The Washington herald., 1917-07-03
HOLLAND LETTER
The Biggest Daily
Financial News Feature Of
the Counhy's Best Newspapers.

Montana will lead every other State
OF the Union in responses made to
the liberty loan call. The corrected
returns, an analysis of which was re-
ceived in New York City this morning.
show that in its per capita appor-
tionment of the loan, Montana sur
passed. relatively speaking, the sub
scriptions reported from any other
State. Were a prize or any special
designation of honor to be awarded
for the best achievement, Montana
would receive II. The apportionment
for the State was $6,T6s.OOO but there
was subscribed by citizens Of the
State Sl3, 3,43o.10O. Had the other States
of the far Northwest done as well as
Montana. the total subscriptions re-
ported from that section would be ap-
proXimately twice as much as the
amount actually subscribed, which
was a little over s70.Ooo,O0O. This
amount is nearly 5000 900 less than the
Gpportionment for the entire district
Detailed information brought to
New York this morning by some of
those who had part in the vigorous
campaigning work for the liberty loan
that was carried on in the ninth re-
serve district, made up Of the States
of Michigan, or the northern peninsula
Of that State. Minnesota. Montana.
North Dakota, South Dakota and
Wisconsin, tell Of some very peculiar
conditions which prevail in the North
west. to which the attitude of the
State of Montana toward the liberty
loan furnished a strange and graft
flying exception. These conditions are
of kind which are OF importance to
the entire country. especially in view
OF the probability that the Secretary
of the Treasury. Mr.. McAdoo, will
offer new loan some time in mid
autumn.
Montana differs from the other
States of that section in the fact that.
leaving out the mining and industrial
labor. the native-born population Is
considerably in the majority, All over
the Northwest the various committees
which in six or seven weeks undertook
to float Ss,OOo.OO0 of the liberty loan,
discovered taht the native-born citi-
zens were those who were the easiest
to approach. and who were the quick
est to understand what the opportun-
tiles and obligations relating to the
new loan were, whereas the citizens
who were of foreign birth, or whose
parents immigrated from countries
across the sea, were often appealed
TO in vain, not manifesting open hos
tility to the loan. but apparently en-
tertaining exactly the kind of senti-
ment respecting it which might be ex-
pected We're German propagandists ac-
lively at work.
1t was said this morning by one who
took part In the liberty loan campaign
that the foreign population in the
Ninth Reserve district. Of which Min
neapolis Is the center, is very large,
probably proportionately larger than
in any other district Of the United
States, excepting possibly New York
City. Careful estimates, which the
recent campaign for the liberty loan
made possible. place the native-born
population in Wisconsin. Minnesota
and North Dakota, at from % to 81
per cent. In Northern Michigan,
South Dakota and Montana. the ma
tive-born population ranges from 81
per cent to 80 per cent. The larger
figure represents the natlve-born pop
ulation in Montana, and undoubtedly
explains ghy 1t was that Montana
OvcIsubscribed her allotment by 100
per cent.
This foreign population. which in
the entire district Is so greatly in
excess of the native-born population,
is made up of some thirty or forty
different nationalities, but Germans
and Scandinavians preponderate. The
German emigration to Minnesota in
the early days OF that State was very
large, and this is also true of Wis
consin. In North and South Dakota
is very large German element ana
in Wisconsin, Minnesota and the two
Dakotas the Scandinavian population
IS also very large, probably preponder-
ating.
When the various committees were
appointed for the purpose of making
thorough campaigning throughout
these six States. it was realized that
the chances were strong that they
would have difficulty in interesting the
Germans and Austrians. of whom they
are many, in the loan, while 1t was
deemed certain that the Scandinavians
would look upon any suggestion that
they subscribe not with hostility but
with absolute indifference. These
forecasts were found to be correct. In
fact, the campaigning committees dis
covered that in many places there
seemed to have been established a
tacit understanding on the part of
the Germans that when appeal was
made to them to subscribe to the
lean, they should reply that they
had no money. and therefore, could
make no subscription. Yet the solicit
tors knew that in many cases these
statements were false. because the
people who made these replies had
good balances at the bank or de-
posits in the savings bank.
,dfharanf
the Scandinavians took when the solic-
itors approached them. They pro-
fessed to have not the slightest inter-
est in the appeal. They were not
hostile to the loan. but apathetic, nor
could any argument or persuasion
cause them to change their minds.
In Montana it was different, and
although the State is one Of the
largest in area in the Union. being
500 miles wide and 400 miles from
north to south, and although its popu-
lation is less than that of the city
OF Minneapolis, yet citizens as a whole
responded not only willingly but in
many cases with enthusiasm.
Many times solicitors were told that
II there was to be conscription and a
draft. then IL the government wanted
money, 1t should find the way to take
the money from the pockets Of the
so-called predatory rich. That senti-
ment was so common, especially
among the German element, that Il
did not fail to suggest that II re-
nected propa ganda work which was
hall a.