USA > Wisconsin > Racine County > Racine county in the world war > Part 17
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In every home, the government Food Ad- ministration asked to have displayed the fol- lowing rules and suggestions regarding con- servation of food, and provided copies of them on printed eards for the purpose:
"Our problem is to feed our Allies this win- ter by sending them as much food as we can of the most concentrated nutritive value in the least shipping space. These foods are wheat, beef, pork, dairy products and sugar.
"Our solution is to eat less of these and more of other foods of which we have an abundance, and to waste less of all foods.
"Bread and cereals-Have at least one wheatless meal a day. Use corn, oat, rye, barley, or mixed ecreal rolls, muffins, and breads in place of white bread certainly for one meal and, if possible, for two. Eat less cake and pastry.
"As to the white bread, if you buy from a baker, order it a day in advance; then he will not bake beyond his needs. Cut the loaf on the table and only as required. Use stale bread for toast and cooking.
"Meat-Use more poultry, rabbits, and es- pecially fish and sea food in place of beef, mutton and pork. Do not use either beef, mutton or pork more than once daily, and then serve smaller portions. Use all left-over meat cold or in made dishes. Use soups more free- ly. Use beans; they have nearly the same food value as meat.
"Use all of the milk; waste no part of it.
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Photos by Pavek-Grant
Top Row-Oscar J. Curley, Henry Stuebe, Harry Hanson, Elmer C. Petersen, Erwin A. Schroeder, Marinus Peterson. Second-T. G. Morris, Chris Sorensen, Ray Gleason, II. R. P. Hansen, Frank J. Kaiser, Ernest R. Au). Third-J. J. Mohrbacher, LeRoy A. Olson, Harry R. Hughes, Walter C. Roth, J. S. Driver, Chas. W. Frudy. Fourth-Otto Hansen, Ilonas Green, Edward L. Compty, John E. Jensen, John A. Campbell, Fred C. Sondergaard. Fifth-L. A. McDowell, Marius Jensen, Hiram James, Paul Nerenberg, Einer A. Erickson, C. A. Schneider. Bottom-G. M. Guilbert, Edmund C. Sorenson, Jos. Youska, John L. Sieger, Jos. E. Misurski, Otto Musiel.
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The children must have whole milk, there- fore, use less cream. There is a great waste of food by not using all skim and sour milk. Sour milk can be used in cooking and to make cottage cheese. Use buttermilk and cheese freely.
"Dairy butter has food values vital to chil- dren. Therefore, use it on the table as usual, especially for children. Use as little as pos- sible in cooking. Reduce the use of fried foods to reduce the consumption of lard and other fats. Use vegetable oils, as olive and cottonseed oil. Save daily one-third of an ounce of animal fat. Waste no soap; it con- tains fat and the glycerine for explosives. You can make scrubbing soap at home, and, in some localities, you can sell your saved fats to the soap maker, who will thus secure our needed glycerine.
"Use less candy and sweet drinks. Use less sugar in tea and coffee. Use honey, maple syrup, and dark syrups for hot cakes and waf- fles without butter or sugar. Do not frost 01 ice cakes. Do not stint the use of sugar in putting up fruits and jams. They may be used in place of butter.
"We have a superabundance of vegetables. Double the use of vegetables. They take the place of part of the wheat and meat, and, at the same time, are healthful. Use potatoes abundantly. Store potatoes and roots properly and they will keep. Use fruits generously.
"Coal comes from a distance, and our rail- way facilities are needed for war purposes. Burn fewer fires. If you can get wood, use it.
GENERAL SUGGESTIONS
"Buy less; cook no more than necessary; serve smaller portions.
"Use local and seasonable supplies.
"Patronize your local producers and lessen the need of transportation.
"Preach and practice the 'gospel of the clean plate.'
"We do not ask the American people to starve themselves. Eat plenty, but wisely, and without waste.
"Do not limit the plain food of growing children.
"Do not eat between meals.
"Watch out for the waste in the community.
"You can yourself devise other methods of saving to the ends we wish to accomplish. Under various circumstances and with varying conditions you can vary the methods of econ- omizing.
"Abstain from meat on Tuesdays and wheat on Wednesdays.
"The men of the Allied Nations are fight- ing; they are not on the farms. The produc- tion of food by these countries has therefore been greatly reduced. Even before the war it was much less than the amount consumed. The difference came from America and a few other countries. Now this difference is great- er than ever and, at the same time, but little food can be brought in from the outside ex- cept from America.
