Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-28
NATION IS UNITED
IN OPENING LOAN
DRIVE WITH VIM
Task of Raising &c. 900, ,000,-
coo, Record War Credit, Is
AuspiciousIy Begun.
RUSH OF SUBSCRIPTIONS
MARKS START IN D. C..

| America today set itself to the task
of raising a loan of $4,000, 100000 in
three weeks.
! Although this was twice the mini
mum Of any previous liberty loan and by
far the greatest war credit ever under
| taken by any nation, Treasury Depart
ment officials are certain that the sum
will be oversubscribed. Their conf
dence was expressed in the announce
ment that the surplus would be allot-
ted.
Officials felt that it was favorable
augury for the fourth liberty loan that
/ the campaign got under way when the
American Army was pressing forward
in great offensive in France and Bull
garia was suing for peace, starting the
| long-expected disintcgration of the
central powers.
With q mighty rush of subscriptions
and spirit prevailing that gave
every evidence of patriotic loyalty
dllu d uclSl ~ IdloS 10 4ool<h
of sa7,6os. 600 during the early part of
! the campaign, Washington, the ma
tion's capital, led the pace in the big
! loan drive.
| The people of Washington seemed
to realize that this is IS much their
war as it is of the stricken people of
the invaded allied countries in Europe.
| Throus hout the city American flags
and those of the allies were flying:
| bells were rung and whistles blown.
High up in the skies airplanes hover
| ed over the city, and about the streets
| there were many uniformed soldiers.
! Everything seemed to spell victory
F.; and to serve as an inspiration for the
| bond statesmen.
Washington Astir Early.
! Washington started early on its
! campaign. The sun was not we'll up
| before the downtown section was
! astir. The feature of the opening day
| celebration and which served as the
formal Inauguration of the local drive
| was the large rally at noon on the
| south steps of the Treasury building.
Geraldine Farrar, opera star. was to
| have sung The Star Spangled Banner
, and 1.-The Marseilla;se.'' but she could
appeared. however, and sold the first
bond. 4 concert was given by the
United States Marine Band. Nearly fifty
thousand persons were in attendance.
Officials of the Treasury Department.
the District loan committee. members
of the cabinet. senators and repre-
sentatives and foreign diplomats were
present.
Subscriptions to the loan began pour
ing in today at all federal reserve
| L l.
subscribed their quotas even before
the campaign officially began. Thou
sands of workers were out early, and
in practically every city, town and
hamlet in the land special ceremonies
of one sort or another ushered in the
drive. Posters everywhere exhorted
readers to back the boys in France
with liberty bonds. and President Will
sons personal message in his own
handwriting greeted the nation from
full-page advertisements in the morn
ing newspapers.
Loan rallies are being held in almost
every government department and bu-
reau in Washington today. They COM
menced at $50 o'clock in the morning,
and by O'Clock this afternoon more
than sixty of these meetings will have
been held. More than 100000 people
are expected to be reached in this
manner. EACH meeting is to be ad-
dressed by men of prominence, and at
many OF thern there WILL De music and
other enEveninS features.
Big Rally Set for Tonight.
At o'clock tonight in the Liberty
Hut the final great rally of the open
ing day will be staged. when thou
sands of prominent business and pro-
fessional men will gather and listen
to patriotic address by Senator
James Hamilton Lewis, who will de-
liver message from the American
soldiers in France. where he recently
visited. The Marine Band will furnish
the music on this occasion.
Throughout the downtown section
! of the city gayiy decorated automobile
trucks with temporary booths con-
structed upon them carried bond
statesmen from one point to another.
The changing bells on these trucks
(Continu-: - E.:ss::: PSsS)