USA > New Jersey > Camden County > History of Camden County in the Great War, 1917-1918 > Part 7
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Mr. Browning has been a member of Congress since March 4, 1911, and like Mr. Baird, supported every measure advocated by the Administration advanced as necessary to bring victory to the allies regardless of per- sonal views. Both Senator Baird and Representative Browning devoted much of their time at Washington as- sisting dependents of men in the service to secure allot- ments from the War Risk Bureau and the War Depart- ment.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL HARRY C. KRAMER
While Camden performed every obligation imposed upon her by the nation in the raising of troops, the sale
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[Photo by Wonfor.] HON. DAVID BAIRD United States Senator from New Jersey
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of Liberty Bonds, the contributions to the many or- ganizations which were each carrying its burden in the war, she had another and a peculiar part in the coun- try's defense, which probably is not equalled by any other city in the United States, and that was the prominence which her sons took in the administration of the work of the Provost Marshal General's office during the war.
It is historical that the volunteer system of the United States failed the country when it called for men to fill its armies, and on May 18, 1917, Congress passed a law known as the Selective Service Act, the administration of which was to prove one of the greatest triumphs of the struggle. This law provided for the making of regula- tions by the President which were to set in motion the selection of men for the battle line. Its success was doubted by even the optimistic; its failure was gloomily foreboded by men whose judgment was deemed sound; it was almost revolutionary in its character.
One of the first men to be chosen in the United States to place this great law in operation was Harry C. Kramer, of Camden. At that time he was the adjutant general of the Second Brigade of New Jersey, with the rank of major. His brigade was not a complete unit and he was on the unassigned list and therefore not subject to call. He was ordered to report to Trentom by Ad- jutant General Charles Barber and at once closed up his affairs and went into the service. He immediately made a careful study of the law and regulations and or- ganized the State so successfully that it was among the first in the entire Union to report "ready" with the quota assigned to it of 20,665 soldiers. As soon as this work was completed he was ordered to Washington by Major General Enoch H. Crowder, Provost Marshal General, and was there appointed as one of a committee of three officers who were charged with the preparation of an entire new set of regulations, for the purpose of perfect- ing the selective service principles. This committee
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labored day and night for six weeks and the result of its work was the creation of the questionaire system and the selective service regulations, which undoubtedly presented to the world the most scientific method of rais- ing armies which has ever been produced. In speaking of this system, General Crowder, in his report to the Secretary of War, said: "It is not too much to say that the present classification systems offers possibilities that have never been attained by any other nation in the his- tory of war."
General Crowder's words were almost a prophecy. The great American army seemed to grow by magic. From a beginning of 60,000 men it rose to the enormous number of four million men within one year from the time the selective service principle was enforced, and the system was so complete that the American army could have been extended to the almost inconceivable number of twenty-five million men without much more effort.
Major Kramer accepted a reduction in rank when he was ordered to Washington, and began his career in the nation's capital as a captain. Within a few weeks he was promoted to a major and shortly after the splendid successes which attended his work were observed, he was made a lieutenant colonel, and it is now learned that he would have been made a full colonel in a few weeks had the war not abruptly ended.
During the period of his connection with the Provost Marshal General's office, he was the chief disbursing of- ficer, executive officer and chief of the division of inspec- tion and investigations, which latter division had greatly to do with the department's efficiency throughout the country.
Prior to being called by Adjutant General Barber to Trenton, Colonel Kramer organized the Camden com- pany of engineers, which later became Company B, 104th Engineers and became famous in France during the Ar- gonne Forest battle. After the armistice was signed Col-
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LIEUTENANT-COLONEL HARRY C. KRAMER
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[Photo by Wonfor.] MAJOR WINFIELD S. PRICE
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onel Kramer was sent on a tour of inspection duty in Porto Rico, and upon completion of this task was ap- pointed to the General Clemency Board of the army which equalized court martial sentences, and reduced them to a peace time basis.