"Therefore, our Allies depend on America for food as they have never depended before, and they ask us for it with a right which they have never had before. For today they are our companions in the great war for democ- racy and liberty. They are doing the fight- ing, the suffering, and dying-in our war.
"England, France, Italy, and Belgium, taken together, import in peace time forty per cent of their breadstuffs. But now, with their re- duction in harvest, they must import sixty per cent. We must increase our normal ex- port surplus of 88,000,000 bushels to 220,- 000,000 bushels. It can be done but in one way: by economizing and substituting. The people of the Allies can not substitute corn alone for bread, as we can. They are using other cereals added to wheat flour to make war bread, and can thus use up to twenty-five per cent of corn for wheat. We have plenty of corn to send them, but, except in Italy, whose people normally use it, our Allies have few corn mills, and corn meal is not durable enough to be shipped by us in large quanti- ties. Moreover, the Allied peoples do not make their bread at home; it is all made in bakeries, and corn bread can not be distributed from bakeries. There is but one way: we must re- duce our use of wheat. We use now an aver- age of five pounds of wheat flour per person per week. The whole problem can be met if we will substitute one pound of corn or other cercal flour for one pound of wheat flour weekly per person; that is, if we reduce our consumption of wheat flour from five pounds a week to four pounds a week.
"The food animals of the Allies have de- creased by 33,000,000 head since the war be- gan; thus the source of their meat production is decreasing. At the same time, the needs of their soldiers and war workers have increased the necessary meat consumption. Our meat exports to our Allies are now already almost three times what they were before the war. The needs of the Allies will steadily increase, because their own production of food animals will steadily decrease because of lack of feed for them. If we will save one ounce of meat
RACINE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
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Top Row-Stewart Sloan, Frank Mertens, Herbert Goeffrey, A. J. Kramer, R. F. Wood, Gazaroo Hagopian, G. S. Jensen. Second-F. L. Stemmer, Peter Redewald, Sam Abresch, J. G. Young, Eugene Ireland, E. C. Mensior, L. Kuchenbecker. Third-Earl H. Nelsen, W. A. Halbach, V. D. Gleason, I. C. Eckert, Stanley Borns, Henry E. Hansen, Joe Candido. Fourth-Stanley Rusinski, Wm. Harpke, Irv. Christiansen, N. Kaylegian, Jas. Kinnerup, Kai H. Studt, I. D. Mosher. Fifth-T. L. Weyres, E. F. Studey, Henri Bovyn, P. Karalumas, B. V. Jensen, Edwin Bauer, Christ Olsen. Bottom-L. H. Thelen, Harold Kinberg, T. B. Jorgenson, Joe Petraitio, C. S. Thompson, T. M. Coryell, Melvin Christensen.
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per person per day we can send our Allies what they need.
"The decreasing herds and the lack of fodder mean a steady falling off in the dairy products of our Allies. They have been asking for larg- er and larger exports from us. Last year we sent them three times as much butter and al- most ten times as much condensed milk as we used to send them before the war. Yet we must not only keep this level up, but do still better.
"Before the war France, Italy, and Belgium produced as much sugar as they used, while England drew most of its supply from what are now enemy countries. France and Italy are producing less than they need, while Eng- land is cut off from the source of seventy per cent of her usual imports. These three Allied countries must now draw 1,500,000 tons more of sugar than they did before the war from the same sources from which we draw our supplies. We must divide with them. We can do it by economizing. The usual American consumption per person is just double that of France.
"Let us remember that every flag that flies opposite the German one is by proxy the American flag, and that the armies fighting in our defense under these flags cannot be maintained through this winter unless there is food enough for them and for their women and children at home. There can only be food enough if America provides it. And America
can only provide it by the personal service and patriotie co-operation of all of us.
"The small daily service in substitution can be done by all; the saving in waste by the ma- jority, and the lessening of food consumed by many. This individual daily service in 20,000,- 000 kitchens and on 20,000,000 tables multiplied by 100,000,000, which is the sum of all of us, will make that total quantity which is the solu- tion of the problem."
The work of the Food Administration was completed when the work of bringing the American Expeditionary Forces back from overseas had gotten well under way. In Feb- ruary, 1919, the office of County Food Admin- istrator was abolished and at that time Mr. Harvey sent the following letter to the trades- men in Racine who had co-operated so willing- ly in the conservation of food, often at con- siderable loss to themselves:
"Racine, Wis., Feb. 12, 1919.
