, $15.00; Noble, $16.18; Perry, $16.74; Ripley, $19.82; Rush, $16.80; Shelby, $15.78; Steuben, $15.30; Tippecanoe, $16.54; and Union, $18.10.39
The postoffices of the state were being used in the collec- tion of Thrift and Savings stamp pledges early in September. A plan to facilitate redemption of pledges, devised by Post- master Springsteen of Indianapolis, who was the distributing postmaster for stamps throughout the state, was adopted gen- erally by the state committee. This plan made the letter car- rier a constant salesman for the stamps individual purchasers had pledged themselves to buy. Many other postoffices used similar methods in following up pledge cards, and every rural carrier was held responsible for every pledge card on each mail route.
38. Ibid. Vol. 1, No. 32, Aug. 12, 1918.
39. Ibid. Vol. 1, No. 35, September 2, 1918.
217
THE WAR PURSE OF INDIANA
W. S. S. Transferred to Federal Reserve Bank
Late in September it was announced from Washington that for the purpose of centralizing the administration of the two great financial factors of the war, the administration of the War Savings movement had been transferred from the Na- tional War Savings committee to the Federal Reserve Bank, which institution controlled the Liberty Loan work through the War Loan Organization. This change however, did not affect War Savings organizations built up in the several states, nor did it alter the general plan of the movement. Neither was the personnel of the organization in Indiana af- fected. The change was merely for the purpose of central- izing the administration of the money raising.40
As was true of the Third Liberty Loan, the state office of the War Savings stamp committee announced on September 18th, that during the period of the Fourth Liberty Loan, the two organizations would unite their forces. In order to bring about the closest co-operation between the War Savings or- ganization, and the Liberty Loan organization, Director Oliver met with Will H. Wade, of the Liberty Loan organization in Indianapolis on October 13th. The meeting was in response to a request from Federal Reserve Bank offi- cials in Chicago to discuss ways and means of elaborating the War Savings campaign and to consider where the Liberty Loan organization might be able to swing in behind the Thrift stamp and War Savings drives. From this time forward strenuous efforts were made to push Indiana's War Savings stamp sales beyond the $58,000,000 quota.
As a matter of fact, the sales of the War Savings stamps lagged somewhat during the Fourth Liberty Loan campaign. The War Savings stamp workers however, did not lose heart. In the midst of the Loan drive an editorial dated October 28th appeared in the W. S. S. Bulletin, declaring that the experiences met with in the previous three Loans had again proven to be the case in the Fourth loan-that the sale of W. S. S. had continued to advance in spite of the supposed competition of Liberty bonds. This showed that the coun- try was deeply stirred to win the war and was buying to the limit.
40. Ibid. Vol. 1, No. 39, September 30, 1918.
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INDIANA WORLD WAR RECORDS
Strive to Exceed State Quota
Forty Indiana counties were still behind their quotas on October 21st. Most determined efforts on the part of the state committee were made to have all of the pledges for War Sav- ings stamps redeemed, and at the same time to increase the sales during the closing months of the year. A state-wide conference was called by Mr. Oliver in Indianapolis on Mon- day, October 28th. District chairmen, county chairmen, and representatives from state headquarters at South Bend at- tended the meeting. Special drives in all the lagging counties were planned in an effort to "put Indiana over the top" by De- cember 1st.
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