USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Metropolitan Boston; a modern history; Volume III > Part 7
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I cannot resist the temptation in this distinguished gathering to mention those who were called upon to make such a priceless sacrifice upon the altar of their country and to express to the Gold Star mothers the appreciation of the Commonwealth their sons served so valiantly in that great struggle.
Met. Bos .- 51
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Mrs. Shelton, who has done us the honor, quite appropriately, to unveil this mural, was the wife of the commanding officer who led the 104th Regiment in this engagement at Apremont, and who laid down his life in the service of his country. We can but humbly express the hope that the glorious sacrifice, the living memory of his associates and the gratitude of the people may in some way, in the language of the immortal Lin- coln, "assuage the anguish of your bereavement and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly' a sac- rifice upon the altar of freedom."
Time will soften the colors of this lovely. mural painting and give it added charm, but we never must allow to grow dim our gratitude and appreciation of what our sol- diers have done in all the wars of the Republic that have made our present civilization possible.
I accept this memorial, not only in appreciation of what our Massachusetts troops did over there, but also with the knowledge that it will provide inspiration in times to come for other emergencies with which in the natural course of events we shall be con- fronted. Let us hope that the soldiers and the citizens in the days to come will meet their problems in accord with the traditions established and so valiantly upheld by the members of the Massachusetts 104th Infantry at Apremont.
The address finished, Mrs. Shelton drew the cords which unveiled the painting, and disclosed the memorial which takes a worthy place with those in the State House that commemorate other notable incidents in Massachusetts' history. It covers the entire wall on the third balcony from floor to ceiling and is about twenty-nine feet in length. It shows the veterans of the 104th lined up at attention in front of General Pas- saga and his aide, the French commander decorating the regimental colors. High above the heads of the standard bearers floats the red, white and blue of the flag the regiment brought back from France.
General Passaga Comes to Boston-An interesting aftermath of this occasion was the coming to Boston early in July of 1927, of General Passaga to meet such as he could of the 26th Division, and to decorate the new colors of the regiment-the originals had been placed in the Hall of Flags at the State House as a permanent exhibit, and a new stand was presented by the War Department. The decoration ceremony took place at Camp Devens, July 14, 1927, a date which is beloved of the French since it is a national holiday known as Bastile Day. The general was the first French officer of high command to visit this country to honor American troops in such a manner, and his progress through historic New England was a series of ovations. One of his first visits was to view the mural painting of which he is the principal figure.
Those Who Were Decorated After Apremont-Lest we forget, the names are here again recorded of the 116 soldiers, all New Englanders, who were the recipients of the French cross on that Sunday in Boucq, which General Passaga pinned on the breast of these men with appropri- ate tributes to their valor. The recipients were :
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Colonel (later Brigadier-General) George H. Shelton.
Captains-George A. Roberts, Edward J. Connelly, Walton S. Danker, Oscar A. Dudley.
First Lieutenants-John B. DeValles, James G. Rivers, Edward H. Phillips, Harold T. Lowe, Henry R. Knight, Roswell King, Allan L. Dexter.
Second Lieutenants-William E. Barnett, Crawford J. Ferguson, W. C. Day, Alton K. Dexter, Horton Edmonds, William H. Murphy, William Penn, J. C. Galvin, Mar- land G. Hobbs, Leroy S. Wilcox.
Sergeants-John B. Borgeois, John T. Courtney, Les P. Amacques, John A. Dick- erman, Earl F. Snow, William R. Connelly, Joseph H. Moore, James W. Corbin, Ray D. Jackson, John J. Ward, James F. Casey, Charles F. O'Leary, John C. Granstoff, Warren R. Prouty, George U. Young, R. B. Melendy, Harold Scarborough, Thomas McElhone, James E. J. MacGuire, William F. Tanner, Harry E. Roche.
Corporals-Russell A. Hoyt, Francis P. Gunther, Axel M. Lee, David A. Casa- grande, Richard M. Hill, Arthur J. Ball, George A. Robideau, Roy L. Boyee, Irving L. Nevells, Nathan W. Eaton, Harry Nelson, Frank B. Amarel, Fred D. Christiansen, Bert A. Fosberg, Frank E. Daley, Henry F. Caron, Mark F. Cosgrove.