"To the Bakers, Grocers, Hotels, Restau- rants and Markets, whose business came under the jurisdiction of the United States Food Ad- ministration.
"On Aug. 10, 1918, the Congress of the United States passed the Food Act to encour- age production, control distribution, and con- serve supply, in order that all-rich and poor alike-might be assured a supply of the staple articles of food while we were at war.
"Such interference with business had never been attempted in this country before. Deal-
The personnel of Roard No. 2's contingent which left on July 26, 1918. (See illustration on page 155) .- Leo Mater- nowski, Oscar Rose, Martin, W. Severance, Richard M. Siegmund, Thorlief Anderson, William G. Groeling, Rafal Gineit, Svend Peter Haboff. Nels C. Hansen, Dominek Swensky, John Ang. Dresen, Frank Mikel Meischke, Peter Koetting. Chas. B. Frankel, Louis Borgenson, Willard A. Blosser, Thomas Langlois, Edwin Gustave Carlson, Ralph Millar, Clarence Mauger, Casimer J. Radevich, Harold Jance, Allen W. White, Otto Albert Oertel. Edward Wmn. Lensart, L. L. Cook, Andrew Chris Davidson, Reinhold Fels, Joseph J. Small, George Sorenson, Fredrick P. Scharping, Nick Venetos, John J. Pawzum, Arnold M. Anderson, Tom Kuzt, Walter Hansil Martin, Nick Schram, Jim Kozlowsky, Hilten Hansen, John G. Jensen, Chris E. Sorenson, Jr., Harold E. Olsen, Michael Hansen, Louis E. Bartlett, Stanley Shadiz, Theodore Jacobsen, John Thomas Mauger, Joseph Henry Timer, Edward J .Hodges, John Wisewaty, J. A. Dembosky, Walter Jenas, Ralph Gentile, Sote Jayejian, Shukel Hasa, Stef Swarcewicz, Albert G. Wrixton, Raymond J. Johnson, Peder B. Jensen, Carl C. Johanson, George Kenderis, Claude Conant, Bernhard J. Dreher, Charles C. Anderson, Vincent Szymobeski, W. J. Netzinger, Netzinger, Martin Nelson, Edward N. John- son, Axel Christensen, Julian Kosakowski, Carl Poulson, Helmuth G. Sorensen, Robert J. Burns, Viggo Rasmussen, Joseph Duski, Peter F. Peterson, James L. Jensen, Jake Roeschen, Tony Slabodianiuk, Peter Bertelson, Conrad Akvik, Walter Remkus, Albert Szkopiec, Rome S. Kas- provich, B. Peter Rodewald. Fred Anderson, Axel M. Andersen, George Jensen, Jerome H. Kosterman, L. E. Hagen, Hans Madsen, Charles F. Wratten, Thomas J. Pryce, Albert J. Huck, Karl John Krug, John Spezelanin,
Felix Gliniecki, Walter Obry. John Nielsen, Joseph Milusz, Paul Koralumas, Grover F. Grosse, Herman Pearson, William Fick, Arthur C. Amend, Joe Zuk, Stanislaus Grobowski, Harry E. Dibhle. Harold Braunling, Peter Peterson, John Ambrose Budnik, Carl Jensen, Joseph Mazurkiewicz, Frank John Pfister, Morris N. Jorgenson, Jno. Wojtowitz, Joseph Kubek, Joseph H. Webster, Jno. J. Larsen. Louis Plantz, Louis John Bronenkant, Walentz Orzol, William P. Meischke, Thomas E. Flood, Peter J. Rohn, Richard D. Butler, Leo Wellnitz, Christian P. Thomassen, Penfield Kapiak, Joseph Latka, George Emil Barth, Alexander Bunka, Magus Wm. Petersen. George Klein, George L. Hughes, Stephen J. Brown, William H. Watson, Steve Krapdlowski, Henry Stadther, Leonard C. Jenkins, Albert C. Iggulden, Geo. Sarkis, Mores Falwich, Robert E. Davies, George Miskinis, John W. Madden, John Petaka, Louis M. Schrader, Thomas A. Jensen, John W. Roberts, Axel Johnson, Martin Sorenson, James A. Mat- son, Emil Petersen, David Hdishian, Jno. Higgins, Stanley Wroblewski, Michael Wieprucas, Michael Korostick, A. J. Holmes, Charles Mattie, M. N. Jensen, Michael Peganoff, W. C. Williamsen, Geo. H. Pertwood, George Kriatseulas, Patrick Cullen, Frank Karos. Abraham Silver, R. T. Smith, W. L. Toohey, Walter Holtz, Arthur F. Wernicke, Joseph Miniat. Cazimir Kudirka, Emilo L. Fellice, Jacob Sokolosnsky, Thos. Johnson. Alele Safakes. Carl Prokop, Charles J. Nelson, Benny Wessualski. Frank W. Walker, Carl L. Funk, Jacob A. Forsman, Joseph Litwinowicz, John S. Sholzen, Stanley S. Schneider, C. A. Streiner, Frank J. Julka, David Collins, Anton L. Moutry, Jacob M. Beck, Marvin J. Lloyd, Viggo A. Helding, Charles F. Beyer, Hans P. Olson, Herman Henry Schaars, Harry P'. Sinnen, Harry E. Schoolcraft.