MAJOR WINFIELD S. PRICE
While in the capacity of executive officer, Colonel Kramer surrounded himself with many of the ablest of- ficers in the United States Army, and among them were two other Camden men, who rendered distinguished ser- vice during the war. One of these men was Major Win- field S. Price, formerly commander of the First Bat- talion, 114th Infantry, who, at the request of Colonel Kramer, was detached from his battalion and charged with the great duty of organizing the vast selective ser- vice system upon a sound, financial basis, and administer- ing the affairs of the department which dealt with che five thousand local boards and 156 district boards, as well as the headquarters of 49 States and territories. Major Price disbursed the enormous total of approximately $36,000,000.00 and he performed his work in such a way as to, challenge the admiration of all officers and civilians with whom he came in contact. At the same time of the writing of this history, Major Price is still on duty in Washington, closing up the multitude of details which surrounded the administration of his office. He is the last officer to remain on duty, of the magnificent body of men which composed the organization of the Provost Marshal General's office, in the entire United States. Major Price's success in the administration of this office marks him as one of the outstanding figures of the ad- / ministration of the war in Washington.
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MAJOR HAROLD E. STEPHENSON.
No less in splendid achievement was the work of Major Harold E. Stephenson, who was the chief of the Mobiliza- tion Division of the Provost Marshal General's office.
Major Stephenson, at the beginning of the war, offered his services to the Government. He was rejected for slight physical defects. Shortly after Colonel Kramer went to Washington, it became apparent that there must be created in this vast department, a division of mobili- zation, which must be headed by a man highly skilled in organization; that there must be kept at all times a min- ute and accurate record of the number of men furnished by each local board throughout the United States, in response to the calls from Washington that the Govern- ment must know instantly how many of those men were rejected by the army officers in camps, and what balance was due from each board. Major Stephenson, then the file expert of the Pennsylvania Railroad, was summoned to Washington, to advise the department upon that sub- ject. His keenness of perception, his quick grasp of the details, impressed all who met him, in such a manner that General Crowder was requested to commission him in his department and to give him charge of this special work. This was done, and Captain Stephenson found himself in the midst of one of the greatest problems of the war. He quickly mastered every detail of the work and became so expert that he was an authority to whom the General Staff constantly referred during the trying days of the spring and summer of 1918, as to the strength of the man power of the United States in the various classes. Gen- eral Crowder quickly elevated him to the rank of major, in order that he might be on equal terms with the higher officers with whom he came in constant contact. Major Stephenson performed a marvelous task, Colonel Kramer frequently referring to him as having completed one of the most gigantic tasks which were presented to any in-
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[Copyright by Harris & Ewing.] MAJOR HAROLD E. STEPHENSON
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[Photo by Wonfor.] LIEUTENANT-COLONEL RALPH W. E. DONGES
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dividual in Washington. He frequently worked twenty hours out of the twenty-four; he required the utmost de- votion to duty on the part of his subordinates, and was enabled by his wonderful executive ability to exact from all of his subordinates the finest kind of service. In the years to come, Major Stephenson's work will stand out more brightly and due recognition will doubtless be given to him.
After the close of the war Major Stephenson accom- panied Major General Crowder to Cuba, where the latter undertook the reorganization of the elective system of that island. At the date of the writing of this history Major Stephenson has been given the entire charge of the work and is distinguishing himself by the speed and ac- curacy with which he is accomplishing his great task.
There were approximately nine great divisions of the work of building America's army. From the above re- cital it will be seen that officers from Camden county headed three of the most important of all these divi- sions, and Camden's part in the organization of Amer- ica's man power is therefore most remarkable and unusual.
RALPH W. E. DONGES
Lieutenant Colonel Ralph W. E. Donges was chair- man of Camden City Draft Board, No. 2, from May 29, 1917, until May 1, 1918, as well as chairman of the Na- tional Guard Committee and a member of the Executive Committee of the Camden Public Safety Committee. He was also a member of a special war committee of five of the National Association of Public Utility Commis- sioners of the United States, dealing with utility prob- lems of the country growing out of the war and making recommendations for promoting efficiency of utilities in war work.
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In February, 1918, he became a member of the plan- ning staff of Major General George W. Goethals, quar- termaster general, and assistant chief of staff. From March to May, Colonel Donges was assistant chief of administration in the office of General Goethals, and as such was director of the Purchase, Storage and Traffic Division of the General Staff.
Up until this time Mr. Donges retained his post as president of the Public Utility Commission of New Jer- sey, but upon accepting a commission in the United States Army as lieutenant colonel in May, 1918, he re- signed his post on the Utility Commission and became a member of the War Department's Board of Appraisers, attached to the Purchase, Storage and Traffic Division of the General Staff.
