Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1918-06-28
COUNTRY EDITOR ~ TOWN OF
400 EVOLVED PLAN. WHICH
WORKED. AND Is BEING; USED
TODAY ~ EVERY COMM NITY
~ THE NATION,


y country newspaper man in a
small Nebraska town evolved the
Nebraska Plan of war savings cam
raisn which is being used today. the
18th of June, in a national campaign
In every State IN the Union. The Ne
hld'k ka I'lnn came into prominence
when, III" first time il was given Il
STAT wild" trial. it sold thirty million
dollars worth OF war savings sccuri-
- in two hours and put NrbrHSla
50 lar ~ the lead that Frank N"ndor-
iip said there was no close Second"
ou' eighth of all the War savings
stamps printed in this country have
been sent to Nebraska. And IA coun-
try newspaper wan did it,
His name is Chris Gruoih"r. and
he lives al Platte Center. in Platte
county. Nebraska. He is the editor
OF III" Platte Center Signal. Platte
Center has Il population of 400.
Platt" county is settled very large
~ ny Germans. and the war was no.
any more popular in that county
than a rattlesnakc in blackberry
patch The first and second Liberty
Loans were almost Il failure. Then
came the War Savings Drive. and
Chris Guenthcr brought out his plan
II worked
Platte county's quota was $685.
400. In two hours one afternoon
the people of that county subscribed
$6i9,5i5. In the Third Liberty
Loan. Platte county with a quota of
S'Na,60o subscribed $75S,60O in two
hours.
When the Gruenther scheme was
used in statewide drive. lasting
two hours in each county. 100000
""o was obtained-$ $4,000. 900 an
hour.
The Nebraska Plan" which is be-
ing used by National Chairman Frank
\. Nandcrlip for the country-wide
drive today. was used here as fol-
lows:
personal letter was sent to cv-
cry taxpayer man and woman in
The county. They were asked in
firm. impressive, simple and direct
language to come to their district
school at 3 o'clock in the afternoon
of set day The purpose of the
meeting. to subscribe for war saw
ings was plainly set forth. The let
ter was gotten up with great care
and thought. The impression was
given that the National Government
needed the money. and had its eye
upon each individual in that county.
The letter ended in a cordial, patri-
Otic appeal to answer the call of du-
ty-- with the further information
that check would be made of all
who failed to appear
The response was overwhelming
Every district school house in Platte
count was crowded. The crowd knew
exactly what it was there for, too.
Contrary to all precedent. there
was not single speech made i'm tina,
county that day. There were no
committees at the schools. A school
officer of the district took charge
OF each meeting. He was personally
acquainted with every patron of his
school, He had received his in
rtructions in advance. and know
just what To do. II" opened the
meeting, read Il letter telling Just
what the baby bonds are. had th"
meeting elect its own Officers, and
started the subscription lit I'll.
letter h" had read aloud Aakiu" q
subscription Of at least ! per cent ot
IN" a~~"Ss"d valuation above iudrht
"dn"NS of nll real and personal prop
"r'y
Th"r" Na- no ntt'rclap Th. pru-
nl" simply sub'ctibrd and then went
Bur thc ov'r-UbScrip,i.u of the
c"uhtN'~ quota was no, the only cf-
f,..' # l. I,.t,