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LOCAL BOARD NO. 2's LARGEST DRAFT CONTINGENT, WHICH LEFT FOR CAMP TAYLOR, KENTUCKY, JULY 26, 1918. (SEE OPPOSITE PAGE) 1.
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ers in food were confronted with rules that were difficult to understand and still more difficult to follow.
"The administration of the food laws was left to a Federal Food Administrator for each County. Some kind friend recommended me for appointment as Racine County Food Ad- ministrator and in Nov., 1917, I accepted that responsibility.
"I have now received instructions to close the office but before doing so, I wish to ex- press to each of you my appreciation of the conscientious and patriotic effort you made at all times to carry out the rules of the Food Administration. You did this cheerfully and many times at a sacrifice of business and prof- its.
"During the year 1918, our stocks of wheat and sugar were inadequate to supply our arm- ies and civilians with a normal quantity. The fighting men got their flour and sugar first;
we divided what was left among our home folks, each taking a pound of substitutes with a pound of wheat flour and each one limiting to two pounds of sugar per month.
"The patriots smiled and claimed that sub- stitutes improved their health; the selfish grumbled and protested, but we saved the flour and sugar and we won the war. We will not say that food won the war but we can say that the war could not have been won without food.
"The Food Administration taught the people to produce more food; to distribute it carefully to all alike and at much lower prices than would have prevailed without it; and to save food.
"Therefore, the Food Administration helped to win the war. My association with the Food Merchants of Racine County during the great war will be a pleasant memory. Yours sin- cerely,
"WILLIAM T. HARVEY."
Personnel of Board No. 1's contingent. July 26, 1918. (See illustration Page 157) .- James Plunkett, Joseph F. Schliesmann, Chas. F. Prudent, Bank Maksimoniz, Harry Loff, Paulo Citrangola, John Theos, George A. Gatzke. Harabed Tamoorian, Joseph Zoborowicz, E. J. Chadek, Armen Kurkjean, John S. Walker, Bernard H. Steiner, Louis Kraft, Nels B. Johnson. Frank W. LaFave, Charles Fiebach, Alfred C. Simonsen, August Gioninni, Philip Pinekenstein, Carl Anderson, William T. Colbert, Peter Araboglous, John Mandro, Arthur Bicha, Andrew Mura. Emil B. Hansen, Viggo Peterson, Edward G. Halberstadt. John H. Weill, Jr., Lester F. Bowman, Herman P. Kugel, Edward J. Zimprich, Frank Stolpa, John Olson, David Sheppard, Marine Michele, Harry Vartasian, Edward Hueffner, August Schnik, Carl E. Anderson, Allen Peder- sen, Guiseppe Chiappetta, Lawrence S. Bakken, Joseph Peshek, Frank R. Karasek, Charles Krueger, Rudolph Greer, Tom Sadowsky, John S. Langenfeld, Palolo Palazo, Frank Mauer, Edwin Emil Nelson, Elmo V. Donaldson. Thomas E. Lavin, Giovanni Scaglione, Peter Cauglosi, Rafaele Maritato, Louis G. Bergholte, Edward Dvorak. William C. Krupp. Nels C. R. Beck. Walter Anderson, Carl H. Nielsen, Marderos Mekailian, Hacher Monachian, Carl E. Peterson, Elmer Breckenfeld, Henry C. Eickhorst. Peter E. Matson, Angelo Mangiavillano, Geo. C. Whiteney. John Johnson, J. C. A. Boye, Arthur Gall, John Sadowski. Miran Chrodijian, Hans Bonde, Nick Dacquisto, Joseph J. Mohrbacher, Joseph Ciolina, William Ernest, Celestino Paclossi, Rudolph F. Miller, Edward C. Sage, Willard J. Iselin, F. N. Siebold. Dick Akgorbian, Orrin F. Bilhorn, Louis Lee Landon, Antonio J. Ruzicka, Geo. E. Bronson, William Augustsen, H. Christsensen, Antonio Giagliardo, John E. Preuss. Hooseph Bagdasian, Charles E. Hanson,
