Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 April 1917 — MILLIONS FOR VOLUNTEERS [ARTICLE]

MILLIONS FOR VOLUNTEERS

Navy League Movement to Provide for Dependent Families. Members of the navy league throughout the United States, organized during the present season by Col. R. M; Thompson, head of the national organization, are interested in the announcement from' Washington that a movement has , been started to collect and dis-' 1 burse ten million dollars for the families of 100,000 naval volunteers in the event of war with Ger-1 many. | The navy league, 'with its 2,000 branches, will cooperate in cqllecting the money, which will be known as the War Relief Fund for the Navy, and will pay all administration costs. Branches will be formed in every state, and by May it is hoped to have several thousand local committees at work. J. J. Montgomery of Rensselaer is a member of the United States Navy League and the authorized recruiting officer of this locality. The immediate purpose of the fund, as announced by Colonel Robert M. Thompeon, president of the Navy League, is to encourage many of the 50,000 former navy sailors to re-enlist in response to President Wilson’s call for 50,000 additional men for the navy. It is proposed to pay the families ofj volunteers a sum equal to the dis-, ference between their bread winner’s present income and the government allowance to enlisted men. Rear Admiral Richard Wainwright, U. S. N., retired, chairman of the league's war relief committee, was appointed director of the fund and Woodbury Blair of Washington was made chairman of me executive committee. Other members of this committee are C. W. Wetmore, Perry Belmont, Sidney Ballou, Colonel Thompson and Wil-1 Ham R. Marriam, former governor of Minnesota. A navy man’s pay is clear money. No expense except for clothing—l and a S6O outfit, enough for one year, is given free to every man to i start with. A man without a trade is started at $17.60 a month —clear money—with a chance to learn a trade; with a trade, as high as $71.50 a month is paid- No strikes, no ’’lay-offs.” For good men, advancement is rapid. On re-enlist-ment, increased pay. After sixteen years’ service, retirement in nayal reserve on S4B a month. After twenty years’ service, retirement in naval reserve on $65 a month. After thirty years’ service, retire-' ment on three-fourths pay, plusj $15.75 a month for allowances. If disabled, a liberal pension. The Navy League of the United States has volunteered their members as recruiting officers to serve without pay, and J. J. Montgomery is the Rensselaer recruiting officer. He will be glad to give all information on the subject. Enlist now.