Privates-John H. Murphy, Joseph H. Blair, William R. Davis, Joseph J. Gannon, E. L. Lane, Edward F. Fitzgerald, Alfred P. Lee, Charles Marine, James M. Sharp, Carl H. Alsen, Joseph F. Campbell, Roland E. Cole, Walter L. Howland, Charles K. Knutson, C. S. MacArthur, L. MacDonald, Hugh B. Savage, Robert C. Slattery, Harold E. Hobson, Rudolph P. Foster, Kenneth B. Page, Charles M. Dodge, Walter J. McCann, Aylvin J. Blunden, George W. Day, Arlington C. Cullen, G. Hill, Joseph Hulub, William J. Kelleher, Obrey Huntoon, Walter J. Lannon, James A. Olivier, Harold R. Sleeper, Luke V. Moran, Edward Brilton, William G. Gaveney, Alfred G. Champagne, Max Levine, Ignas Perednes, Bertram C. Raynor, John Stesanick, Carl Zemmpetti, Carl L. Houghton, Richard F. Hull, George S. Irwin, John Robbie, Marcial Lejeunesse, David Stambler, Harold K. Hanson, Egiste Donnissoni, Stanley Grezwacz, Earl F. Howe, Nicholas Waskewich, Richard M. Weisser, George W. Nelson, Ralph Dawes, William Houston, Robert R. Twiss, William F. Wruck.
Massachusetts Committee of Public Safety-The history of any war is far more than a story of soldiery and the acts of governmental author- ities. Behind both of these are the stay-at-homes, the citizenry who must support both government and soldiers. Theirs is not the danger and the horror of the battlefield, but their service is no less vital to suc- cess in war. The war with Spain made it quite evident that soldiers and ships were not all that were necessary for superiority in arms. The World War showed as never before that the winning of a battle of nations was dependent upon the organizing abilities of a country, the ability of its peoples to get together in all things for the concentration and consecration of all resources, all manufacturing facilities, all human agencies in the will to win. America astonished herself and the world by the promptitude and skill with which her unprepared, unmartial cit- izens organized for war. It had been thought that only an autocracy could center a nation's activity in military affairs. But it was soon proven, once the greatest republic in the world had decided to take a
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hand in quenching the conflagration which was spreading over the earth, that a people trained in the management of their own govern- mental affairs, could also do so in the exigencies of war. One of the marvels of the late great conflict was the spontaneous growth of com- missions, committees and organizations ready to take in hand the prob- lem of the moment, to solve it, and enforce, if necessary, the solution.
Preliminary Conditions-One of the most notable organizations of the World War was the Massachusetts Committee of Public Safety. It was the first of its kind in the United States, always a leader, and the model after which like committees were patterned in other states. With all that was known in this country of the progress of the war abroad, there was very little appreciation of the possibility of our Nation being drawn into it. Perhaps some future psychologist may be able to explain how a liberty-loving people could watch for three years the rights of freedom trodden under foot, its own country's flag insulted, its citizens murdered upon the high seas, and still be unready to strike a blow, or even make definite preparations to strike one. Our army was but little larger than in peace times and was scattered in various parts of the States and globe; what increase there had been in the making of muni- tions and supplies was chartered to belligerents abroad; our transporta- tion systems were incapable of handling the products of peace; we were deficient in arms, armament, equipment and material. But the land was filled with a prosperity such as never before had visited it. The optimism born of a freedom from major conflicts for more than half a century held us in a thrall. Had we not beaten Spain in 1898 within a few months? Would any country have the temerity to challenge a peo- ple who were so ferocious when once it arose in its wrath? And all the time we were not only being challenged but held in positive contempt.
The Governor Appoints the Committee-The awakening of the United States came suddenly in spite of three years of warning from across the sea. It was abruptly thrust home that there was a foe abroad who openly boasted that the war would be over before we could lend a strengthening hand, and cared not for our friendship then or later. All of this became evident in Massachusetts before the actual declaration of war, and it was in anticipation of the immediate entry of the United States into the war that prompted Governor McCall, as the spokesman for the people of Massachusetts, to name a hundred citizens of the Com- monwealth as a Committee on Public Safety. This was on February 9, 1917, and the suggestion upon which the action was taken came from James J. Storrow and Charles F. Weed, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Boston. The avowed object of the committee was to "secure protection from foreign aggression and insure against treachery
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and violence within the State. As a corollary thereof, it was pledged to cooperate with the administration at Washington in all matters relating to the public weal as far as affected by the war cloud then enveloping Europe and threatening to burst upon our land at any moment." It is to be recalled that at this time we were not yet at war.