Rexford T. Fryer, Frank Filpi, Walter Block, Rufus E. Junck, Tatios Keochakian, Frank Hynek, Harold Wm. Duerr, William Gutzman. Frank Korzinek, John Kaplan, Francesco Abatti, Enevold Anderson, Otto P. Nitzke, George Nazarr. Harry E. Carlson, Erling J. Seton, Profilio Modesti, Harry DeRocher, Evald G. Nelson, Van David Gleason, Mike Aromian, Paul A. Hansen, John Block, Irving J. Albright, Leo Chobanian, William Buending, Jacob Roedema. Thurber W. Cushing, Geo. B. Rindfleisch, Louis Theama, Charles Theama, David Jacobsen. Carl T. Olson, Charles Petavino, Charles R. Petrizilka, H. W. Rasmussen, Frank J. Svec, Alfred Sorenson, Jas. Elbing, Nels Dybrad, E. C. Peterson, Abraham Noshbin, Arvid C. Carlson, Harry Yahnian, Salvatore Migaldi, Guiseppe Greco, Sarkis Astickies, Channes Ekizian, Mihran Kar- gunian, Tony Matranga, Charles Sieger, Fred J. Weiss. John Hosp, Theo. J. Schliesman, Conrad M. Moe, Henry Keup, Joseph Denman, Jr., Griffith T. Roberts, Louis Pinnow, Edmond Collins, Folmer H. Jorgenson, Wm. A. Keup, Ed. H. Miller, Edward Kroupa, Henry Hausner, Charles J. Sohr, Theodore J. Schmitt, Carl F. J. Larson, Anton Karwely, Soren C. Christensen, Armen Meghrouni, Fred Lensert, Fred Gaulke, William F. Bindel, Amintore Silvani, Andrew G. Prestos, Frank V. Flannigan, Sahag Jansouzian, Margas Shakinian, Arthur E. Nelson, P. P. Koleske, Jos. Naveratil, Joseph Ruffalo, Minas Minasian, John Klenn, Vincent Degardio, Chris Sandergaard, J. W. Larson. Arthur Gulbrandson, Nicola DeBonis, Dominic Sesto, Ohannes Davidian, Walter R. Voss, Loritz Jorgen- son, Lwarence E. Spreeberg, Hagop Manandian, Russell Burdick, Arthur A. Rick, Arthur W. Kosterman, H. L. Paulsen, Chas. O. Jandl, Mike Chobanian, F. H. Christen- sen, Roy Buamann, Oscar A. Beyer, John A. Wiesechel, George W. Wilkins, Vito Peccorano.
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A
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LOCAL BOARD NO. 1's LARGEST DRAFT CONTINGENT, WHICHI LEFT FOR CAMP TAYLOR, KENTUCKY. JULY 26. 1918. (SEE OPPOSITE PAGE)
CHAPTER XVII THE EFFECT OF WAR ON HOME LIFE
T HE pomp and glory of marching hosts, the excitement and din of battle, are far removed from the quiet hearths of a nation at war. Young men find compensa- tions even for the weariness and discomforts and dangers of campaigns against a powerful enemy. Youth provides its own panacea for ills such as these. But heavy rests the hand of the war god upon the shoulders of those who are left at home to wait and watch and endure, while their loved ones are facing un- known and terrible dangers, and they are pow- erless to offer aid.
It has been the lot of mothers in all ages to see their babes grow to stalwart manhood and face the hour of duty and sacrifice; to watch, sad-eyed and heavy-hearted, as their sons marched away, and yet to smile encourage- ment and seek to strengthen them in the pa- triotic purpose which might cost their lives. The father shouts a last and perhaps a jovial farewell to his boy departing for an adven- ture the end of which no one can foresee, and turns away to hide his unaccustomed tears.