This board was a quasi-judicial body charged with the duty of conducting proceedings and making awards for compensation for property of every character comman- deered, or produced under compulsory process, for the War Department. These cases covered all kinds of prop- erty from the taking of small parcels of real estate to the taking of large, valuable areas and large manufacturing plants, as well as the compulsory production of many mil- lions of dollars of war materials, the price for which this board established. The total awarded by this board ag- gregated many millions of dollars, there being several thousand cases heard, and awards in individual cases at times amounting to many millions. During the incum- bency of Colonel Donges, due to the volume of work, the membership of the board was increased from three to eleven members. Colonel Donges personally conducted trials and has written opinions in more than 250 cases before the Board of Appraisers.
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[Photo by W'onfor.] DR. DANIEL STROCK Chairman of Camden County Chapter American Red Cross
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RED CROSS
C AMDEN County Chapter of the American Red Cross was organized February 19, 1917. It was the logical follower of the "Preparedness League" which had been previously formed under the auspices of Nassau Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.
When it was found the Red Cross already had chan- nels of communication and a Government connection es- tablished, the Preparedness League decided to devote its energies to the same work under the new name.
A number of interested citizens were accordingly in- vited to meet on February 19th at the Camden County Court House, where the organization was launched, the Rev. Rudolph E. Brestell, presiding. A large American flag was presented by the Nassau Chapter, D. A. R., in token of their loyalty and readiness to serve, by Miss Elizabeth Cooper Reeve, and their regent also gave from the Camden County Preparedness League a large Inter- national Red Cross flag. Headquarters were established at Room 107, Temple Building.
Officers were elected as follows: Dr. Daniel Strock, chairman; former Judge C. V. D. Joline, vice chairman ; Millwood Truscott, secretary, and George J. Bergen, treasurer. Mrs. E. S. Woodward was appointed chair- man of hospital supplies, but shortly resigned, and Mrs. John A. Mather, Jr., was appointed to fill her place. Miss E. C. Reeve was made chairman of the purchasing committee.
The balance of the funds in the treasury of the Pre- paredness League, amounting to two hundred dollars, was officially turned over to the treasurer of the Camden County Chapter. The association remained in the Tem- ple Building until August, 1917, when the old Trinity
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Baptist Church on Fifth street above Market was offered for the use of the chapter.
Almost concurrent with the organizing of the chapter was the forming of branches in the county. Beside the chairman and secretary Miss E. C. Reeves and Mrs. W. B. M. Burrell were most efficient in effecting these or- ganizations. Among the first were Haddonfield, Mer- chantville, Collingswood, Magnolia and Delair.
In October, 1917, Camden City Branch was given its charter; meanwhile the work was done through the church units, whose women responded nobly.
On March 1, 1917, was held the first Branch Advisory Council, consisting of the chairman of surgical dressings and the chairman of hospital supplies of the different branches. Later the chairman of knitting was added to the council. In Camden city the chairmen of the denomina- tions were also on this committee until the City Branch was formed.
These meetings were held twice in the month and were under the direction of Mrs. Mather, who was first ap- pointed chairman of hospital supplies and surgical dress- ings and later director of the production department. Miss E. C. Reeve acted as secretary.
As a part of this department a stock department was established for the distribution of materials, with Miss Estelle E. Moore as chairman. Later Mrs. H. N. Scheirer became accountant and Miss Bessie Lee Stock recorder.
In the later part of June Mrs. Mather called for fin- ished supplies to be sent in, and through the kind- ness of St. Paul's P. E. Church their parish building was used for the packing. Bandages, muslin and gauze, com- presses of all sizes, drains, wipes, pads of all sorts, in- deed surgical dressings of all types began to pour in upon the hastily improvised packing committee. Hospital sup- plies, sheets, towels, cases, convalescent robes, bed shirts, came in autos and in arms, package after package, until
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[Photo by l'onfor. ] GEORGE W. WHYTE Chairman Camden City Branch, Camden County Chapter, American Red Cross
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the big rooms were crowded to their limit. From Camden City where the work was done by the church units came bundle after bundle of beautiful work. The different Presbyterian, Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Baptist and Methodist units were all working hard for the same good cause, the comfort of our boys, and the alleviating of suf- fering, by carefully made surgical dressings and hospital supplies.
Inspected under the supervision of Mrs. Stanley, of Collingswood, cases of surgical dressings were packed and shipped by the rest of the committee. Mrs. Whyte, Miss Reeve, Mrs. Reed, Mrs. James, Mrs. Mather, Mrs. Ware, Mrs. Finley, Mrs. Borton and Mrs. Carpenter rushed the packing of sheets, pillow cases, convalescent robes, bed shirts and etc., until finally on July 14, 1917, the first shipment from the chapter headquarters was made and went out in charge of the chapter shipper, Theodore A. Reed, traffic manager of the Victor Talk- ing Machine Company.
