davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1917-07-01

With the team the young Belgian
bought this spring he kept plodding
steadily on, hoping TO raise enough
this year to feed his family and con-
tribute something to help TO feed the
Allies. He had his crops pretty largely
planted when one OF his team died.
Here was proposition no bank
could finance. Buying horses is some
thing not countenanced by sound
banking houses. 1t was a time to use
common sense and act quickly. With
new horse the Belgian, a skilled
farmer and bred OF race of farmers,
was likely to secure a good crop.
Without new horse what he had al
ready planted was likely to go to
waste. He got his $3.50 The crop is
the thing they're after. IL new
horse insures a crop. get the horse!
Don't let any crop spoil for the lack
OF little money That is the idea
they are working on.
+ The conditions of the loan in every
instance are expressed in the note the
farmer signs. After the customary 81
promise to pay" formula there is a
clause which reads:
me in planting and caring for my crop
and to secure payment hereof | hereby
declare that all of said crop shall be
held by me in trust for the holder of
this note. The said crop may be sold
by me in the ordinary course of busi-
ness, the proceeds to be collected by
me and held by me in trust, separate
and apart from all other funds, for the
holder of this note"
The notes fan due on December /,
but may he renewed in case the crop
Is not sold by that time. II the season
should prove unproductive - well,
that's another question. II the season
is bad, which is a gamble every farmer
is up against every year, the notes
naturally will have to be carried over.
The only difference this year is that
Wall Street is taking part Of the risk.
You would he amazed to read some
Of the letters of those who expect to
become producers. While the fund
was projected primarily for established
farmers and not to start amateurs at
farming, the letters indicate that there
are plenty OF young fellows, Just the
sort the State OF New York needs, who
are entering farming, The vast ma
jority of the applicants are not more
than 3d. mostly farm reared young
men who consider the best business
chance is now on the land.
There Is teacher in one of the high
! schools IN New York city. farm bred,
| who has bought a farm In Orange
county and whose-son h., Seen taking
/ tho aRripultural cnursa M Cnrnau Ea
The sun., 1917-07-01

They ran as low as $6 and 80, bearing
out Mr.. Coles contention that II is the
Ismall farmer who needs attention.
From the outset the enterprise ap-
pealed as a great patriotic service to
the country. Devotion to the flag Mas
the note which echoed through the
applications One woman who wrote
fof loan OF S4O--and got it--told of
a husband. pensioner of the civil
war, whose father was soldier in the
Mexican war and whose grandfather
was soldier in the Revolution She
said they wished TO buy beans to plant,
adding:
"They come Nigh, but the u. S. 4.
will need them for the men IL the war
is long"
From all over the State farmers
wrote letters to Mr.. Cole. Many of
them were pathetic in their expression
of gratitude for the small loans he had
secured them. and all breathed the
spirit of patriotism From Moproe
county one man wrote:
Il am going to pant seven acres to
beans, which will cost from SIS to
500 for seed and care and fertilizer.
I have the land. the team and the tools
but lack the cash to go ahead with it,"
From Oswego county farmer
wrote: II appreciate very much the
loan, 1t means great deal to me to
have my seed and can assure you
win do my best to get good crops"
neiEi"n saves His Crop.
Up in Oneida county there is a Bel
gian soldier, who. having served his
time in the trenches, took his family
and came to America to begin anew.
His home. his fapm. his team, his
cows, everything. had been swept
away by the war He expected his
aged father to join him, and his
brother, when the latter's term of en-
listment expired.
But the father died from exposure
and the brother was killed in the war
The sun., 1917-07-01

you see | am n school teacher and
n farmer. Last July ! bought a farm,
for | have a son at Cornell stu;-'jng
agriculture. II is likely that shall
retire to the farm when my teaching
days are over.
About April Is my son was granted
a leave of absence from college, pro-
''ided he go to work on a farm. He
went directly to my farm and took di-
rection of affairs.
MY farm contains 124 acres. some
meadow. some pasture, some woodland
and about thirty acres under the
plough. l am planting quarter acre
of onions. two and a half acres of po-
tatoes. one and q quarter acreSof sun
flowers tchicken feed). FIVE acres OF
beans. the balance in rye, oats and
corn, though l hope to put in an acre
OF cabbage.
This Patriotic Farmers Fund is
godsend to me. | am paying my
farmer $40 a month and house My
farm hand left me to enlist. My son
Gust approaching his twenty first
birthday is working for no salary. I
have had to buy teams. tools and seed.
] appreciate this chance to get help.
I am perfectly safe 30 far. for | shall
have.peaches in September and hay in
August.
IF possible to get It l shall have to
have some more help in June and July.
l hope to be on the farm myself in
July and August"
You can see the sort of men the
Patriotic Farmers Fund appeals to.
They are ready to do their share in
hard season.
AS was anticipated, farm help is
high and scarce this. year. Wages are
likely TO soar to 81 and possibly s. a
day before the harvest season is over.
The trustees of the Patriotic Farm
The sun., 1917-07-01

