USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > History of the city of Columbus, Ohio, from the founding of Franklinton in 1797, through the World War period to the year 1920 > Part 12
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The Board of Education also entered into the movement, provided lots for cultivation
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and supervision of the work that was done by about 1,000 children, instruetors giving two lessons weekly at each garden. These and other gardens, though the suecess was varied, produced well. The total number of vaeant lot and backyard gardens supervised by the Recreation Department was 3,019, half of them plowed and harrowed by the department Business and fraternal organizations, ehurehes and individuals early caught the spirit, helped in various ways and shared in the rejoieing at harvest time.
The United States Barraeks, long used as a recruiting and distributing center, took on new life. Under orders from Washington, the ereetien of seventy-two temporary frame buildings for barraeks, lavatories and mess halls began, under the direction of Lieutenant Guy E. Manning, of the Quartermaster's Department, to inerease the eapaeity of the post from 1,600 to 8,000 men. Flags appeared on homes and business houses. Factories began to receive war orders. Plans for speeding up production and transportation and for in- ereasing eonservation were laid.
It was when Columbus was in the midst of this preliminary war work May 8, 1917, that the eity was visited by the French mission to this country. The party was headed by M. Rene Viviani, Premier when the war began and then Minister of Justice, and Marshal Joffre, the hero of the Marne. Others of the party were Vice Admiral Chocheprat, the Marquis de Chambrun and M. Hoveleque. They had been formally invited to come to Columbus, but it was only as the result of an aeeident to the train, when east-bound from Lincoln's tomb at Springfield, Illinois, that acceptance was possible. News that the party would be able to aceept the invitation was telegraphed here about noon, and hurried ar- rangements were made for the reception. The afternoon papers and the telephones were used to spread the news. When the train arrived late in the afternoon, a considerable eseort was present with automobiles to convey the party from the station to the State House. High street was thronged, and a large erowd gathered about the improvised stand at the west front of the capitol building. There was a brief reception in the Governor's office, and then the visitors, aecompanied by Governor James M. Cox, Mayor George J. Karb and others of the committee, proceeded to the stand. The Governor and Mayor made short speeches of weleome, the latter pledging that Columbus would provide financially for 500 Freneh war orphans. M. Viviani and Marshal Joffre replied, expressing their appreciation of the eordial reception of the party in the Middle West and their gratitude for the Mayor's offer. It was a reecption which. both in the speeches and in the attitude of the people, was expressive of a new and abiding international friendship; and, as the Frenehmen were conveyed by auto- mobiles baek through the gathering dusk to their train, they left with the people a new sense of the responsibility the war had brought. Subsequently under the leadership of a committee composed of Mrs. Philip Wilson, Mrs. Hermon Hubbard and Mrs. B. Gwynne Huntington, eitizens subscribed nearly $22,000 for the partial care of 600 orphans for one vear.
The first weeks following the declaration of war were weeks of great activity in Colum- bus. Aside from the enlistment in the regular army and navy, there was recruiting for army railroad serviee in France and for the marine corps. The examinations for admission to the offieers' training eamp at Ft. Benjamin Harrison netted 159 men who, May 12, left to begin their work. The Governor's Squadron of cavalry was inereased and reorganized, with the following offieers, by Adjutant General George H. Wood: Major, Simeon Nash; Troop B-Captain, Edward S. Thateher: first lieutenant, Milo J. Warner; second lieuten- ant, Thomas R. Leahy. Troop G-Captain, J. Walter Jeffrey ; first lieutenant, Malcolm D. Jeffrey ; seeond lieutenant, Roy D. Prushing. Troop H-Captain Wayne C. Grey; first lieutenant, Richard H. Roy ; seeond lieutenant, Paul Hann. This had hardly been done when. under orders from Washington that artillery and not cavalry was needed, the squadron was made over into an artillery unit, with Major D. V. Burkett in charge of the medical service.
