Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-24
NATION FACES
GREATEST TEST
ON LIBERTY DAY
10 Determine if Second Pa
triOtic Loan of 1917 Shall
Succeed or Fail.
BUSINESS OF COUNTRY
Is SUSPENDED FOR DAY
Every Effort Will Be Concen-
trated on Campaign for
Sale of Bonds.
VAST SUM MUST BE RAISED
Only -Four Days Remain, and Amount
Hoped For Is Only Half
Subscribed.
VAST SUM MUST BE RAISED
Only -Four Days Remain, and Amount
Hoped For Is Only Half
Subscribed.
rBy Associated Press1

WASHINGTON, October 23.-To-mor.
row, Liberty Day by proclamation OF
President Wilson, the nation faces the
test OF determ lining whether the second
Liberty loan Of 1917 shall roll up an
overwhelming success.
1t faces the greatest day of the cam
paiEn with not more than half of the
6,ooo.ooo.oo0 hoped for actually sub
scrioed. according 10 careful estimates
compiled by Treasury officials tonight
Two and one-half billion dollars. they
estimate must be obtained In subscrip-
tions In tho four days that remain.
Tho field force of 100000 workers
win be REINFORCED tomorrow by
speakers including members Of the
Cabinet. former President Taft. VIII
liam ]. Bryan. Speaker Clark and other
nationally known orators.
SECRETARY McADoo
SOUNDS THE KEYNOTE
Secretary AcAdoo. teleGraphing from
Nashville. sounded the Keynote OF the
day In a Liberty Day statement issued
hero tonight:
'All that is needed now to make the
Liberty loan an overwhelming sue
cess" he said. lis that the people gen
the personal application OF the loan
appeal There is still too much of q
tendency to believe that the loan will
be subscribed easily and without as
sistancs OF the average man and
woman.
Tho Liberty loan will succeed only
IL members Of each family realize their
direct responsibility. and loan their
tn hnIr
tho purchase OF Liberty bonds, the
safest investment in the world. the
proceeds OF which will be used to arm
and equip our soldiers lighting for the
FREQ institutions. the property and
lives OF those OF us who must remain
at home.
BY this means only can n victory
be won quickly and peace restored 10
aEonized humanity. Let neither apathy
nor indifference nor overconfdence lull
US into a false security. That is the
only way the Kaiser can defeat
America and conquer the world
Militant America can whip the
Kaiser: the Kaiser can whip apathctic
America"
BUSINESS AT STANDsTTLL
THROUGHOUT THE NATION
Business Will be well-nigh at a
standstill throughout the nation to-
morrow. except for the sale of Liberty
bonds Designated a national holiday
by President Wilson, the day has also
been made holiday by Governors OF
the various States. Business houses
and schools will be closed: thousands
OF speakers will deliver addresses, and
hundreds OF thousands OF new workers
will join for the day the army of 1000
900 solicitors already in the field.
These workers will carry the call OF
tho nation with special emphasis TO
tho farmer. The farmers have been
invited by the hundred thousands to
como to town and attend Liberty loan
rallies, and workers also are going into
the country to solicit subscriptions
Particular efforts are to be put for
ward" says the Treasury Departments
statement tonight, Ito obtain further
subscriptions from farmers in the
South and parts OF the Middle West.
AS was the case a week ago. the rural
communities In those sections are
making the weakest showings OF any
In the country.
Returns from all Federal reserve
districts show that at the beginning Of
business to-day subscriptions of
1851 ,3s2.150 had been ofIiciany re-
ported to them; this represents sub
scriptionH upon which the first pay
ment of per cent has been deposited
in banks reporting to the reserve
hanks.
ESTIMATE OF $4,000. o0o.oO0
APPEARS CONSERVATIVE
unofficial figures indicate that an
estimate Of s2.50o.O00.OoO for all sales
appears to be conservative. 1t Is i'm
possible to give unofficial estimates
from all reserve districts. Many OF
them are experiencing difficulty in OBJ
tanning returns on account of storms.
others aver the country districts arc
not reporting. Some simply do not re-
port.
briefly stated, then. the situation to-
night is that the SO. 900. 600, 900 minimum
quota set for the loan at the outset
Of the campaign, on October /, will be
passed tomorrow II Liberty Day sub
scriptions come up TO conservative ex-
pectatinns. They may carry the total
beyond that point The maximum to-
tai Of $4,000 oO0. 900 is far distant, how
ever. To attain it by the close of the
sale Saturday will be A feat worthy Of
the best mettle.
Official totals OF tho various dis
tricts include:
New York, 5000. $40. 1000; Boston,
$1s4.20o.oo0; Cleveland, s1s3,750, 900:
Minneapolis, s63.250, 900: Richmond,
s6s,lse.e50; Chicago. $1s5. 900; st.
$4,000 TroDtinOa5 ~ ThI.J De-