The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-07-31
Prominent Men and Women Start
Movement Whereby Every.
one May Help .....
TO EXTEND COMMUNITY IDEA
Works Out With Great Success In
New York-Pians to Coordinate
= and Direct on Nonmilitary
Side Patriotic Efforts Of
All Citizens. -
BY DAYTON sToDpART.

New York.-PrOminent men and
women here have started q movement
whereby every man, woman and child
tn the United States may aid their gov.
eminent to win the world war.
1t has been under way but q short
time, vet assistance Of great value was
given to both the Liberty loan and
Red Cross campaigns; the next g6xI
set is such cooperation with Hoover
of Belgium" as to make waste in the
kitchen and on the table 9 problem OF
the past. ...,... ~
The new organization is called the
Patriotic Service league. 1t was con-
ceived by Prof. Ellery c.. Stowell, ex-
pert on international affairs and men,
Der Of the Columbia university faculty.
The leagues purpose Is to weld the
nation together, with the community
idea extended to include the whole
people. r. ,..~5->,,~ .,...... .a<. ~;
Impossible" you may remark. 1T
can't be done. Community spirit is
very fine for small place or for&a
section where folks of similar inta
ests and tastes live. But it wouldn't
work out in big place. Not a bit."SS5
"Works" In New York.
But it has worked out in New York
and that in section where live both
reformers Of the purely theoretical
type and insurgent workingmen in a
board strip running across New York
city, the political designation Of
which is the Nineteenth congressional
district. 1t includes the homes Of some
of the richest and the poorest families
Of the metropolis. ~ 49,.
In New York, Of all places, the COM
munity idea Of nationalism has worked
out, and very successfully, too. As
the terms community spirit" may
seem rather. indefinite to some, the ex.
act significance. Of what Mr.. Stowell
means; when he uses the term may
best be set forth by himself. H. t.....
Several months ago, when the ne
cessity Of rousing the country to the
fact that every resource Of the United
States should be available for war,
Mr.. Stowell thought of the old town
meetings in New England. ~.
"lf," he asked himself, ''this plan
worked to weld together a town or
village, why could not the same prin-
ciple be applied to the entire nation?"
Intensive thought on the question
confirmed his idea that it could. He
selected the congressional district as
the best geographical division for a
unit Of the league. 49,. ........ 49,.
He chose the Nineteenth COMPRESSION.
al district to try. out his plans. He
had as coworkers other members of
the Columbia university faculty and
women who volunteered their serv.
ices. -.,.-....-. .z-
Canvas Houos to House.
Friends Of those working directly
with Mr.. Stowell were obtained and a
committee was made up with at least
one representative from each election
district. These, in turn, canvassed
apartment houses and dwellings in
every one of the 115 districts.
The surprising part about the be-
ginning of the movement was that the
pioneers found no hostility, only well
come, in the houses they visited. This
in spite of the fact that although
they may have lived for years ada.
cent to family, neither had spoken.
It was q means never before offered
for everybody in the district getting
to know almost everybody else.
When the district had been can
vassed, meeting was called. Tenn
porary officers Of the small unit of the
league We're chosen. All it was neces-
sary to do to become q member Of
the league was to pay 80 cents initia-
ton fee. This is the only contribution
paid to the league proper; other con-
tributions depend solely on the ex-
penses and aims Of the organization
In each congressional district or In
each election. district.