While some were planning to fight, others were planning to give support to the fighting men through the Red Cross, the Y. M. C. A. and the Y. W. C. A. Food prices began to soar so unevenly as to show the need of some control. Flour went to $13 a harrel, eggs to 38 eents a dozen, butter to 45 eents a pound, beef to 30 eents and pork to 33 eents, while potatoes for seed went to $1 a bushel. L. L. Pegg was appointed erop and. food com- missioner for the county, helped in the distribution of seed and gave gardening advice to those not already served by the city department, University or public schools. Protests against the high food priees were carried to the City Couneil which in June authorized the
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establishment on the Broad street side of the Capitol square of a producer-to-consumer market. The market was opened by Clark C. Doughty and condueted by him for several weeks, with the result that prices on the regular markets were stabilized and somewhat reduced.
Late in April, the school of military aeronautics was opened at Ohio State University with 14 men. This number steadily increased and, as rapidly as the class room and labora- tory work was completed, the men were sent elsewhere to learn other phases of the new work. Meanwhile the Dayton aviation field was being prepared and on July 15 was ready for co-op- eration with the school here. In the autumn, frame barracks for aviation students were erected on the university grounds.
In the first month of the war, the Young Men's Christian Association began laying plans for the great work it was to do. Albert M. Miller, a former president of the associa- tion, was appointed on the national board to direct the Y. M. C. A. activities; and soon after- ward the local association resolved to support three units in the field, each with a building and five secretaries and the necessary equipment. A campaign in May for the $40,000 deemed necessary was at once successful. In the following November there was an eight-
HOTEL
High Street of Today, Looking North from State Street
day "drive" for a total of $260,000, of which amount $50,000 was to be divided between the Young Women's Christian Association and the Woman's Auxiliary (Mrs. S. P. Bush, chairman) at Camp Sherman. Twenty teams of solicitors were organized with the follow- ing captains: J. J. Stevenson, Dr. Andrew Timberman, F. O. Schoedinger, Robert F. Wolfe, F. A. Lichtenberg, Homer C. Gill, Charles F. Johnson, George J. Karb, Max Morehouse, H. S. Ballard, A. I. Vorys, O. R. Crawfis, E. F. Arras, Charles F. Harrison, Charles R. Frank- ham, W. A. Armstrong, H. L. Hopwood, Frank P. Hall, W. F. Cairns and Bruce T. Work. The total of the subscriptions was $353,905, or $93,905 more than the quota. In June, Y. M. C. A. work was formally opened at the United States Barracks, with Seth A. Drummond in charge. Besides the religious meetings, rooms were opened for reading, writing and entertainment of the soldiers who came and went by the thousands.
The first effort to raise money for the federal government's war expenses was in May, 1917, when the Columbus banks and building and loan associations subscribed for $1,000,000 of 3% certificates, payable July 17 and convertible into Liberty loan bonds. The amount subscribed greatly exceeded the quota for the city.
That was quickly followed by the offering of the bonds of the first Liberty loan. Of the total of $2,000,000,000, Columbus and Franklin county were asked to take $5,140,000.
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The Clearing House and the Chamber of Commerce appointed the following committee to devise ways and means for the conduct of the sale: Philip L. Schneider, chairman; F. W. Freeman, vice chairman; M. J. Caples, George J. Karb, Fred Lazarus, jr., Karl T. Webber, Harvey R. Young, Edwin Buchanan, J. Clare Miller and George W. Gillette. A number of sub-committees were appointed, the chairman of these including Claude Meeker, A. T. Seymour and Thomas H. Sheldon. John A. Kelley was made secretary, and County Auditor H. Sage Valentine was chosen to head the organization in the county outside of the city. Secretary of the Treasury W. G. McAdoo came to speak ; banks, business men and the news- papers earnestly supported the committee, with the result that the subscriptions in city and county totaled $7,519,900, the subscribers numbering 11,312.