postage, telegraphing and similar
office costs, amounts to between / and
2 per cent. The precise figures of the
loan up to the closing Of banking
hours on Saturday, June Q, were S226,-
S04.66. This amount was placed among
2.267 farmers. whose added acreage
under the plough by reason of the
loans amounts to 23,075 acres.
In other words. at the clbse of the
banking day Of June Q Wall Streets
bit for the war in. the farming line
consisted OF 2,267 different plots
through New York State. tended by
experienced men and totalling 23,075
acres. 1t apparently costs slightly
hess than $40 on the average to plant
one of these acres. To plant Ave acres
of potatoes in Onondaga county cost
one man $500. 1t is doubtful if Wall
Street could pay taxes, hire labor. buy
seed and fertilizer and secure the labor
to plant an acre for $40 under any
other plan than this and at the end
get the money back.
= In connection with the Patriotic
Farmers Fund and along with 1t has
been operated Mayor Mitchel's potato
plan. Carloads of seed potatoes were
brought from Maine and sold to
farmers at less than SO bushel. This
has made 1t possible for many farmers
to plant potatoes this year who with
the general scracity Of seed could not
have done so.
In return each agrees "to use these
potatoes for seed only and for myself
only. also agree that when
am ready to market the potatoes
grown from this seed ! shall give first
option to Mayor Mitchel's Food Supply
Committee for ten days on said po-
tatoes at the market price then pre-
vailing at my shipping point"
The sun., 1917-07-01

ers Fund provided for this by reserv-
ing funds for loans for labor. While
$3.50 only is allowed as the maximum
loan for the epring planting-the seed
loan-S350 more may be borrowed on
the same crop to harvest it, This will
bring the maximum amount loaned to
any individual up to $500. Blanks for
the second application, the labor loan,
are already out.
The details of securing a loan are
as simple and as free from red tape as
1t is possible to make them with or
dinary safety.
Terms of the Loans.
A farmer desiring a loan has but to
fill out an application blank stating
for what crop he wkshes to borrow,
whether for potatoes. for corn, for
wheat beans. onions or what, On the
blank he gives particulars about him.
self and his property, his age. expe-
rience, his financial rating, his mort
gage and so on. These data are suffi-
cient for an expert like Mr.. Cole to
form ready estimate of the risk with
out ever seeing the man.
The application must be approved
by a local loan committee. This Is
made up OF three men from the local
grange. They sign. as the blank
states, without recourse" Their sig
natures are in no sense an indorse-
ment. On their approval the local
bank, the branch of the fund nearest
at hand. accepts the unindorsed note
Of the farmer and iseples to him the
The sun., 1917-07-01
Six Power Chinese Loan Agreement Dies,
but American Bankers Take Up Burden