This Committee of Public Safety was the first practical effort of a thoroughly practical State to organize its resources of men, material and food for defense. Later the scope of the work of the committee was materially broadened until it included almost every phase of State and individual activity not under the direction of some established agency. It was the pioneer in its field, its form of organization and the plan for its development being copied in other parts of the United States, even the Council of National Defense being, in part, modeled after it.
The Men Selected-The men selected by the Governor to serve on the committee were chosen without regard to creed, political affiliation, social or racial distinction, and formed a thoroughly representative body. James J. Storrow was appointed chairman, the membership consisting of : Henry Abrahams, Charles H. Allen, Hon. Butler Ames, Charles S. Baxter, Frank P. Bennett, Col. Everett C. Benton, Charles S. Bird, Spencer Borden, Jr., Charles W. Bosworth, Roland W. Boyden, Dr. L. Vernon Briggs, George E. Brock, Dr. William A. Brooks, William M. Butler, Charles F. Choate, Jr., A. H. Christie, Charles H. Cole, Hon. Calvin Coolidge, Hon. Louis A. Coolidge, Hon. Channing H. Cox, Hon. W. Murray Crane, Henry H. Crapo, Alvah T. Crocker, John W. Cum- mings, Hon. James M. Curley, Hon. Edwin U. Curtis, Hon. Grafton D. Cushing, Harvey Cushing, Henry S. Dennison, George A. Draper, Al- bert Greene Duncan, Arthur W. Eaton, John W. Farley, Walter C. Fish, Hon. John F. Fitzgerald, Archie N. Frost, Louis A. Frothingham, Harry W. Garfield, William A. Gaston, Edward W. Glines, Levi H. Greenwood, Edwin Farnham Greene, Walton A. Greene, Edwin A. Grozier, John W. Haigis, Matthew Hale, Charles H. Hayden, Robert F. Herrick, Henry L. Higginson, Richard C. Hooker, James H. Hustis, George N. Jeppson, J. Lovell Johnson, Benjamin Joy, Eben S. S. Keith, Louis E. Kirstein, George E. Kunhardt, Louis K. Liggett, Edmund W. Longley, A. Lawrence Lowell, Frank J. Ludwig, Hon. George H. Ly- man, Richard C. Maclaurin, Frederick W. Mansfield, Robert E. Marden, Frederic C. McDuffie, J. Franklin McElwain, Grenville S. McFarland, Alexander Meiklejohn, Guy Murchie, Robert L. O'Brien, Joseph H. O'Neil, Eugene W. Ong, James J. Phelan, William B. Plunkett, J. W. Powell, Oliver Prescott, Frederick H. Prince, A. C. Ratshesky, Russell Robb, Bernard J. Rothwell, John L. Saltonstall, Edward F. Searles, Joseph A. Skinner, Frederic S. Snyder, Philip L. Spalding, Godfrey de
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la Tannancour, Charles H. Taylor, Thomas W. Thatcher, Hon. David I. Walsh, Charles G. Washburn, Charles F. Weed, Henry G. Wells, George R. White, E. Marston Whitin, Sherman L. Whipple, James T. Wil- liams, Jr., Butler R. Wilson, Daniel G. Wing, Robert Winsor.
Subsequently the Governor added the following names: W. A. L. Bazeley, Edmund Billings, H. F. Brock, Charles C. Doten, Mark Temple Dowling, Henry B. Endicott, William F. Fitzgerald, Alvan T. Fuller, John L. Hall, Ira N. Hollis, Stillman F. Kelley, Arthur A. Kidder, Wal- ter L. McMenimen, George von L. Meyer, Charles A. Pastene, Gardner W. Pearson (ex-officio), Robert L. Raymond, Milton F. Reed, Simon Vorenberg, Frank W. Whitcher, Roger Wolcott.
During the interim of about seven weeks, before the actual participa- tion of this country in the war was assured, the committee laid the foundations upon which its later work was so ably built. The record of its multifarious activities is too large to be more than summarized. George Hinckley Lyman, at the behest of the Governor, collated and published what he is pleased to call a "synopsis of the part taken in the Great War by the Massachusetts Committee on Public Safety." It is a voluminous work, well worthy of study by one desiring a fairly full account of the proceedings of the committee. Only the barest outline will be given here, and this more for the purpose of showing the number of fields of labor the committee was forced to consider and enter in upon, than with any expectation that a comprehensive, or even a directly sug- gestive account could be given in a chapter. Mr. Lyman had difficulties in condensing the more important acts to the limits of one large volume.