When the second Liberty loan of $3,000,000,000 was offered in the following October, Columbus and Franklin county were asked to take $6,421,050; they took $12,553,500, the number of subscriptions being approximately 23,701. This campaign was conducted by the same committee with even more notable aid than before from the Publicity sub-committee consisting of Harvey R. Young chairman, W. R. Ortman, Ralph Hirsch, Joseph R. Hague and M. R. Thomas. These men filled the newspapers and the billboards with high-class advertising, all of which was subsequently reproduced in a brochure, "Over the Top in Colum- bus." Secretary of the Navy Daniels and Senator Atlee Pomerene spoke during the "drive."
The third Liberty loan campaign was inaugurated with a parade and meeting at Memorial Hall, April 5, 1918, Dr. Frank W. Gunsaulus, of Chicago, being the principal speaker. A sales army was organized under the direction of the same general committee, Philip L. Schneider chairman. Ninety vice chairmen were appointed, one for each trade or profession, and these made other appointments until a sales force of several thousand was created. The quota for Columbus and Franklin county was $6,369,100. The sale re- sulted in the subscription of $7,780,300; number of subscribers, 19,753.
In the first nine months of the war there had been, aside from the bond campaigns. so many separate solicitations of money for war relief purposes that there was search for some plan that would meet all needs with a minimum of campaigning effort. The several campaigns had yielded subscriptions aggregating $1,034,599, but practically the same gronp of several hundred busy men had given their time over and over again to soliciting sub- scriptions, and it had been impossible to organize any drive so as to give all the people an opportunity to subscribe. In a community of 250,000 not more than 12,500 individuals had given anything. To correct these injustices and to provide for all the war relief needs for twelve months commencing April 1, 1918, the Chamber of Commerce proposed a campaign for a community war chest of $3,000,000. The plan was to invite contributions from indi- viduals, corporations, associations, firms and others, constituting the whole number of con- tributors a volunteer organization to be known as the Columbus Community War Service, to the end that not only the money power, but also the man power of the community might be mobilized for the period of the war.
This project, having been carefully worked out, was submitted to the Mayor who appointed a general committee of one hundred and twenty-three persons, largely those who had attended previous conferences and representatives of every interest in the community. This committee was authorized by the Mayor to effect a permanent organization and adopt by-laws. This the committee did, electing an executive committee, directing it to determine the amount to be raised for the needs of the year, to plan and execute the campaign for rais- ing the amount and finally to expend the sum raised, meeting judiciously but with patriotism every just call for financial help. The executive committee was composed of the following: Chairman, S. P. Bush; vice chairman, Frederick A. Miller; secretary, George W. Gillette: treasurer, Lee M. Boda; John G. Deshler, Robert F. Wolfe, Simon Lazarus, W. E. Bird, S. D. Hutchins, B. W. Marr, A. T. Seymour, John Briggs and George V. Sheridan. W. H. Hartsough was made office manager of the war chest.
The committee fixed the amount to be raised at $3.000.000 and estimated the number of subscribers at 75,000. It suggested a scale of giving: For individuals earning less than $2,000 a year, one day's pay a month, or 4%: for those earning from $2,000 to $3,000. 5'7 : $3.000 to $5,000, 6% : $5,000 to $10,000, 10%, and so on up to 15%; for those with incomes from $15,000 to $50,000. It was arranged that subscriptions could be paid in monthly in- stallments, and many wage-earners authorized their employers to deduct the amount of their
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subscriptions from wages and forward to the war chest. A campaign and administration expense fund of $36,000 was raised at the outset, so that every dollar subscribed during the campaign could be used solely for the purpose for which it was given. Then began a care- fully planned and zealously executed campaign, with advance subscriptions amounting to about $750,000. There was newspaper and poster publicity; mass meetings were held, at which twenty Canadian soldiers, with only twenty-eight legs among them, appeared and spoke; factories and stores were organized and canvassed; the people of the outlying townships were solicited, and the homes in the city were canvassed. The community was thoroughly combed till there was not a man, woman or child in the city who had not had an opportunity to give. The five days campaign closed Saturday evening, February 9, with a total of $3,071,088 subscribed by 73,126 persons. But that was not all. The momentum of the cam- paign was so great that thousands of dollars came in daily in the next few weeks till the total number of subscribers was 90,000 and the fund was $3,374,526, or about $13.50 per capita. Thirty-six per cent, of the population subscribed and the average subscription was $37.