T HE Six Power banking agree
ment, effected in February.
- 1912. by the United States.
Great Britain, Germany. France, Rus
sia and Japan. to finance the require
ments Of China expired yesterday by
Limitation. Though negotiations have
been almost continuous since the
agreement was signed not one Ameri-
can dollar has ever been advanced to
China as the direct result OF this
agreement, which was the outgrowth
of the late John Hays open door pol
icy for China.
With the expiration OF the agree
ment the bankers who formed the
groups concerned in il become free to
act as they please in regard to financ-
ing China, but owing TO the war China
appears TO be as far away as ever
from obtaining the. money she needs
to carry out certain improvements
and other plans which have been held
in allegiance since the agreement was
first projected. True. China has been
able to obtain certain sums of money
from various nations in spite Of the
bankers refrained from action because
OF the agreement.
The American banking syndicate OF
the Six Power group consists Of ]. p.
Morgan & Co. Kuhn. Loeb & Co. the
First National Bank and the National
city Bank. Time and time again this
group has sought to renew negotia-
tions as the result of certain changes
in the international situation, but each
time the negotiations failed. Only re-
Gently, when diplomatic relations with
Germany were severed, the American
banking syndicate attempted to re-
sumo negotiations. A member OF each
of the firms involved in the syndicate
they met with the same response as
before.
America Joins the Powers.
American bankers first became in
terested in the loan in the spring OF
f909. upon the expressed desire of the
State Department that financial
group should be organized to take up
the participation to which American
capital was entitled in the Hukuang
Railway loan agreement then under
negotiation by British, French and
German banking groups. This group
became interested in the project not
primarily for its own profit but for
the purpose indicated by President
Taft and Secretary Knox, as stated in
President Taft's message to Congress
of December, 1909,
The main purpose of the syndicate
was to carry out practical and real
application of the open door policy
which the United States Government
had initiated some years before The
State Department considered that
American cooperation with the bank
ing groups of the other great Powers
would enable the United States n
exercise a practical voice In China
affairs and constituted the hest guar
anty for the preservation of China's
integrity,
At the request of the Administration
the American banking group then en-
! tered into an agreement with the
British, French and German groups
for the purpose Of rendering financial
assistance TO China, but In February
1912, these four groups, at the request
OF their Governments and with the
| consent OF China, admitted Russian
and Japanese financial groups to the
The sun., 1917-07-01

negotiations Tor the reorganization
loan. thus constituting what has since
been known as the Six Power loan
group.
Following the agreement certain
sums Of money were advanced by GER
tain groups, which enabled the pro-
visional Chinese Government to estab-
lish itself more firmly and to restore
normal conditions throughout the
country. Finally after many months
Of negotiations an agreement was
reached between the six groups and
the Chinese Government. The origi-
nal terms OF the agreement covered
two points. First, China was to reor-
ganize its Administration on a more
effective basis, to pay off its outstand-
ing debts and to build up Chinese
credit throughout the world.
The second point of the agreement
was to protect American and Euro
pean investors. For such protection,
I in the judgment of the Governments
and the groups, the only method was
to insure despite any possible recur-
renee OF political unrest the proper
expenditure of funds lent TO China
and to safeguard the handling OF reve-
nues pledged for principal and inter-
est OF bonds.
President Wilson Objects.
When the Wilson Administration
came into power the American group
of bankers after series of delays in
signing the agreement called at the
State Department and placed their
position frankly before Secretary of
State Bryan. They stated their desire
to withdraw from the negotiations un-
less II was the intention of the new
Administration to follow the same line
as its predecessors. After~a confer
ence OF the Cabinet a few days later
a formal announcement came from
the White House declaring that while
the present Administration was in
power the United States would no
longer continue to be party>to the Six
Power group.
The main objection OF the Admins
tration TO the agreement was that this
Government did not desire to assume
the responsibility of participation
which might involve interference in
political affairs in China. President
Wilson stated that he considered such
interference obnoxious to fundamental
= American principles. The statement
contained an expression of willingness
to aid the development of China's re-
sources and further expression OF
sympathy with the establishment of
republican principles in China.
With this statement from the Ad-
ministration the American group with
drew entirely from the negotiations,
but since that time there have been
repeated attempts by China TO renew
the negotiations. In June of last year
the firm Of Lee, Hisginson 4 Co. was
appointed fiscal agent OF the Chinese
Government in the United States.
This Arm called together the American
group for several conferences on a
loan OF $30,0O0.0O0, which was TO be
used in development work of water
ways of the Far Eastern republic.
The Government at Pekin needed
money very badly, not only for. this
purpose but for the payment of press
ing debts in fact for meeting ordinary
governmental administration. THE
time the Chinese Government appealed
to the State Department for help In
obtaining the money but when the
American bankers called at the State
The sun., 1917-07-01
Fred w. Sessions president of the State Agricultural Society
who is helping Wall Street do its bit for farmer.

