Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-17
DENKMANN HEADS
COMMISSION HERE
Will Serve As General Chairman Of
Entertainment Proposed for Ar.
senal Soldiers.
SYSTEMATIC PLAN TO BE MADE
Similar Bodies Will Serve in Cities of
Davenport and Moline During
the War.
SYSTEMATIC PLAN TO BE MAD

Today announcement was made of
the appointment of F. C. Denkmann as
general chairman of the Rock Island
war camp community service, which
will undertake the first systematic
plan for the development of the rec
reational and social entertainment of
soldiers who are now and who will be
subsequently stationed at Rock Is
land arsenal. The appointment of Mr..
Denkmann as general chairman was
made by William Padgett, repre-
sentative of the war department COM
mission on training camp activities,
better known as the Fosdick commits
sion. While the Craftsmanship was
rendered to Mr.. Denkmann by Mr..
Padget, it was also at the request Of
Colonel George W. Burr, commandant
at the arsenal, that Mr.. Denkmann ac-
cepted the responsibility. Following
is Colonel Burr's letter to Mr.. Denk-
mann:
Rock Island, Arsenal. F. C. Denk-
mann, Rock Island, Ill. Dear Mr..
Denkmann: knowing your keen in
terest in all movements looking to hu-
man betterment, l am going to ask
you to accept the general chairman
ship Of the war community service or
ganization to be formed by you in the
city of Rock Island. / shall be glad
to recognize your committee as the Of
fetal committee for social and recre-
ational resources for the soldiers at
Rock Island arsenal while on leave
! in the city of Rock Island. William
/ Padget, representative of the war de-
partment (Fosdick) commission on
training camp activities, who is in this
vicinity, is versed in the direction
which these activities have taken in
the neighborhood of other military
posts and will be glad to be of any
service to your committee which you
may desire to accept. A similar COM
mittee has been formed in the city OF
/ Davenport and 1t Is the purpose to
form such committee in the city of
Moline and to have the work of the
three committees coordinated.
| my object in asking you to form
this committee and serve as the d.
recting head of it is to coordinate and
in a measure control the entertain
ment which the patriotic citizens OF
your city may from time to time de-
sire to give for the soldiers. For want
Of central directing body much OF
this effort is now lost and l think that
a committee such as have indicated
can SO regulate these affairs that the
soldiers will receive a maximum OF
benefit from the efforts made for theft
entertainment.
COLONEL GEORGE ". BURR"
Must Have Approval.
| The purpose of the work Of the com
mittee OF which MIR. Denkmann is the
head is to systematic the diversion
provided by the patriotic citizens O,
Rock Island, in order that the morale
OF the soldiers may be kept at the
highest possible mark. 1t is expected
that within a few weeks more thar
one thousand infantrymen will be sta
toned at the local arsenal and it viii
then be entirely necessary to plan TO,
the entertainment of the men while OF
leave from duty. All proposed diver
sion must be approved by the com
mittee before it will have the sane
ton OF the military authorities at tn,
arsenal and the committee will ais
distribute the entertainment equal,
in order that many such affairs viii
not be crowded into a limited spac.
Of time. According to reports tn,
arsenal will have 1000 lniformes
troops on duty there for the periot
Of the war and the committee is ap
pointed for that time.
Mr.. Padget will remain here indefin
itely as executive secretary of the tri