The success of the movement was due to three things: The patriotism and humanity of the people; the fairness of the schedule of subscriptions and the public confidence in the executive committee who had frankly stated in advanee that in disbursing the money it would recognize as of first importance those agencies of relief and aid countenanced by the United States government, such as the Red Cross, the Y. M. C. A., the Knights of Columbus, and the Jewish relief organization. It also promised that no funds would be appropriated out of the war chest for any cause that failed to give satisfactory evidence that it was necessary, worthy and properly administered and that the amount sought was just, and that it would not approve any further solicitation for war needs during the administration of the fund.
Prior to that, besides the funds elsewhere mentioned, the Knights of Columbus had raised $3,000 for the national fund for religious and recreational work at the camps, local Jews had sent $25,000 to their relief fund, the Dispatch had raised $1,100 for a soldiers' athletic fund and the Citizen had collected in 25-cent subseriptions $2,200 for tobacco for soldiers.
While Congress debated the plans for raising an army, recruiting for both army and navy proceeded. Columbus dentists organized a unit of the Preparedness League, with Dr. H. C. Dean as president and Dr. D. P. Snyder as secretary. The physicians similarly or- ganized, with Dr. Charles S. Hamilton as chairman. Patriotic meetings were held, the colored citizens having one of their own, with a parade directed by Major John C. Fulton and Captain Howard C. Gilbert.
June 5, 1917, fixed by Congress as registration day for all men between 21 and 31 and designated by Governor Cox as "Call to the Colors" day, was the occasion of a general patriotic demonstration. The voting booths in the various precincts of city and county, manned by the regular election officers, were the places of registration. Flags were numer- ously displayed, bells were rung and whistles blown. At most of the booths women pinned badges on the coats of the registrants, the number of whom in city and county was 25,826. This gratifying result was accomplished with a single unpleasant incident-the futile effort of a few radical Socialists to arouse opposition to the draft. The distribution of circulars urging refusal to register resulted in a raid by eity and federal authorities on a printing office in the Wesley block and the arrest of Ammon Hennacy, Harry E. Townsley and two others. At the trial before Judge John E. Sater, of the United States court, both men named were found guilty. Townsley was sentenced to two years imprisonment and Hen- nacy to two years and nine months imprisonment at Atlanta.
Franklin county's quota for the first national army of 1,000,000 was 1,188 and for the selection of these men, in accordance with a system worked out at Washington, five draft boards were appointed by the federal government, on recommendation of Governor Cox, as follows :
No. 1-John C. Dougherty chairman, Dr. Starling S. Wilcox (succeeded by Dr. W. L. Towns), Theodore Leonard, Edmund A. Cole (succeeded February 1, 1918, by Frederick Shedd).
No. 2-Karl T. Webber chairman, Dr. E. J. Emerick (succeeded March 22, 1918, by Dr. W. E. Edmiston), Edward Woolman, Randle Baker.
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No. 3-Rutherford H. Platt chairman, Dr. Hervey W. Whitaker, Lott B. Burke, Edward W. Swisher.
No. 4-Edward B. Gerlach chairman, Dr. Jesse A. Van Fossen, H. M. Van Hise, Edgar L. Weinland.
No. 5-(County)-W. J. Kinnaird chairman, E. E. Pegg, Dr. Frank C. Wright, Fred- erick N. Sinks.
These boards established headquarters in Memorial Hall and summoned the registrants for examination in the determined order. A district board of appeals, similarly appointed for southern Ohio, sat in the Federal building. Its members were: William E. Bird, J. Russell Kilbourne (succeeded by John B. Brown) and Dr. Wells Teachnor, of Columbus; D. H. King, of Marion, and John 1 .. Zimmerman, of Springfield, (succeeded by Garrett S. Clay- pool, of Chillicothe). It heard and passed on many claims of exemption, reporting its findings to the local board from which appeal had been taken.