The Haddonfield, Collingswood and Merchantville Branches each made a shipment in the later part of June a little ahead of the first general shipment. During the summer, Mrs. Carson with the aid of some teachers and scholars made and sent to headquarters 219 little gar- ments to be sent abroad to the suffering refugees.
In August of 1917 came the call for thousands of wool garments. consequently the wool or knitting committee was formed, consisting of Mrs. Ware, Mrs. Clair and Mrs. S. R. Hangar in charge of its distribution.
The chapter saw that each man from Camden county, in so far as they could reach them, drafted or enlisted men of the army and navy, received the little chapter comfort kit.
As the work grew larger it became necessary to sys- tematize and standardize the work and Mrs. Mather was put in charge also of the surgical dressings work and in
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all ten branches opened special workrooms for this purpose.
Haddonfield under Miss Kay's able management, Merchantville capably conducted by Mrs. Finley, in Col- lingswood Mrs. Stanley had charge, in Gloucester Miss E. Stiles saw to the care of the surgical rooms, in Black- wood under Mrs. Kirkland many good dressings were made ; Westmont guided by Miss Bleakley cut and folded quantities of gauze; little Delair with Mrs. Zulich in charge sent box after box of dressings to chapter head- quarters. West Collingswood, too, gave its full quota of good work and Haddon Heights had also efficient and capable instructors in care of this most important branch of work. Camden city for some months made the sur- gical dressings in carefully prepared rooms in the churches but later these quarters were discontinued as this was deemed best to use the big well lighted rooms at the new headquarters, 612 Cooper street, where great quantities of standard and special dressings were made. Classes were held for instructors, one by Miss Margaret Davis, a qualified Red Cross nurse, and three classes in- structed by Mrs. John R. Mather, Jr., supervisor of sur- gical dressings for the county, by Miss E. C. Reeve, Mrs. Morse Archer and Mrs. Amos qualified instructors. By means of these classes all surgical work was done under the supervision of those who had passed examinations and had experience in the proper handling of this phase of Red Cross work. Just as the Red Cross was settling and had great plans for utilizing Trinity Baptist Church, it was announced it had been sold and must move. The moving this time was a matter of some moment, but after days of hard work the packing and stock commit- tees had belongings in cases and bundles ready for re- moval to the new headquarters, the Stockton house at 612 Cooper street, most generously loaned by the heirs to the organization for the duration of the war.
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CAMDEN COUNTY CHAPTER OF RED CROSS [Photo by Wonfor.] Escorting 114th Infantry Down Cooper Street During Welcome-Home Celebration on May 13th, 1919
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In November, 1918, the Camden City Branch moved to commodious quarters in the old Cooper Library build- ing which was left standing by the city for their occu- pation until the war should cease.
In December of 1917 it was found necessary to have a means of reaching the branches for the delivery and return of supplies and a Chapter Motor Corps was es- tablished under the direction of the director of Women Bureau, Mrs. John A. Mather, Jr. It rapidly grew to be a wonderfully servicable force and its organizer, J. Sidney Mather, was made chairman by the executive board February 6, 1918.
The corps did splendid work and used their cars free- ly. During the war, army and navy officers, secret service men, hospitals all received their services as well as the officers of the chapter.
In October, 1918, the executive board authorized the purchase of an ambulance motor truck, and the delivery of goods has been greatly facilitated.
During the epidemic of influenza, Camden county's work was splendid, nearly every branch had more or less of the treacherous disease to combat. After the Emergency Hospital was established in Battery B Armory the Red Cross furnished the greater part of the sheets, pillow cases, etc., as well as most of the gauze masks worn by the workers as a protection. Many of these were also made at the Red Cross workrooms at the re- quest of the hospitals. The chapter also provided cases of fruit, jellies, soup and some other delicacies for those who needed these things. More than fifty women were secured, who went into the homes of those who could not get nurses. In some instances Red Cross volunteers even had to conduct funeral services and bury the dead.
Many of the women at headquarters, after a day's work packing and shipping, for some of the work had to go steadily on, took materials home to hem or model into garments for the hospitals. The headquarters at 612
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Cooper street was open day and night in order to attend the emergency cases reported to them.
