The Clio messenger., 1918-10-04
MICHIGAN PATRIOTIC FUND
CREATED BY GOV. SLEEPER
TO STAGE UNION DRIVE
IN NOVEMBER.
! AGENCIES REPRESENTED
Action In Accordance With Request
Of President Wilson; Organiza-
tion Is Perfected.

Tne Michigan Pasr1Ot1c Fund, re-
Gently created by Governor Sleeper to
combine all appeals for funds by war
relief agencies in one yearly drive, EN-.
bracing the whole state. will make its
! first campaign the week Of November
IL. The amount to be raised is ap-
proximately S1O,00O,O00.
number of counties are already
raising funds through their own coun-
| ty war chest organizations and have
their quotas in hand for this year. For
that reason their participation in the
first campaign will be passive and they
will be credited with their respective
quotas Just as though they were TAX
ing an active part in the drive.
Different Agencies Essentially One
Establishment of the Michigan Pa
triotic Fund Is in accord with the re-
quest Of President Wilson, as voiced
In a letter to Raymond d. Fosdick,
Commissioner on Training Camp Ac-
tivities. In this letter the president
pointed out that the services rendered
by the different agencies to our army
and to our allies are essentially one
and must of necessity be rendered in
the closest cooperation. He asked
that appeals for funds be united in or
der that the spirit Of the country may
be expressed without distinction Of
race or religious opinion.
Seven large national organizations
engaged in war work will be repre-
sented In this drive. They are the Y.
M. c.. A. War Fund, the Knights Of
| Columbus, the Jewish War Fund, the
| War Camp Community Service, the
Y. w. c. A. War Fund, the Salvation
Army and the American Library Asso-
citation.
Each of these organizations had
| planned a campaign for funds for some
period within the next six months.
This would have meant a series OF
drives" following one another in
quick succession and even overlapping.
By joining forces in single cam
paign. conducted by the Michigan
Patriotic Fund, they will save time
and annoyance both for the public
and the solicitors and promote a bet
ter feeling all around.
Giving on Efficient Business Basis
In other words, the object of the
Michigan Patriotic Fund is to place
Michigan's war time giving on an eff
cient business basis, and at the same
time distribute the burden equitably
among all the people. The people Of
Michigan have shown in the past that
they are no shirkers when it comes to
backing up the men who have gone to
the front FROM within its borders. The
Patriotic Fund will greatly simplify
the task of collecting this money and
save many precious hours for the
real work of winning the war.
Organization of the fund was per-
fected at a recent meeting held in De-
troit Campaign headquarters have
been established at 115-117 West Fort
street, Detroit, and the work of or
ganizing the counties is already be-
gun under the direction of the execu-
tive committee. The war board In
each county will be asked to head up
the respective county organizations,
and counties already operating on
war-chest basis will be asked to CO.
operate to the fullest extent.
Plan Copied After Detrolt's Big Drive
The Michigan Patriotic Fund Is an
elaboration Of the Detroit plan, which
proved so popular that, with goal OF
| $1,000, 900, Detroit and Wayne county
raised $40 100000 in a sevep-day cam
paign last May. Executives OF the
state organization are confident that
the people OF Michigan will welcome
the war chest idea, which affords them
an opportunity to give once year for
all patriotic purposes and practically
insures them against further solicit
tation In the meantime.
The Liberty loan campaigns, OF
course, are entirely separate, the pur-
chase Of bond being in no sense a
gift but sound business investment.
Oficers of the Michigan Patriotic
Fund are: Carroll F. Sweet, Grand
Rapids, general chairman; David A.
Brown, Detroit, general vice-chair-
man; Mark T. Mckee, Detroit, general
secretary, and State Treasurer SAM
uel O'Dell, treasurer.
The executive committee Is COM
posed of the officers and the follow
ing: e. J. Bullard, Detroit, chairman
Of the state quota committee; II. II.
Dow, Midland; Col. A. e. Kimball, De-
troit; w. J. Norton, Detroit; Ernest A.
O'Brien, Detroit; Helen Penrose, De-
troit; Adam Strohm, Detroit.
Each of the organizations partici-
pating in the drive is represented on
the committee. Mr.. Brown will be