The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-05-12
CLEMENS HEADS
BUREAU; PLAN TO
MAKE Big DRIVE
Patriotic Section of Com
mercial Club is Placed
Under Way Today.
MANY FEATURES
TO BE HANDLED
Program Outlined Today
Covers Wide Range of
War Time Problems

A campaign for sustaining member
ships for the patriotic bureau Of the
Fargo commercial club, which is in
tended to centraliZe and act as a.
clearing house for all patriotic activ-
tiles and to cooperate with any 9TH
or organization in a patriotic cause,
will be started next week, according
to an outline of Work and plans for
the bureau, drafeNA and adopted at a
meeting of the patriotic bureau COM
mittee at noon today. when Pierre w.
Clemens was elected general chair
man.
Much Of the work which will be
taken over by the bureau has been
carried on by the club, and at the ex-
pense of the club. In the formation of
a patriotic bureau, or clearing house
the club is accepting responsibility for
patriotic work, and is asking the gen.
eral public to assist by taking a mem
bership.
Home Defense League.
The big function of this bureau will
be that designated as the Home De-
Tense league. This branch of. the bu-
reau will develop home guard, men
who will train themselves for emer-
gency service. The paraphernalia and
equipment of the agricultural college
cadets has been offered to the guard
for their use at the close of the school
term.
The league will also organize and
maintain an information and publicity
committee. This committee will have
on hand for the use Of the general
public information on all matters
pertaining to the new duties of Amer
lean citizenship. 1t will act as a
clearing house Of information on or
ganizations that are soliciting funds
for patriotic purposes, discriminating
between those that are legitimate. and
those that are not.
It will have information relative to
the new income and revenue taxes.
Will give advice as to the require
ments of various branches of the mil
itary and naval service, and will act
as q general free committee of coun-
sci to Fargo's citizenship.
Use Information Blank.
The league will also issue an in
formation blank on which citizens will
be asked to record their business ex-
perience. and express their desire and
Willingness to be enrolled for service.
Another department of the bureau
will be that known as the emergency
crop and labor bureau, which will
work in conjunction with other COM
mercial organizations and patriotic
bureaus throughout the state, to the
end that the farm labor and machin-
cry problem may be scientifically dealt
with.
. 1t is expected that these committees
OF the bureau, and others that may
be organized as matters develop. will
have regular hours during which they
Mill be ION duty and their services
available for the general public.
Will Pay No Salaries.
There will be no salaries paid to
anyone, except those hired by the day
in clerical positions. The expense for
all postage, stationery, telephone bills
.1 telegram expense will be of such
portions as to make it absolutely
essential that there be a commensur-
ate fund on hand to meet these nee
essary obligations.
The campaign for membership will
be started next week. and it is hoped
that those who have already grasped
the vision OF this big patriotic move
ment will make use of the application
printed elsewhere in this paper, sign
it, and send it in with their fee at
once. It is expected that many will
take more than one membership. This
is especially expected of secret socie-
ties and lodges of all kinds.