ers. 1t stepped in and lent small sums
to thousands of individual native
farmers. The loans paid a net profit
of 9 per cent, he said. and there were
less than per cent. of deferred pay
ments.
He volunteered the opinion that
II the Egyptian farmer, who owned
nothing. for the most part, save the
cotton shirt on his back, who had the
land, no capital no stock-if this
farmer, who could not speak the Ian
guage Of the lending corporation, was
a good risk, the American farmer,
with tradition and intelligence and
principle and character and owner
ship OF the land, was the best risk in
the world.
The principle finally prevailed that
numerous loans, widely scattered in
small amounts, would constitute a risk
analogous to life insurance; il was a
matter for actuaries to calculate,
Definitely, in the minds of these men
Of finance, the farmer was set down as
"a high moral risk"
So Ney called in the lawyers and
had them arrange the details decently
the banking law, yet the terms had to
be flexible enough to meet the needs
of a country stirred by patriotic i'm
pulse and TO permit Wall Street to per-
form this service for the nation. They
drew up form of note and an appli-
cation form and secured the coopera-
ton of 200 up State banks as auxiliary
disbursing points.
More Than 1000 Loans.
Then on April 23 with perhaps half
a million or million to draw on in the
Chase and Hanover national banks in
New York. Marc W. Cole, the secre-
, tary of the fund, took charge of the
offices in Utica, Fred w. Sessions,
president of the State Agricultural So
ciety, is a director in the Citizens
Trust Company OF, Utica, and he Sc
| cured the facilities OF that bank for
the use of the fund
Forthwith began unpre Cedented ac-
| tivity in farm loans. The story that
| $lOO00,000 would he available for
quick farm loans had been spread to
al parts Of the State. and pile of ap-
plications awaited Mr.. Coles arrival.
In two days he had an Office s;1E Or
glnized and was doing business. All
through the month Of May he was di 8
| bursting at the rate OF $4,000 a day.
More than 1000 individual loans were
made. They averaged a shade above
/ 800 each, u was the widest spread
| quickest loan Of the sort on record.
For the spring planting = limit of
| E.Ai
the loans we're mostly below that sum.
The sun., 1917-07-01
An UnspOken Tragedy.

The next who comes to my table is
an Italian woman She has lived here
sixteen years and is an American citi-
zen by virtue of having husband
who has been naturalized, but she
speaks only Italian and has. to bring a
younger woman to interpret. She has
five children and her life is spent in
her home, but she does not know how
to sew.
"She has to put out her own sew
ing the interpreter tells me with open
amusement at the question.
This is one Of the unexpected things.
We have an idea that the European
women are skilful in needlework of all
kinds, hut Of all the Italian women I
registered none could sew
After she goes with her card. on
which she has made her mark, a sad
eyed man comes, He was born in
Germany. he says. and though he has
New-York tribune., 1917-11-18

Mrs. Alice Dodd. Of Evansville, Ind the hrst
American mother to lose her son in battle. ne
Private James B. Cresham-we, among the
IT,. k;II.a IN the engagement of November D.
"Tll never get cold feet he wrote IN his last
letter home. ''"'' ''
New-York tribune., 1917-11-18

of Pershing. be lost battle Their
the of November their salient
of killed wounded and
o.d missing Le-Pate Dewey Kern Of Collins
AHon
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-29
C()F

Claire Golden Is home from agricul-
tural college at Ames, Iowa, for the
holiday vacation.
Harry Sample was in Rock Island on
business Monday,
Mrs. Ida Pearsal and daughter Or
pad OF Alexis HI, are visiting at the
home OF Mr.. and Mrs C.. j. Golden.
Relatives here have received word
OF a distressing accident at Tripou,
Iowa, where William Nahlstedt was
working with a corn shredder His
sleeve caught ana drew the arm in,
decorating II so badly that it was neces-
sary &c anputate II at the elbow. He
time.
Farmers here are busy shredding
corn. Norman Marshall Is doing the
The friends and .neighbors assembled
at the home Of Mr., and Mrs. Sam stan
ley Tuesday evening and gave them a
surprise, IL being their ninth wedding
anniversary. All enjoyed good social
( evening.
Mr. and Mrs Anthony FilImer visited
relatives in Rock Island last week.
Miss Anna Craig Of Adelphia school
| Il enjoying her holiday vacation at her
I home in Fruitland, Iowa.
Mr. and Mrs. James Sample and sons
and Mr.. and Mrs. Louis Reiling ate
| Christmas dinner at the home of Mrs
George Genung.
Wednesday, Jan .. Earl Flickenger
will have his sale Of live stock and i'm
plements.
| Lou Bruner Of Minnesota is here Wis
| iting with relatives during the hon-
DAYS.
| Mrs. Fred Ashdown, who is III. Is a
I little better. but Is stiu very III. A
| trained nurse is attending her
| Miss Mary Reeves of Cordova visited
few days at the homo of Charles
| Sample.
/ Mr., and Mrs. William Ashdown and
Mr.. ana Mrs. Henry Reiling and family
4 let "a 40 r. kEr.g
| Albert Reillng.
Mr.. and Mrs. Louis Genung au6
| daughter Frances visited relatives il
| Port Byron Christmas day.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-29
GALESBURG MAN Is
ARRESTED IN SOUTH