A small executive committee handled the work requiring immediate attention until the larger body could be gotten together and organized. The most pressing need was the perfection of local defense. One of the first duties was to see that the "existing official military organizations of the State should be fully equipped to the last detail for a possible call for service." Then plans must be laid for the assistance and coopera- tion of every city and town within the Commonwealth, no small task when it is remembered that there were 295 towns in the State and 38 cities. All but one of the cities and 251 of the towns answered the call or "acted in full accord, sympathy and cooperation with the purposes and requests" of the committee. On the basis of population 95.8 per cent. of the entire citizenship of the State were represented as a part of the Safety Committee, or working with it.
Preliminary Committees-Of the preparatory committees appointed, the one on finance showed the patriotism of the wealthier citizens of the State. Within a few days more than $100,000 was subscribed as a spe- cial fund to be disbursed by the executive body. On March 19, 1917, the
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Legislature appropriated $1,000,000 to be expended "in defraying the military, naval and other expenses which the emergency arising out of existing conditions, and the exigencies of possible war" might render requisite and proper. This sum, later, was made available for the use of the committee. What actually was done with it, at this time, was to expend it for equipment needed by the military and naval organizations.
The Committee on Coordination of Aid Societies attempted to amal- gamate all the societies of similar character throughout the State, to the end that the sum total of their combined efforts should constitute one well-balanced and productive whole, without either duplication or over- lapping. The National government had not determined what forms its activities in these lines might take. There were many of the larger agencies, such as the Red Cross, the Special Aid Society, the Civic Federation, the Federated Women's Clubs and others that were ready for action, but what each should do had yet to be decided, as well as how they might work best with each other, and a thousand and one details had to be worked out. There was also the surety that minor, and in some cases useless or even criminal, agencies would enter the field, and against these, the people must be protected. The Red Cross, with its greater experience, was given the widest scope, and became the clearing house for information in greater Boston, as well as the center around which much of the benevolent organizations clustered. D. Preston Clark, the chairman of the committee, was the presiding genius, giving unstintedly of his time and effort in guiding the coordinate work of the men's and women's activities in their relations to the Committee on Pub- lic Safety.
The Committee on Industrial Survey and the Committee on Trans- portation investigated the resources of the State as regards manufactur- ing facilities, and the ability to transport troops, supplies and the like. Both committees kept in close touch with the Secretary of War and the President of the War College, as well as other National officials.
The Committee on Federal and State Legislation was a sort of legal advisor to the Executive Committee and aided in the drafting of many of the emergency laws passed at this time such as those having to do with the home guard, dependent aid, State pay for soldiers, the $1,000,- 000 special appropriation, and empowering the Governor to appoint 300 members of the State Police. By far the most important State law enacted as affecting the Committee on Public Safety was the Common- wealth Defense Act, the most drastic and at the same time the most vitally important law ever passed for the protection of the State. It was the first law of its kind to be enacted in the Union, but is, unfortunately, impossible of even being summarized.
The Committees on Mobilization and Concentration Camps, Horse,
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Trucks and Motor Cars, made a careful study of the resources of the State in these things. Framingham had the only available mobilization camp at this time. Five thousand motor vehicles were enrolled, but fortunately no military emergency called for their actual service. The Committee on Publicity, working in close harmony with the newspapers, did most valuable work in putting before the public the facts and needs of the day. The committee was able to get Thomas J. Feeney, publicity director for the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company, for the. first few months. Later John F. O'Connell represented the body. When the Food Administration was organized early in July, 1917, Mr. O'Con- nell did valiant work in giving publicity to its multitudinous activities.
Military Committees-The preliminary committees so far mentioned were non-military in interests although theirs was the duty to look over the ground in anticipation of martial events. As shown by the initial vote, it was considered of paramount importance that the military organ- izations of the State should be ready and equipped. To this end, a series of committees was established whose functions were more dis- tinctly military or naval in character. The Committee on Land Forces went out of existence at about the time that the first troops went to the front.