The city and county's full quota had been certified by the last of August, and on the 30th, the selected men paraded in Broad street and were cheered by a great throng of people estimated at 15,000 or more. From a stand opposite the State House Supreme Judge Maurice H. Donahue and former Governor James E. Campbell addressed the gathering, while Rabbi Joseph S. Kornfeld offered the benediction. On September 5th, 5 per cent. of the selected men left for Camp Sherman at Chillicothe to begin their training. On the 22nd, another and larger group went, and on October 7th a third. On the 27th, the negro selects, numbering 195, followed to the same destination. Every one of the departures was marked by a public ovation, and the men had every reason to believe that, as they went to prepare for war they had the cordial support of the community. The whole operation was carried on with a maximum of enthusiasm and a minimum of opposition or "slacking." Only in a few instances were alternates called upon for service.
The Ohio National Guard began to mobilize in July, and was recruited to full divisional strength of about 26,000 men under the old division formation, 14,129 having enlisted after the declaration of war. The State Fair ground, called Camp Karb, was the principal rendez- vous for the local units of the Guard, Col. S. B. Stansbery in command. There and at Central Market hall, which was headquarters for the Ninth Battalion, 1,905 guardsmen were taken into the Federal service as follows: Governor's Squadron, 570; Companies B and I, Fourth regiment, 300; Headquarters company, 58; Machine Gun company, 78; Supply company, 40; Second Ambulance company, 150; Second Field Hospital company, 80; Ammunition and Supply Train, 45; Military Police, 86; Battery C, 150: Signal Company B, 48; Ninth Battalion (colored), 300.
On July 15, the official roster of the Fourth regiment, with special reference to Colum- bus men in command, was as follows: Colonel, Benson W. Hough, Delaware; Lieutenant Colonel, George Florence, Circleville: chaplain, John J. Halliday, Delaware; captain and adjutant, Charles S. Gusman, Circleville. Battalion Commanders-Major R. G. Allen, Wash- ington C. H .; Major Frank D. Henderson, Marysville; Major Louis S. Houser, Chillicothe. Battalion adjutants-First Lieut. John S. Bailey, Columbus; First Lieut. Henry H. Grave, Columbus ; First Lieut. Robert S. Beighitler, Marysville.
Supply Co .- Captain Oscar O. Koeppel and Second Lieut. Harold D. Woolley, Colum- bus.
Machine Gun Co .- Captain Robert F. Watson, Delaware; First Lieut. George W. Graff, Columbus ; Second Lieut. Wm. F. Busch, Delaware; Second Lieut. Thomas E. Hardman. Columbus.
Company B-Captain Frank L. Oyler, Columbus; First Lieut. Wm. Paul, Washington C. H .; Second Lieut. Earl W. Fuhr, Columbus.
Company F-First Lieut. John S. Stevenson, Columbus.
Company I-Captain Robert Haubrich, Columbus ; First Lieut. Price W. Beebe, Cleve- land; Second Lieut. Charles A. Watson, Columbus.
Company K-Second Lieut. John W. Rees, Columbus.
Other companies in the regiment were recruited and officered in Cardington, London, Marion. Marysville, Circleville, Greenfield, Chillicothe, Delaware, Lancaster and Washing- ton C. H.
On August 13, the Fourth regiment, 2,055 strong left the various stations, with five days rations, and proceeded to Mineola, Long Island, where its strength was increased, under a
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general order, by the addition of 16 men from every other infantry regiment in the state, to 3,605.
