New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-30
FOUR Minute MEN
HAVE GOOD RECORD
Put Their Energy Into All War
Winning Movements

: OF the Four Minute Men was filed
! with tho president just before he
sailed for Europe. 1t showed a total
! cost to the government for all the
! activities Of the entire ganization
| during eighteen months of S101,565-
| 0. The cost to patriotic individuals
! who contributed to the cause is
! stated to he s2,564,97O. The total es-
i timated cash value of the work is
| S9,424.80O10
Is bulletins Of information were
sent to spea kers from headquarters
! covering SO distinct campaigns of IN
| formal ton, inspiration and direct ap-
! peal. AT the conclusion of the work
! there We're 7.408 CARNATIONS, con-
! tanning 5000 members. 1t has been
! estimated from accurate skeleton sta
tistics that more than 100000 four
! minute speeches we're delivered by
, these members to audiences totaling
} 406.0O0,000. The average number Of
! speeches delivered during each dis
! tinct campaign was about 5000 and
The average audience for each cam
; paien exceeded 100000
! During the uwaf different branches
Of the government have sought the
! a:d of the -Four Minute Men. On
October ! 6, 1917, Herbert Hoover,
! head of the United States Food Ad-
ministra ton, wrote as follows: am
writing this note to solicit in par
ticular the active support of the Four
Minute Men. If their work the
! Food Campai2n will be as enthusiastic
and effective as it is now proving in
the Liberty Loan Campaign, l. am
satisfied that a large and permanent
good in our cause can be accom-
plished by YOUR speakers"
Many will remember the campaign
entitled Eyes for the Navy" This
campaign was undertaken at the sug
gestion Of Franklin D. Roosevelt, as
sistant secretary of the navy and was
for the purpose OF collecting binocu-
lars chronometers. sextants, etc.
The government obtained total of
$685. glasses, Of which number
1850 were forwarded by Four
Minute Men.
At the request Of Secretary McAdoO,
the Four Minute Men took part in
the War Savings Stamps Campaign.
Provost Marshal General E. H.
Crowder asked for their assistance for
the campaign preceding second Ma
tional Registration Day on September
IL. This registration proves to have
been 100 per cent a success.
On October 10, John r. Mott, direc-
tor general OF the United War Work
Campaign. wrote to the director Of
-Four Minute Men as follows: con
behalf of the general committee Of
the United War Wark Campaign, on
which we enter SO soon at the request
Of President Wilson, l wish to ex
press our profound appreciation OF
the large and indispensable service
which YOU are to render in making
possible the full success of this great
pa triotic erdeavor. Let me at the
same time venture to express my own
conviction that there is no agency or
body of men in our nation who, since
America entered the war, have done
such effective work to educate,
quicken conscience and stimulate the
unselfish activities of the American
people as have your great company
of speakers and leaders"
The -Four Minute Men have been
active In every Liberty Loan cam
paign speaking rot only IN theaters, |
but wherever they could find a ready |
made audience.
On Novemb Der cath. 1918, the PreSi-
dent. Just before sailing to Europe, in !
a letter to VIM r.. Tngersoll, National /
Dire ctor commenting on the report of !
the work of the -Four Minute Men, |
said 1T is a remarkable record of !
patriotic accom- plishment that an Or I
9anization of seVenty-fVe thousand |
speakers should have carried on so |
extensive q work at a cost TO the Gov
OF little more than one hun
dled thousand dollars for the eighteen
month period---less than one dollar
yearly on an individual basis. Each
n EN- Der of your organization, in re
ccivins honorable discharge from the
service, may justly feel q glow Of
proper pride in the part that he has
played in holding last the inner lines.
AIaN ! say that I, personally. have al
ways taken the deepest and most SYM
pathetic interest in your work, and |
have noted. from time to time, the |
excellent results you have procured |
for the various departments of tho |,
Now that this work has !
come 20 its conclusion and the name
Of the -Four Minute Men (Which I
venture to hope will not be used
by any similar organize
ior) has become part of the history l.
Of the great war, I would not Willingly
omit my heartfuI testimony to It's
great vaiue to the country, and indeed /
o civjliza ton as n whole, during our |
oeriod Of national trial and triumph !
shall always keep III memory the !
patriotic, cooperation and assistance |
accorded me throughout this period
md shall remain deeply and sincerely |
grateful to all who like yourselves !
cave aided so nobly in The achieve
ncnt of our aims