Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-22
ONLY 40PERCENT
| OF LIBERTY LOAN
MAXIMUM RAISED
Swings Into Homestretch
With Subscriptions of
$1,973,0 100000.
UNNECESSARY HANDICAP
IMPOSED UNWITTINGEY
Friends Enormously Believe That
Treasury Deliberately Minin-
ICES Totals Reported.
VIGOROUS DRIVE THIS WEEK
Two Disturbing Elements Appear,
Apathy in Certain Sections and
Overconfldence.
UNNECESSARY HANDICAP
IMPOSED UNWlTTlNGIY
VIGOROUS DRIVE THIS WEEK
Two Disturbing Elements Appear,
Apathy in Certain Sections and
Overconfldence.
IBy Associated Press1

tBy Associated Prcss1
WASHINGTON, October Ell The
Liberty loan campaign swings into the
homestretch tomorrow. with subscrip-
lions OF only Sl.s73, ,000.o 600. or slightly
under 40 per cent of the hoped-for
maximum. In the final spurt to the
finish next Saturday. officials said to-
plight, II carries a handicap, regard
ed as unnecessary, in the form OF
widespread reports that the totals an
nounced by the Treasury Department
are actually far below the totals really
subscribed
This handicap. 1t is said. IL imposed
unwittinEly by the loans best friends,
who have come to believe. in many
instances. that the Treasury. Depart
nnent has deliberately made the total
subscriptions appear less. "by several
hundred million dollars" than the real
returns. No such practice, it was en-
phatical1y asserted tonight. has pre-
vailed. The totals. official and csti-
mated. as announced each night. Il was
asserted. represent the sum Of official
and estimated returns sent daily by
wire TO the Treasury. and are not
altered. juggled or reduced
Ever since the latter part Of the
week of the drive" reads the Treas
ury Departments statement tonight
almost three weeks ago. exaggerated
reports Of the total amount OF sub
scriptions have been published daily
IN connection with stories that Treas
ury Department figures were bearish
to the extent Of several hundred mil
lion dollars
PUBLIsHEs LATEST
OFFICIAL FIGURES
''rhe policy of the department
throughout the campaign has been to
publish the latest official figures AT
hand exactly as returned by the diff
ferent Federal reserve banks, and TO
make public without change estimates
forwarded to Washington by heads OF
the various district committees.
'Committee chairmen throughout the
country have been asked TO base their
estimates on what they know TO be
the facts. and. in so far as Is known
Mt the department. they have done Sc
THE situation tonight. therefore.
according TO the best Information that
the department possesses. is that the
sales TO date are about $1,000. 600 900
short Of the minimum. and $4,000, ,OOU,-
600. short o. the maximum quotas set
for TIE country by Secretary McAdoo
at the outset OF The campaign.
Vigorous efforts will be made In
every district between Tomorrow
morning and next Saturday noon to
raise the s500o.00o.oo0 total. The S3,-
0oG 100000 mark is being lost sight Of
in the fight for the higher figure
"one Of the strongest arguments to
be used In the closing days Of the
campaign will be the figures for the
seventh German war loan, just made
public.
GERMANS SUBSCRIBE
s3.107 100000 TO LOAN
after more than three years of war.
and with casualty list estimated at
= S.5o0,o00 persons. the German people,
exclusive Of soldiers. have subscribed
I 07,50o,0o0 to a loan. Nothing would
give the Kaiser and all other enemies
OF this country more pleasure. it will
be pointed out, than for the people of
the United States to fail to subscribe
greater amount than this to the sec
ond Liberty loan, when they have had
only one previous loan and virtually no
casualties.
THE general outlook for the sale is
good. Only two disturbing elements
appear: the apathy Of certain rural
! communities Of the Middle West and
. South, and overconfidence, bred by un-
! founded optimistic reports Of sales
Liberty Day. next Wednesday,
doubtless will see Il food Of subscrip-
tons. The country will celebrate that
! occasion, made a national holiday by
| President Wilson, as 1t has not cele-
brated a holiday in many years. Nor
will all It's enthusiasm go in applause
and speeches. II will be a sales day,
as we'll as day of oratory and dis
play Communities in all the twelve
districts OF the country predict that
the sales for that day will outstrip
any other single day in the history Of
either the first or the second loan
Liberty Day speakers include for
mer President Taft. former Vice-Presi-
dent Fairbanks and Secretary Redheld
and william J. Bryan and practically
nil Cabinet members.
BOY SCOUT CAMPAIGN
CONTINUES UNABATED
"The Boy Scout campaign, which be-
gan last Saturday with 100000 work
ers In the field, will continue unabated
until Thursday night. The Scouts re-
port good progress
.'Recapltulation of sales made through
different organizations OF persons OF
foreign birth or extrat tion show that
great numbers of so-called German
American bodies. including many who
supported the first loan, are striving
hard to make the second loan q sue
cess.
Special efforts are being put forth
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