The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1917-07-20
GIGANTIC TASK A SUCCESS

An amazing series of quick moves
formed the parts played by the presi-
dent, the treasury department and the
government printing office in sending
the $4,000 Boy Scouts and their Off
cials into 100000 homes in America
on their recent successful Liberty loan
campaign.
This was President Wilson's call to
his young aids:
at will be most gratifying to me as
honorary president of the Boy Scouts
of America to have the Boy Scouts.
their scoutmasters and leaders
throughout the United States lend
their aid to the secretary of the treas
ury in distributing applications and
securing popular subscriptions to the
Liberty loan. This will give every
scout wonderful opportunity to do
his share for his country under the
slogan, Every Scout to Save Soldier
II feel sure this request will find a
unanimous and enthusiastic response
from Boy Scouts everywhere"
And this was the immediate response
of Mr.. Colin H. Livingstone, president
of the national council, Boy Scouts of
America:
ut was with great pleasure that l
received your letter requesting the
Boy Scouts of America to aid the
treasury department in disposing Of
the Liberty loan bonds.
"Your request was at once submit
ted to the executive board of the Boy
Scouts of America, then in session at
headquarters in New York city. Your
letter and its request received unani-
nous and enthusiastic Endorsement,
and all the machinery of the organiza-
ton throughout the country was at
once dedicated to an intensive cam
paign for the sale of the Liberty bond.
"Be assured that the executive Off
GERS, scoutmasters, patrol leaders and
individual members of the Boy Scouts
of America throughout the country Will
respond promptly and loyalty to your
call"
Mr.. r. w. Woolley, the director Of
publicity of the Liberty loan for the
treasury department, sent this Letter:
II have such excellent reports of the
splendid cooperation of the scout Off
cials in the field with the Liberty loan
committees of the twelve reserve dis
tricts that feel must write you how
greatly their work is appreciated here
Placing the Liberty loan is such tre-
mendous job that the best effort each
scout can make will be necessary. 1t
Is pleasure to know that the Boy
Scouts are setting such splendid ex-
ample in practical patriotism"
The national council of the Boy
Scouts of America acted quickly.
study of existing literature on the
Liberty bond was made by the head
quarters staff and copy prepared for
circular. This was taken by the chief
scout executive, Mr.. James e. West,
to Washington, where he conferred
with the treasury department officials.
The matter was taken up with the
public printer and before night ar
rangements were completed for the
printing of 100000 copies of this
circular in the government printing Of
fee.
The size of the job cannot be easily
comprehended by the layman. To
make this possible it was necessary
to cast 40 separate sets of electrotypes.
More than 100000 of the circulars were
completed before the end of the first
day.
While the government printing Office
was turning out the Boy Scout Liberty
loan campaign circulars the whole ma
chinery of the national organization
Of the Boy Scouts of America was ar
ranging the details of the gigantic job
of getting the printed matter into the
hands of 100000 men and boys in ev-
cry state in the Union, and distributed
by them to 100000 homes. {;