Then, like mothers and fathers everywhere, the parents wend their way homeward to mu- tually pledge that none but messages of good cheer and optimism should go forth from them to their young hero, and that thenceforth every bit of energy, every ounce of strength, should be exerted to the end that their boy and other boys in khaki and in blue should have the clothing and equipment, the guns and ammuni- tion, the food and the medicines, which are necessary to insure an early and decisive vic- tory for American arms. No words of criti- cism, even though deserved, must hamper those directing the nation's destiny. No call for money or labor or supplies must be ignored if needed to aid our growing armies. No habits of life, no social customs, no individual's con- venience, must be allowed to stand in the way of America's thorough mobilization of all re-
sources in this titanic struggle against a for- eign foe.
That was the predominant spirit in Racine. And no more remarkable sight was ever seen in the history of the world than the voluntary placing of almost every citizen of this free land under the discipline and direction of the governmental authorities. Few laws were passed to control the actions of our people. Few were needed, because a suggestion, a re- quest or an appeal from any recognized agency met with a whole-hearted instantaneous re- sponse which resulted in the accomplishment of any task, no matter how difficult.
Was more food needed? The farmers pro- duced it. Was more clothing necessary ? Women's hands provided it. Did the govern- ment require huge sums of money ? Millions of dollars more than was asked for was forth- coming in a twinkling. Men, gold, supplies- all were offered without stint, and the people of America asked only that they be taught other ways in which to show their patriotism and support of the country's ideals. There was little time for cheers-or tears. All must keep busy, lock out of their minds all thoughts of possible tragedy, and do everything to back up the men at the front.
A letter written by a Racine woman to her son in France in November, 1918, is so inter- esting a story of the experiences of one per- son during the dark days of 1917-1918, and so typical of the cheerful messages sent by hun- dreds of parents to boys across the sea, that it is reproduced here almost without alteration. It tells better than a mere author could of the meaning of war when applied to the "home sector:"
My Own Dear Son: We have been reading good news in the paper these days. It seems as if our prayers are about to be fulfilled, and once more an American army is to return home crowned with victory. Oh! you boys have been doing some wonderful deeds over there and
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Top Row-John H. Kaiser, R. F. Miller, Ed Wilfer, Elmer Keehan, H. B. George, Geo. M. Nelson, Ralph Geneit. Second-Edw. C. Engman, J. H. Davidson, E. P. Siegel, L. B. Hansen, Louis C. Bradshaw, L. F. Mehlhouse, R. R. Harcus. Third-Olaf Johnson, Enrico Lucarelli, Carl N. Frost, F. J. Abrahamson, Mike Camalo, C. T. Larson, IIenry Erbe. Fourth-F. B. Jorgensen, Arthur Peterson, Jas. L. Anderson, R. E. Johns, Ole Valde, M. Boyagian, Chas. Sorenson. Fifth-Christ Nelson, Wm. Foxwell, Joe Cicero, P. A. Peterson, Otto DuBois, G. Sweetman, L. N. Nelson. Bottom-Marius Jensen, Fred W. Schacht, Nepoleone Calvino, Thomas J. Clark, C. Mashewsky, Ray Haag, Emil B. Hansen.
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everyone appreciates it and praises you to the skies. I hope that you are still well and as happy as when you wrote before. Please do not risk your life needlessly; that can do no good. Remember, dear boy, that we want you home again to tell us of your great adventures.
We have all been trying to do our bit back here. You asked me to tell you something of the war work in Racine and I will.
The city really seems changed. People have a different attitude toward life. Working for others does us all good, I think, and that is what American people at home are doing now. Women who have not done work in years now spend hours every day knitting and sewing on hospital garments. I even heard that Mrs. , who has considered herself an invalid for a long time, forgot all about her supposed illness and is dashing around doing this thing and that, collecting garments, soliciting money and even making speeches occasionally. I don't suppose she will ever have time to be ailing again until the war ends.
We all await letters from our boys in France very anxiously, of course, and when a bag of foreign mail arrives everyone in town knows it. We run to meet the postman, who tells us whether the letters have been dis- tributed or whether we must wait until after- noon to get ours. Those who receive letters first call up the other mothers and shout the glad news that "everything seems to be fine; a few boys have been slightly wounded, but none seriously," and then we settle down to wonder whether you tell us the whole truth about your hardships and perils. Perhaps you are trying to keep us cheered up!
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