Johnson County, Missouri - Chapter 40: - the World War, 1918

EFFECTIVE WORK DONE IN JOHNSON COUNT V - RKGUSTRATION BOARD - COUNTY COUNCIL, OF DEFENSE - THIRD LIBERTY IX)AN ORGANIZATION - SPEAKERS' ORGANIZATIONS - THE HOME GUARDS - AMERICAN RED CROSS - JUNIOR RED CROSS - WORK OF THE RED CROSS IN JOHNSON COUNTY.

The World War, into which the United States entered April 6, 1917, has been gradually dominating more and more of the life of Johnson county. When it began, comparatively few of us realized how vitally it concerned us. Many of us questioned the necessity of propriety of our entry into it, and were at least lukewarm in our support.

But every day we have learned things about the war that we did not even dream of before. By Christmas, when the Red Cross organization of the county was perfected, the number of its members became thousands, where earlier it would have been hundreds. In the spring of 1918, when the Third Liberty Loan campaign was carried out. it was backed by practically the whole county, with their words, their works, and their money, and with unexpectedly great results.

A great deal of effective war work has been done up to this time by patriotic people throughout the county from the very beginning of the war. It is impossible to give all this individual or loosely organized work in this book, despite its large amount, simply because there is no way to get at it, and all that can be given is the work of complete permanent organizations. These are the County Council of Defense, tiie Registration Board, the Home Guards, tlie Red Cross, and Speakers' Organization, including Four Minute Men. and the Third Liberty Loan Organization. The Y. M. C. A. campaign, the First Liberty Loan campaigns, and the War Savings Stamps campaign were carried on by practically the same men and women as managed the Red Cross and Third Liberty Loan.

The Registration Board. - The registration board has been the representatives and officers of the Government in the registration, examination, classification and calling of men for the army. The members

It registered all men in the county between ages of 21 and 31. The number was 1,839. It made out lists and cards of these, and then called for physical examination 590 men, who were examined by Drs. James I. Anderson. J. R. Bozarth, H. P. Gilkeson. and W'm. E. Johnson.

Johnson county's first quota in the draft was 208. which was reduced by enlistments to 177, and this number was sent in from this county on the first draft.

The board sent, as its next work, questionaires to 1,713 men, completed these and by volunteers from without the board (especially Messrs. S. H. Coleman, A. J. Hutchinson, Judge W. A. Stephens and G. P. Schooling), made out occupation cards, as required.

The total men who would serve under the draft from the first group to be called are 424. The recorded enlistments in addition to these are 82, and there are probably 18 more unrecorded enlistments.

The Legal Advisory Board, which with 60 associate members, helped fill out questionaires, is composed of X. M. Bradley, chairman ; W. E. Suddath and A. Musser.

The County Council of Defense was appointed by the Missouri Council of Defense and organized July 2, 1917. The members are: F. A. Gougler, county farm agent, chairman ; W. O. Redford. James J. Haller and Charles H. Houx, farmers; O. G. Boisseau, real estate and insurance agent; Wallace Crossley, lieutenant governor: Ed. S. Harte, miller; and Ewing Cockrell, circuit judge. Charles ^^^ Fulkerson, court stenographer, has been secretary.

The following has been the chief work of the council: (\) Organized work to have cultivated in town and country, especially in 1917, all available ground: (2) campaign to increase wheat seeding in 1917. and provide seed therefor; (3) organization of three home guard companies in the county; and (4) miscellaneous work, especially that not provided for b\- other organizations, including entertainments and meetings for boys who left for the army, food conservation displays, and help in securing woman county demonstrator in the spring of 1918.

The Third Liberty Loan Organization. - This organization was started in February, 1918. to prepare for the Lilierty Bond campaign to begin April 6, 1918. It is one of the most complete and thorough war organizations that has been made.

Definite work was assigned to each director and his division, and this work was organized in detail before a move was made to sell a bond. The township committee listed every man in their township who was potentially a bond buyer, and ascertained his financial ability to buy, and other information for tlie bond salesmen. The speakers' Organization, composed of the Four Minute Men. the \\'omen's Bureau of Speakers of the County Council of Defense, then sent men and women speakers, and volunteer musicians, to numerous school houses and church meetings, before the campaign in each township started. The salesmen then made personal house-to-liouse visits to every possible bu3-er. The results were larger than anything that ever before had been accomplished in the same kind of work.

Speakers' Organizations. - The official speakers' bodies in the county are the Four Minute Men and the Women Speakers' Bureau of the County Council of Defense. The Four Minute Men act under authority from the National Four Minute Men Organization at A\'ashington, and are the official and authorized spokesmen for the Government for such messages as the Government transmits to them to deliver.

In March. 1918, these organizations united in their work, and also provided a permanent war singers' force, automobile company, and newspaper publicity department.

The Four Minute Men began work February 10, 1918, and since then have delivered about 25 speeches weekly in Warrensburg city, in eight Sunday schools, ten churches, seven public schools, the State Normal School, moving picture theatre, and at all public gatherings. They reach weekly audiences of about 2,200 different people in Warrensburg.