New Orleans, La, Dec % James
B. Cotton Of Galesburg, H., arrested
here by postoffice inspectors charged
with using the mails to defraud in an
alleged horse race tipping scheme,
yesterday was held under 81 900 bonds
by United States Commissioner
Browne for trial in federal court. Pos
tai officials charged Cotton forged the
names of G. c. Winfrey and ], B.
Goodman, horse owners now racing
at the Shrewsbury track here. to let
ters sent to persons in various parts
of the country offering TO sell tips"
on horses racing here. The stewards
OF the Shrewsbury track yesterday
ruled Cotton off the turf for life.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-29
COMISKEY OFFERED
BIG SUM FOR BUSH

Boston, Mass, Dec. 90 Referring
to the trade by which the Boston club
obtained Bush, Schaug, and strunk,
President Frazee Of the Rel Sox said
he had ben offered $4,000 by Charles
Comiskey. owner of the Chicago club,
Tor Bush alone
Frazee announced his willingness TO
stage q CITY series here with the Bos-
ton Nationals before the opening of
the regular season on April IS. The
Red Sox viii start for Hot Springs
spring training on March IS
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-29
SPORT SUMMARY

Chicago. Dec. 29-T,.e White sox
will leave for Mineral Wells, Texas
March 16, on their training trip.
Welker Cochran Won the 1872 bill
lizard match from Albert Cutler. 3 1000
to COZ, at New York.
Boxing contest between Johnny Err
tie and Jack Wolfe was called off AZ
Cleveland because Ertle had a lame
back. They will meet Jan. %.
Fred Fulton of Rochester, MINI
and Harry Texas Tate of Oklahoma
have been rematched for 15-round
fight at Joplin, Mo. Jan, 1o
Ed Walsh, former star pitcher for
the White Sox, was Internationally
released by the Boston Nationals.
Frank Maron OF Pittsburgh and
Fred Fulton of Rochester, Mimi. have
been matched for a 20-round fight at
New Orleans JAN 20.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-29

Christmas programs were held at
Christmas eve and ar J lyn Sunday
eve.
Miss Bessie Reynolds spent Christ
mas day with her sister. Mrs. Frank
Wainwright
Mr., and Mrs. AIvan Scarf were shop
pers in Moline Monday,
John Mills spent Christmas We in
Moline with friends
Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Wake entertain
ed Mrs Sarah Beal Mrs. Ralph Beal
and family Omar barr and family and
Jesse Nicholson and family at Christ
mas dinner.
Sheldon Mumma was a Moline caller
Saturday.
Mr.. and Mrs. William Shiuleiber spent
Christmas Gay at the a. Mead home.
Mrs. E, Wainwright returned to her
home Tuesday evening after few days
visit with Mrs. Sheldon Numma
Omar karr of Rock Falls visited at
the home Of Mrs. Sarah Beal last week
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-29
AMATEURS PLANNING
FOR SOLDIER GAMES

Cleveland, Ohio, Dec 29--Sand lot
baseball may be called on 10 do its
share for the war. Clayton TONNES.
president Of the National Federation
Of Baseball made up Of amateur ball
teams IN Toledo, Chicago and numer-
Gus other cities, yesterday announced
he would confer with Joseph Roycroft,
secretary of the United States train
ing camp activities commission, with
a view OF staging games next summer
between soldiers mines and teams In
the federation.
Townes, with Frank p. Coates. To
ledo, vice president Of the federation.
left for New York today. They pro-
pose to raise half a million dollars
from the proceeds OF the games to
buy baseball equipment for the sol
diers.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-29
WEE GILMAN HOME m
CHI SOLD IN DEAL

Chicago, Dec. President WEIGH
man of the Cubs failed TO nook up
with Ban Johnson yesterday in that
mysterious conference but he pulled
off pretty fair deal at that, by SELL
ing his house The beautiful residence
at 1927 Sheridan road which Mr.
Weeghman has occupied since he be-
came a baseball magnate has been
disposed Of TO John r. Collins. a coal
man. The price reported was $4,000.
Mr.. Weeghm8n has made no an
nOuncement as to where he expects
to move but he has no intention Of
quitting Chicago, at least not before
he has given the north Side fans q
pennant winner. He viii start on
that today, when he viii have O con
ference with Manager Fred Mitchell,
who is expected to arrive here this
morning.