In September, 1918, commenced the "Used Clothing Campaign" for the Belgians, under the following com- mittees : Robert J. D. Fields, chairman; William D. Sayrs, Jr., Jas. H. Long, Charles Laib, William D. Van- naman and Dr. H. H. Davis. Twenty-tons of clothing was collected by this able committee and shipped to New York division headquarters.
On June, 8 1918, George J. Bergen, treasurer, was killed by a train at Haddonfield, and Millwood Truscott became treasurer as well as secretary. The officers in 1918 and 1919 were as follows :
Dr. Daniel Strock, Chairman
George Carr, Vice Chairman Millwood Truscott, Secretary and Treasurer
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Mrs. J. A. Mather, Jr. Chas. S. Boyer Mrs. Geo. W. Whyte
Miss E. C. Reeve Mrs. Robt. Garrett Mrs. W. F. Reber
Miss E. Moore
Miss Stella Weeks Theodore A. Reed
Judge F. T. Lloyd
Mrs. T. Stites Miss A. R. Kay
P. H. Harding Mrs. E. W. Delacroix William D. Sayrs, Jr.
David B. Jester
ASHLAND BRANCH
Mrs. E. W. Atkinson, Chairman
Mrs. Oscar Brown, Secretary
Mrs. E. T. Hamilton, Treasurer
AUDUBON BRANCH
Charles F. Wise, Chairman
Mrs. H. Nelson Craig, Secretary
G. C. Henderson, Treasurer
BERLIN BRANCH
Mrs. F. O. Stem, Chairman Mrs. Wm. Wescott, Secretary J. M. Evans, Treasurer
BRADDOCK AUXILIARY
Mrs. C. H. Croft, Chairman
Mrs. O. J. Croft, Secretary
Mrs. H. J. Brimfield, Treasurer
CHEWS BRANCH
Mrs. Chas. Severns, Chairman
Mrs. W. S. Entrikin, Secretary Mrs. James Stetser, Treasurer
COLLINGSWOOD BRANCH.
Dr. E. S. Sheldon, Chairman
Mrs. B. I. Bailey, Secretary E. B. Jillard, Treasurer
ATCO BRANCH
Mrs. H. Wyle, Chairman
John H. Henderson, Secretary
Mrs. T. Schleinkofer, Treasurer BARRINGTON BRANCH.
Mrs. J. HI. Johnson, Chairman
Mrs. B. Staffeldt, Secretary
Mrs. H. K. Ball, Treasurer
BLACKWOOD BRANCH
Dr. J. E. Hurff, Chairman E. E. Wilson, Secretary J. Mathias, Treasurer
CAMDEN CITY BRANCH
George W. Whyte, Chairman Norman B. Stinson, Secretary F. Wayland Potter, Treasurer
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Camden County Chapter American Red Cross Ambulance MOTOR MESSENGER SERVICE
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[Photo by Wonfor.]
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CLEMENTON BRANCH
Mrs. Fred Nolte, Chairman Mrs. Alfred Wright, Secretary Mrs. Edw. Jaggard, Treasurer
DELAIR BRANCH
Mrs. M. G. Sexton, Chairman Mrs. M. E. Hollinshed, Secretary Mrs. Elizabeth Goll, Treasurer
GIBBSBORO BRANCH
Mrs. B. W. Casselberry, Chairman Miss Mary Wilson, Secretary A. Fulleylove, Treasurer
HADDONFIELD BRANCH
Mrs. E. Mercier, Chairman
Miss S. Smitheman, Secretary Lawrence Appleton, Treasurer
JORDANTOWN AUXILIARY
Miss Sallie Robinson, Chairman Bessie Quan, Secretary
Ellen Dorsey, Treasurer
LAWNSIDE BRANCH
Mrs. Louis J. Allen, Chairman Sadie Parks, Secretary
Mary A. Moore, Treasurer
MERCHANTVILLE BRANCH
E. P. Challenger, Chairman Mrs. . L. H. McCool, Secretary E. C. Jefferis, Treasurer
OAKLYN BRANCH
Miss A. M. Ludlow, Chairman
Miss E. May Avil, Secretary
Mrs. H. T. Justice, Treasurer
STRATFORD AUXILIARY
Mrs. Charles C. Jaggard, Chairman Mrs. Harry Reis, Secretary Mrs. L. L. Belding, Treasurer
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