The United Speakers Organization began work April 6. 1918. in the Third Liberty Loan campaign, and in the first week covered 25 meetings of all kinds, over the county, with twenty-two speakers and about twenty singers and musicians.

P. Player, signal corps, Jefiferson City, Missouri, temporary battalion commander; Ewing Cockrell, adjutant. Company A (Warrensburg town") : Captain. Thos. B. Lanham ; 1st lieutenant, H. Newkirk ; 2nd lieutenant, Curtis Doolin. Company B (Normal School): Captain, C. H. McClure; 1st lieutenant, Hardie Wray; 2nd lieutenant, F. C. Allen. Company D (Holden): Captain. Lucien C. Snyder; 1st lieutenant, E. E. Weeks; 2nd lieutenant, J. E. Murray.

American Red Cross. (By Charles A. Shepard and J. H. Scarborough.) [Editor's Note: The Red Cross was organized and the first campaign conducted by Lieutenant Governor Wallace Crossley, personally. Since Lieutenant Governor Crossley has been serving as state fuel administrator away from the county, Mr. Shepard, as chairman of the executive committee, has been in charge of the whole work. Professor Scarborough was one of the organizers of the chapter and secretary from the beginning.]

When Johnson county was called upon to raise monev for the Red Cross, Messrs. Charles A. Shepard. J. R. Scarborough and T. E. Cheatham called eighteen men together at tlie Commercial Club rooms in Warrensburg one Saturday night. They appointed a committee of about forty men; elected ^^'allace Crossley chairman and J. H. Scarborough secretary; divided the town into districts; designated men to each territor}- and provided for an intensive campaign.

This organization was made the permanent Red Cross organization and is such today, and co\"ers the whole countv. Previous to its organization societies of women under the French Surgical Dressings Society had been working throughout the count}' for many months.

Upon the organization of the American Red Cross, these societies gradually went into it. The Red Cross organization in this countv now consists of the ^^'arrensburg Chapter and sixteen branches, each branch doing the same work as the chapter.

There are eighteen organizations in the county, including \\'arrensburg, and the Junior Red Cross. The membership, exclusive of the Junior Red Cross, is 5,089.

Junior Red Cross. - The Junior Red Cross organization was made early in 1918. The officers are the following executive committee: Chairman, \\'alter L. Chaney ; treasurer, H. F. Berkley; Miss Cora Rice; Miss Gladys Anderson; Edward Beatty; R. H. Boston; James Robeson. The object of this organization is to enroll all the schools of the county as auxiliaries to the regular chapter. Each school must contribute 25 cents per capita to become enrolled. This money is then used to do any work that seems most advantageous. They have already rendered some material service in the sales of thrift stamps in the schools. Up to ^larch 1, 1918, the total amount of money collected by the whole countv organization, with all the branches amounted to about $20,000. The total number of members in the county at that

Centerview Branch. - The surgical dressings work of Centerview was started by the Village Improvement Club, the officers of the club becoming also officers of the surgical dressings committee. They raised $400 in money, outside of donations, shipped 4.500 surgical dressings and 210 rest pillows to national headquarters, and received the compliment of "beautiful work." Centerview became a branch of the Red Cross March 1, 1918. In the organization of the Red Cross, the following officers were chosen: Mrs. Jno. Delaney, chairman; Mrs. J. R. Bozarth, vice-chairman; Mrs. Ed. Spence, secretary; Mr. E. B. Repp, treasurer. There are 350 members.

Chilhowee Branch. (By Mrs. Leslie McElwee. ) Organized December 19, 1918, with the following officers: Mrs. Leslie ]\lcElwee, chairman; Mrs. W. L. Marten, vice-chairman; Mrs. Wm. P. Hunt, treasurer; Miss Grace Turner, secretary. Later, Mrs. L. R. Crumbaugh was elected secretary. They have shipped eight large boxes of rest pillows and French surgical dressings to New York. There are 450 members.

Denton Branch was organized January 30. The officers are: Mrs. S. R. Hindman. chairman ; Mrs. Frank Behm. vice-president ; Miss Pearl Witteman, treasurer; Miss Lorene Hughes, secretary. The surgical dressings organized sometime in August. They sent out nearly 1,000 pieces of bandages, and took in about $100. Since being recognized as a branch of the American Red Cross, they have completed about 100 pieces of surgical dressings and taken in about twenty-five dollars.

Hazel Hill Branch. (By Mrs. W. E. All worth.) Organized August 18, 1917. The officers are: Mr. W. E. Allworth, chairman; Mr. W. L. Gott, vice-chairman; Mr. Lee Wyre, treasurer; Mrs. W. O. Redford, secretary. There are sixty-eight members.

Salem and Fayetteville Homemakers' Clubs have made trench pillows, pillow cases, cup covers, gave old linen and rags to the surgical dressings committee of Warrensburg, also furnished a number of knitted garments at own expense.

