Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 263, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 November 1918 — UNITED WAR WORK CAMPAIGN NOW ON [ARTICLE]

UNITED WAR WORK CAMPAIGN NOW ON

Why We Need Much More Than $170,500,000. John R. Mott, Director General of . the Campaign, Gives Ten Convincing Reasons for ' Raising Fund. BY JOHN R. MOTT. 1. Because of the remarkable Increase of the American army and of its inevitable Continued increase. The budgets of at least ghree of the seven organizations uniting In the forthcoming Campaign were based on data assembled last spring, when It was thought theye would be not more than 1,000,000 American soldiers in France by November first. As a matter of fact, the number there by that date will be 2,000,000. When those budgets were made, moreover, it was thought that the total number of American soldiers on both sides of the Atlantic by next summer would not exceed 3,000,000, whereas our military leaders are now preparing for an American Army, before the end of next summer, of between 4,000,000 and 5,000,000. 2. Because of the marvelous expansion of the American Navy. When America entered the War, we had less than 70,000 men in the Navy. There are now over 600,000 sailors and marihes and the number will be further greatly increased. Relatively, the organizations which are uniting in their Campaign have neglected the Navy, but it is their desire to help this arm of the service as much as any other, and therefore a much .-larger sum of money will be needed for this purpose than is now included in their respective budgets. ■< 3. Because this war, unlike others, is not alone -a- war of armies and navies, but' a war of entire peoples In particular, it involves vast numbers of the industrial classes. Since Our financial plans were announced, the claims of these industrial classes at home and overseas have been pressed upon us, and it has been made clear that we must augment greatly oiir efforts on behalf of the millions of men and women at work in arsenals, in navy yards, and in countless militarized and other .indispensable war industries.

4. Because the burden of this war falls so heavily upon the women of America and of the Allies. They have taken the places of multitudes of men engaged in ordinary occupations and have . thus released millions for the fighting forces. They are also largely engaged in making munitions and in other essential war industries. The facts concerning the needs of women affected by war conditions convince us that a much larger financial provision should be made on their behalf than the budgets of our organizations contemplate. 5. Because of the comprehensiveness of the ministry being rendered the American Army and Navy and the forces of our Allies. It is the alm of these agencies to place at the disposal of our soldiers and sailors all that is best in American life. We represent; to them the American home, the American school and college, the American library, the American forum, the best phases of American club life, the finest aspects of the American stage, and gbove all the, 'American Churches and Synagogues, j This is a colossal program and calls , for a large expenditure of money—an expenditure necessarily Increasing' with the growth of the Army and Navy. 6. Because of the continuity of the service we are seeking to render.* We aim to follow the soldiers and sailors from the time they leave their homes, while they are, in transit, while they are at the training camps, large and , small, while they are on their way to the ports of embarkation, as well as I at those ports, while they are on the ■ sea, during their stay at the ports of j debarkation, during their experiences in further training overseas, in the ( zone of combat including the front line trenches, while they are at leave j resorts or In the hospitals or in the prison camps, and then all the way back to their homes. The volume of; expenditure necessarily grows with' the steady enlargement of the fight-i ing forces. 7. Because of the imperative need of placing all these helpful facilities at "the service of the hTench Army of 4,000,000, of the Italian Army of 3,000,000, and of the smaller but very important armies of Rtissia, of Belgium, of Portugal, of 'Macedonia, of Palestine, of Mesopotamia, and of Egypt- The claims of these Allied Armies were not sufficiently i.-ecog-nlzed in the framing of opr budgets. 8 Because of the indescribable need at the millions of prisoners of war, who must look to us solely for a comprehensive program in the interest

I their physical, mental, social, aad moral well-being. , ■ fl. Even though the War were to end within a few months, dr * few weeks, we should stand in great need of a fund of more than >170,500,000, because this work, unlike that of many other agencies, will have, to be con- ! tinned throughout the entire period of demobilization. While in Europe, I was told by military authorities that ' 'it will require a period of fifteen i months from the time that the conflict ceases to transport the Canadian Army to their homes, and that it will call for not less than eighteen months ! to convey the armies of Australia and , New Zealand homeward. Without doubt it will take not less than twelve months to bring our American Army home. During that long period they will have virtually all their time on their hands. They will not have the • excitement and the incitement of the i war period to stimulate their spirits or its intense activities to absorb their attention and utilize their time. Their temptations will be more numer- ' ous and persistent. There will be a tendency to let down standards and relax discipline- It is of the utmost ■ importance that plans be made for .the ■ wise use of their lejsure hours. The ' practical and significant question ■ is, ■ Shall our men and boys come back to us weaker or stronger men? The ' period of demobilization should not 1 be allowed to become a period of de- , moralization but rather should be made one of growth in knowledge and ' working efficiency and of strengthenI ing of character and life purposes. The i Young Men’s Christian Association ' and the other organizations are plani ning not only to enlarge their recrea- > tional program during this period, but Ito launch a great educational cami paign. In popular language it may be described as “The University in I Khaki.” An Army Educational Com- ’ mission composed of a group of the 1 leading educators of America has been sent overseas. They have asked for two thousand professors and teachers i of American colleges and schools to ' help in launching educational work i for the coming winter, and also to be on hand for the period of demobilization, whenever it comes. We have entered into negotiations with the British and French universities to help us in this vast educational undertaking. One may judge of the great dimensions of the enterprise from the fact that it will require at least >B,000,000 for textbooks and books of reference for the coming winter alone. It ought to be added that no provision is made for this educational program in the budget of >170,500,000 and therefore in Itself this plan affords a further reason why we must have a large oversubscription. 10 If there were no other reason, there should be a large oversubscription in order to meet promptly and effectively emergencies and crises which are sure to come. If you take away from war the (Unexpected, the surprises, the calamities, the emergencies, the crises, you take away war.