Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-23
PENNSYLVANIA
WAR ACTIVITIES
A Brief Resume Of Them for The Benefit
Of an Inquirer Away From Home
and Others

wi Woulu IKE W hioN u Nou 'o"'
give me any as to how much
of the war work our State Is doing. |
have lived all my life in Philadelphia. We
often get into conversations and arguments
about Ahat different States are doing and
some try to knock Pennsylvania, and I'd
like to know a few things. | know we are
doing more than our share in shipbuilding,
guns and other munitions Of war.
Any information you can give me VIII
be greatly appreciated,
Private GEORGE i. CLEMENTS.
Madison Barracks, Ordnance Department.
Gun Proving Grounds, Sacket Harbor.
y. Y, Sept. 1S.
Private Clements is not the only Penn
sylvanian who has discovered that there
is a disposition outside of the State to
belittle what we are doing. Visitors
from this city to Baltimore, for example,
have reported on their return that some
Baltimoreans knew nothing of the great
work going on here. 1t is fitting. there
fore, for the information of Private
Clements, as we'll as for the information
of men and women at home, that a brief
summary of the war activities of this
Commonwealth should be made.
We nave contributed our quota of men
W Nv dlHuS diu navy as a hiatNSi VI
course. The exact number cannot be
stated because it is changing from week
to week. The figures today would be too
small next Monday. The last official
statement on the subject was made at the
end of July, when it was announced that
202,350 Pennsylvanians were wearing the
army uniform. This did not include those
in the marine corps nor in the navy nor
in the naval reserve. It is probable that
at least 100000 men are now in uniform.
The money contributions should be
considered next. Three Liberty Loans
have been tloated. Certain amounts
were apportioned to each Federal Re-
serve District. To the district of which
Philadelphia is the banking center $l4O.-
O00, 1000 of the first loan was apportioned.
We subscribed for $232,3O9,2 $50 worth of
the bonds. We were asked to take $780,
600, 900 of the second loan. We offered
to take $3.50 ,350,250 of it. OF the third
loan we were asked to take $3.50, 000, 900
and subscribed for 1851 1863 500. That
is, we oversubscribed our allotment of
the three loans by the sum of $334.623,-
900.
In addition to lending our money to
the Government we have raised millions
for the Red Cross and for the Y. NJ. G.. A.,
the Knights of Columbus and other war
efforts and for Belgian and French relief.
This money has been given outright.
We have committees Of patriotic
women in Philadelphia, headed by Mrs.
J. Willis Martin. Ms. Bayard Henry,
Mrs. Cornelius Stevenson, Mrs. Robert
devoting their time and energy and
money to all conceivable forms of war
work. There are similar committees in
Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Lancaster,
Wilkes-Barre, Scranton. Erie and other
large and small cities of the State.
There was organized in Pennsylvania
the Friends Construction Unit, composed
of men with c~onscientious objections
against fighting. but with an earnest de-
sire to do what they could to mitigate
the horrors of war. They nave been
doing splendid work for the rehabilita-
ton of the devastated villages of France,
building homes for the homeless and re-
storing such houses as were left in a
condition that made restoration possible.
Several hundred members of the Engi-
neers' Club of Philadelphia are engaged
in war work of various kinds, to do which
they nave abandoned high-salaried posi-
tions or Their clients and nave given their
time with meager compensation to the
Government. A similar record has been
made by physicians and dentists of the
State. 1t is said that the proportion of
Pennsylvania doctors in the army is
larger than that of the doctors from any
other State. Our medical colleges and
hospitals have organized and equipped
hospitals in France. More than a hun
dred Pennsylvania business men nave
volunteered to serve without compensa-
ton as executive managers of Y. M. c. A.
work in Europe for a year and they are
now on the field. And nurses without
number, trained in our hospitals, are
engaged in their work of mercy.
Every one knows what is doing in the
Pennsylvania %shipyards. 1t has been
said by those in a position to know that
so per cent of all the ships now building
in the United States are building on the
Delaware River. The fact that some of
the yards are just over the State line in
New Jersey and in Delaware does not
take them out of the activities of this
Commonwealth, for the men and ma
terials used are obtained largely within
the borders of Pennsylvania.
One of the greatest factories for the
production of gas masks is in Philadel-
phia. The Midvale Steel Works !swithin
the city limits, built the great guns with
a range of many miles which are to be