Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-08-14
TEACHES PEOPLE I.
THIS IS OUR war
Community Service Idea Brings
Home to Each Individual
This Vital Truth.
cENTRAlIzEs AL EFFORT
Develops Buslnsssllks Msthods and .
Community State Of Mind That
Enables Prompt Rssponss -
Every Nst!ensl ApPes' tor
Additional punoo. ....-
ey c. Z, plTrMER.

, Additional fSSds.
Dy G. Z. DlTTMER.
Az natural result Of participation
In the superhuman struggle In which
the United States has entered, all pop
ulous communicated many less
populous-fnd themselves face to face
with serious problems arising out OF
the state Of war. And. apparently, we
are Just entering the outer ripples of
the maelstrom.
To bring home to each community
the very patent fact that this country
is at war with the "yellow soul of kuls
tur' has been the problem confronting
the leaders in these communities. In
most places the war Is understood as
a vague enterprise; It Is held too much
as sldeline, of secondary Importance.
There are too many "the-war-irst-
after-me," citizens.
However, there are many localities
in the United States where the truth
Of the situation confronting this coun-
try has been realized. Those COM
munlties that have created so-called
'war chest may be said to be the
exceptions to the general rule.
Why War Chest Is Needed.
There are two outstanding needs
prompting the organization Of Com
munity War Chest. These are:
First: The necessity of developing
some businesslike method by which
any community, quickly and surely,
and with a minimum Of wasted effort,
can meet the steadily increasing de-
mands that must be made upon every
American city and town to support the
great and small movements designed
to protect our armies and give aid to
war-stricken peoples.
Second: The equally great or great
er necessity of building in each COM
munity a single practical organization
that might bring to the whole an intel
ligent understanding Of what this war
means to America, and to develop a
community state of mind that will en-
able such community to respond In
stantly to every national appeal for
service.
Stated more simply, the Community
War Service idea is an organized effort
to enlist for the period Of the war the
community dollar and the community
man power-to give every citizen who
cannot enter the army an opportunity
to serve his country with his money
and with his working ability. At the
outset of all successful Community
War Chest campaigns this fundamental
principle was established:
That money contributed to the War
Chest was to constitute O fund for all
wal. needs, raised from and distributed
for the entire community regardless OF
race, creed or color.
In every community there develops
at q period like this an unconscious
desire to centralize activities growing
out Of wartime demands. This desire
deplores the many ihpromptu, tenn
porary and limited organizations that
collect sums Of money for relief pur-
poses from a limited number OF per-
sons. This spirit has grown out OF
the campaigns conducted independent
| ly for the Y. M. C. A., Knights of Co
lumbus and many other meritorious or
CARNATIONS, all designed to make cas-
| Ter and more comfortable the men OF
the country serving her at arms.
How Confusion Arises.
Numerous and limited organizations
or committees are in operation in ev-
cry community and are constantly
springing into existence for various
purposes; conflict and duplication OF
effort are always apparent. Those so
licited for funds or personal service
under such situatiOn-find 1t diff
cult to evaluate the relative merits Of
the various appeals.
There is always the distinct tend
ency on the part of the smaller and
less important appeals to detract from
the strength Of the larger and more
consequential calls. Furthermore
there Is great uncertainty among all
citizens as to the time and amount Of
the next solicitation for funds. These
conditions gradually develop confu
sion and dlsintegration Of the commu'
nifty spirit.
Gradually there arises the feeling
that community resources must be
safeguarded. Conservation Is the or.
der Of the hour. It applies as well to
community effort as 1t does to the In
dividual activities. Personal service
and money must be preserved for the
greater needs Of the future.
This idea that community resources
must be protected develops the very
conclusive opinion that frequent cam
| DaipnS In which teams canvass the