While the companies of the Fourth regiment were taking the train for the East, other troops at Camp Karb paraded on Broad street, and were reviewed by Governor James M. Cox and Mayor George J. Karb, who spoke a farewell and benediction, while thousands looked on and cheered. A part of these troops, including the Division Supply Train, Major Robert S. McPeak; the Second Ohio Ambulance Co., Captain D. T. Dawson, and Battery A. Third Ohio Field Artillery, Captain Thomas A. Leahy, left ten days later, for Camp Sheri- dan, Montgomery, Alabama. On September 10, Battery B, Captain J. Walter Jeffrey; Bat- tery C, Captain Wayne C. Grey; the Second Ohio Field Hospital, Major H. H. Sniveley, and the Second Brigade Headquarters Company left for the same cantonment, Brigadier General John C. Speaks, O. N. G., having been appointed a brigadier general in the regular army, had preceded them thither. The Ninth Battalion, Major John C. Fulton, soon fol- lowed.
In the reorganization at Camp Sheridan the Columbus officers and their commands were as follows: Colonel H. M. Bush, commanding 134th Field Artillery; Major J. Walter Jeffrey, 135th Field Artillery; Major L. W. Jacquith, Signal Battalion; Major H. H. Sniveley, 146th Field Hospital; Captain D. T. Dawson, 146th Ambulance Co .; Colonel Perin B. Monypenny, 112th Ammunition Train; Major Robert S. McPeak, 112th Supply Train; Colonel John M. Shetler, Division Quartermaster; Major John C. Fulton, Ninth Battalion infantry ; Captain Walter W. Van Gieson and Second Lieutenant Arthur Pickens, 112th Military Police.
General Speaks' headquarters staff included the following Franklin county men: Major R. D. Palmer, Lieut. A. C. McArthur, Lieut. S. S. Speaks, Lieut. F. E. Ross, Sergeant Major L. D. Bower and Privates D. C. Davis, H. B. Mohler, C. D. Lechliter, J. E. O'Harra, L. C. Heller and R. G. Beck.
One of the events at Camp Sheridan which deeply stirred Columbus was the transfer of General John C. Speaks from division headquarters and his subsequent examination by a military board, by which he was declared to be physically disqualified for service abroad and was honorably discharged from the army in which he had a few months before been ap- pointed a brigadier general.
Meanwhile the boys of the old Fourth regiment, O. N. G., thoroughly seasoned by their service on the Mexican border the previous year, were being prepared on Long Island, as the 166th infantry of the 42nd ("Rainbow") Division, Brigadier General W. A. Mann. for an early trip to France and service on the western battle front.
The Columbus Academy of Medicine, through a committee consisting of Dr. Andre Crotti, Dr. V. A. Dodd and Dr. G. C. Schaeffer, conferred with the American Red Cross Headquarters at Washington as to the service it could best render, and was asked to or- ganize a naval hospital unit. Dr. Dodd was made director and given authority to assemble a unit consisting of six medical officers, ten nurses and an enlisted non-medical personnel of 29. As finally organized, the medical officers of the unit were as follows: Dr. V. A. Dodd, Dr. Fred O. Williams, Dr. Arthur M. Haner, Dr. Jonathan Forman, Dr. Philip J. Reel and Dr. Carl C. Hugger. Miss Carrie Churchill was chief nurse. The non-medical personnel was as follows: R. D. Mullen, F. G. Holtkamp, C. M. Huffman, F. J. Conway, H. F. Jones, J. J. Kelly, jr., C. A. MacDonald, D. M. Richmond, J. A. McNamara, J. E. Streit, C. H. Douglas, J. P. Greene, R. R. Vance, H. V. Hager, O. C. Voss, E. O. Hawkins, H. F. Yerges, T. W. Tennant, L. J. Harris, William Laney, Maynard Otey, Clarence Linden, Herschel Cross, E. E. Rhoades, Aldrich Elston, E. Wade, Taylor Farrow, Howard Wormley, Joseph Sloane. The unit was ordered to duty as follows: Medical Officers October 15, 1917; non-medical personnel November 19, 1917. The duty of the Unit was to take charge of the hospital at the Naval Operating Base, Hampton Roads, Virginia.
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