Hoffman Branch was organized December 5, 1917. The chief organizers were Mrs. W. W. Parker and Mrs. Merritt Poague. There were eleven charter members. The officers are: Mrs. B. F. Bell, chairman; Mrs. Merritt Poague, vice-chairman; Miss Mary Fit/.patrick, treasurer, and Mrs. Clarence Fitzpatrick. secretary. They have furnished 565 bandages and 79 knitted garments.

Holden Branch. (By Rev. r,en. I). Ciillispie. ) Organized December 16, 1917, with fifteen charter nienil)ers. The officers are: T, J. Halsey, chairman; ]\Irs. Etta Ball, vice-chairman; Mrs. Kate Hnber, treasurer; Ben D. Gillispie, secretary: D. X. Danielson, additional member executive committee. 5,000 pieces were completed and sent to surgical dressings' liead<|uaners, lieforc organization of the l)ranch, Since then 5,440 pieces have been sent. Knitting is also an important part of the work of tiiis branch. Present memlierslii]) in liranch, ()fif>.

Kingsville Branch was organized November 22. 1917. Chairman, J. A. Bryson : vice-chairman. INlrs. F. .\. .Milbard: secretary, Mrs. Reavis. Executive committee: Mrs. Creel. Mrs. M. L. Fis]i))ack. Mrs. D. D. Jones, Mrs. R. A. Berry, Mrs. D. M. ConncH. Mrs. F. A. Milhard. There are 349 members.

Quick City Branch was organized January 4, 1918. January 10, 1918, the following officers were elected: Chairman, C. W. Yoder: vicechairman, Mrs. A. Salmon: secretary, Lena Farnsworth : treasurer, Mrs. Fred Ball. Inside of a month the}' made 170 jjieces of surgical dressings and a number of pillows. They work in the Red Cross rooms Mondays and Thursdays making surgical dressings and hospital garments. Membership, 100.

Knob Noster Branch, organized January 3, 1918. There are 26 charter members. The officers are: Dr. D. E. Shy, chairman: Mrs. J. M. Kendrick, vice-chairman: Mrs. Ed. S. Harte, secretary; J. M. Kcndrick, treasurer. They have had a surgical dressing organization since. June, 1917, and have sent 6,500 surgical dressings and 150 knitted articles.

Latour Branch. ( B\- Anna Coleman.) Organized January 15, 1918. There were 179 charter members. The first officers were: Henry Shaw, chairman ; J. E. Stitt, vice-chairman ; Miss Anna Coleman, secretary and treasurer. The present officers are: Henry Shaw, chairman; Mrs. John Truninger, vice-chairman; Miss Anna Coleman, secretary; D. W. Hampton, treasurer: J. .\. Hallar, the fiftli member.

Leeton Branch was organized July 14, 1917. There were 61 charter members. The present officers are: Chairman, Mrs. Mary Bassett Hamacher; first vice-chairman, ]\Irs. Flora Stacy: second vice-chairman, Mrs. Mildred Perdue: third vice-chairman. Miss Myrtle Cdazebrook; secretary, Mrs. Eva Gunser; treasurer, Mrs. W. F. Reynolds. Mrs. Mary Townsley is supervisor of knitting department and has sent to headquarters 137 garments. The number of garments is 225.

Magnolia Branch was organized July 19, 1917. There were 21 members. Tlie first officers were: Mrs. R. L. Bills, president; Mrs. Rex Powers, treasurer; Miss Morrison, secretary. The present officers are: Mrs. R. L. Bills, president; Mrs. Arthur Elliott, vice-president; Mrs. Rex Powers, treasurer; Miss Alice Parrott, secretary. They have sent several shipments to headquarters, consisting of all necessary dressings pertaining to Red Cross work. There are 110 members.

Medford Branch was organized December 20, 1917, with 140 charter members. The present officers are: Chairman, R. S. Howeth ; vicechairman, Mrs. J. S. Raber; treasurer, Mrs. A. M. Cason; chairman of finance, A. M. Cason; secretary. Miss Clarice Wittenberg. The surgical dressings committee was organized June. 1917.

Montserrat Branch was organized December 4. 1917. Mrs. M. A. Cope was elected president; Mrs. Geo. iMurley. vice-president; Mrs. Leonard Drinkwater, secretary, and Mrs. Geo. Hanna, treasurer. There were nineteen charter members. There are now 87. They have made about 290 bandages. Mrs. G. M. Curnutt is president, and Mrs. Garrett is treasurer.

Sutherland Branch was organized July 6, 1917 with twelve charter members. The first officers were: Mrs. T. L. Cooper, cliairman ; Mrs. Lee Miller, vice-chairman; Mrs. Vest Cooper, secretary: Mrs. P. B. Murray, treasurer. The present officers are: Airs. T. L. Cooper, chairman; Mrs. Lee Miller, vice-chairman; Mrs. \'est Cooper, secretary; Mrs. George Myers, assistant secretary; Mrs. W. W. Draper, treasurer.

Pittsville Branch was organized in December, 1917. There were nineteen charter members. The first meeting was at the Pittsville lodge room. The officers elected were: Mrs. Elsa Henderson, President; Mrs. Jim Hutchinson, Vice-President; Mrs. Lucy Miller, Secretary; Mr. Tom Rice, Treasurer.