The Committee on State Protection made a survey of existing condi- tions and the points of danger in the Commonwealth, making recommen- dations based on its findings. It was responsible, as far as any body can be said to have been responsible, for the creation of the State Guard, or Home Guard, as it was often called The State Volunteer Militia had been merged into the National Guard on October 12, 1907, and on July 28, 1917, this was enrolled in Federal service. It was therefore neces- sary for the Commonwealth to have some other organization for self- protection, hence the State Guard. It was authorized by the Legislature, April 5, 1917, under a board consisting of Hon. Butler Ames, Brigadier- General, commanding ; Samuel D. Parker, Brigadier-General ; John J. Sul- livan, Brigadier-General ; Elmore D. Locke, Lieutenant-Colonel; Stephen W. Sleeper, Lieutenant-Colonel; and Philip S. Sears, Major. General Ames was a graduate of West Point, who had seen service in the Spanish- American War with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the 6th Massa- chusetts Regiment. He later, as the commander of the State Guard, was promoted to the rank of major-general. The Guard had been recruited to a strength of 9,000 within three months, and had about 735 officers and 10,900 enlisted men by January 1, 1918. The organization consisted of three brigades with eleven regiments of infantry, or approximately I45 companies. To four of the regiments machine gun companies were attached, and in addition there was an independent battalion of four
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companies making up the Ist Motor Corps, and the Ist Troop of Cav- alry, and a medical department. The many duties devolving upon the "Guard," and the many services rendered are too numerous for mention.
The Committee on Naval Forces was appointed to strengthen the work of the naval militia, about a thousand in number, and to arrange for the more effective protection of our coast defenses. More particu- larly its service embraced: Enrollment of the Coast Defense Reserve ; enrollment of vessels suitable for a patrol fleet; arrangement for bases, arms and ammunition; means of communication and arrangements for transportation and special equipment ; cooperation with the naval militia, and assistance in the commissioning of the existing Naval Flying Corps Unit, and in the enrollment of additional flying units ; cooperation with all special aid societies; directing all naval activities pertaining to that part of Massachusetts not in the First Naval District into the proper channels of the Second Naval District.
The Committee on Military Equipment and Supplies was formed with the intention of equipping the National Guard with all needed supplies. When the National Guard was taken over by the Federal government in the middle of 1917, thenceforth its duties concerned the equipping of the State Guard. Besides the things supplied the above-named body, the committee supplied the State Guard with equipment for 8,500 men, incurring an expenditure of $357,565. This was but a small part of the things the committee accomplished, for in addition to other needs taken care of, it may be said that it was due to its work that the National Guard of the State entered the Federal service more fully equipped than any other unit in the country; and also to it may be attributed the prompt readiness of the famous 26th Division for movement abroad.
The Committee on Recruiting first enlisted the aid of two hundred public spirited men in all sections of the State for the important task before it. By personal solicitation, by all manner of advertising, by speakers' bureaus, by every conceivable means, men were recruited for the military and naval forces of the United States. First the National Guard had to be recruited to its full strength which, in the early weeks, was very difficult since the Government demanded that its members sign for a six-year service. Then came the needs of the Regular Army, in which little help was given, probably because attention was centered upon the Guard units. The First Liberty Loan next commanded atten- tion, and there were many minor duties for the committee to perform. The Massachusetts National Guard was quickly brought up to require- ments, more than 900 being enlisted in one day. For the Regular Army, up to the time of the first call under the Selective Draft Act, August I, 1918, Massachusetts obtained 8,335 volunteers, or about four times as
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many as all the other New England States combined. The Common- wealth was one of the seventeen of the forty-eight States to enlist in Regular Army quota; only four other States exceeded it in the number enlisted, and all of these were larger in population than Massachusetts.
Minor Organizations-Other committees, indirectly affecting military preparations, appointed in the early days were: The Committee on the Prevention of Social Evils Surrounding Military Camps, and others hav- ing special and often short-timed duties to perform. Such were the Military Organization Schools assisting at Framingham and Wakefield ; Liberty Bond drives among National Guardsmen; the Volunteer Dental Committee; the Chiropodist Preparedness Committee (the services in both of these were gratuitous); Peter Bent Brigham Hospital Unit, assistance in the getting ready of which was given; the Radio School, which expanded from the Customs House to the Mechanics Building, and from which 530 entered military and naval service well qualified, and 254 others were prepared; the Speakers' Bureau, in charge of A. A. Kidder, which worked in cooperation with all sorts of drives; and the Four-Minute Men, which organization was originated in Boston under the leadership of Atherton D. Converse, and carried on by Arthur J. Crockett. This organization consisted of seventy-one chairmen and four hundred and fifty speakers at its height; a hundred and fifty moving- picture places and theatres gave opportunity to these men with their four-minute message on the needs of the immediate present.
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