Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-06-06

sylvania, at 1900 Locust street,
philadelphia, a circular outlining
the purpose and scope of the COM
mission in its preparation of the
states part in the great war. This
commission is headed by Governor
William c. Sproul and Albert e.
Mckinley is the secretary. Among
others on the commission are
Thomas Lynch Montgomery, the
state Librarian: Adjutant General
Frank b. Beary, ex-Attorney Gen.
eral Hampton l.. Carson, and a
number of other distinguished cit
lzens who have given much time and
labor to historical research in Penn
sylvanfa. The circular sets forth
Just what is contemplated by the
commission under several headings,
as follows:
General Purpose-The War His
tory Commission is the official body
appointed to make a permanent rec
ord of the military. economic and
civic participation of Pennsylvania
in the Great War It's archives are
filed in the fireproof building of the
Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
The records are being arranged un-
der subjects and subdivided into
counties, so that they may be avail
able in the future for local his
| torians
Permanent Memorial-The COL
lection of the records of the war
will include personal military rec
ords, the records of military and
naval units in which Pennsylvania
was represented, and the many-fold
activities within the State during
war times. This collection will be
| OF immense value as O picture of
the exertions put forth by the State
of Pennsylvania to help win the
war. In many respects it is the
most fitting and most permanent
memorial which can be erected to
the three hundred and fifty thou
sand Pennsylvanians who entered
! the national service, and to the
millions of others at home who aid
ed with personal service, with
money, food, munitions, ships and
manufactured goods to defeat the
common enemy.
"Pennsylvania's Record in the
I War-The record of Pennsylvania
and Pennsylvanians in the Great
War continues the great patriotic
the Revolution and the Civil War.
| The Twenty-eighth Division of the
Am erican EXpeditionary Force,
made up of the National Guard of
! Pennsylvania, suffered greater cas-
! ualties than any other division in
France with the exception of three
divisions of regulars. At home,
Pennsylvania produced probably
more than one-half of the munition
supplies for the American Army; it's
mines furnished all the anthracite
and a large portion of the bitumi-
nous coal of the country; the Penn
Sylvania shores of the Delaware
played a larger part in shipbuilding
than any other district. In national
finance, transportation, agriculture
and in war-welfare work Pennsylva-
mia took an honorable part. The
duty of the Pennsylvania War His
tory Commission Is to record these
varied activities. Every significant
story of patriotic exertion and sacri-
flee, no matter how small or how
great, deserves a place in the Com
missions records.
Military and Naval Records
'The War History Commission
includes within it's archives the serv-
ice records of individual Pennsyl-
vanians, and of those units in which
Pennsylvanians predominated.
81. Individual Service Records.
The Commission has prepared a
service record blank upon which
may be reported the facts concern
ing the military or naval record OF
I SeNSh pCl0Oh WhO ude5 eDl6TSu Luc
national service, or the service of
any of the Allies. These blanks can
be used also for Red Cross, Y. M.
c. A, K. of c., Y. M. II. A. and
other workers who have undertaken
service in camps or the field.
THE blanks have been circulated
in every county of the State, and
have been reprinted in many news
papers. Already many thousands
have been returned to the headquar-
ters of the Commission. A large
number of them have been accom-
panied with photographs. letters
from camp or the front and other
matter illustrating the PERSONS
wartime activities. For each name
a folder is prepared, in which are
deposited all records relating to the
individual. These folders are filed
under county headings.
THE Commission feels that the
service record blanks should be
filled out and filed at once, even If
all the desired information cannot
be obtained. Many families may
move from the State, some men in
the service may never return to
their home State, and it is impor-
tant that the service lists be COM
pleted at as early a date as pos
sible. Copies of the blank will be
sent to any one who can secure the
records of one or more Pennsylva-
mans in the service.
"2. Records of Military and Naval
Units in Which PcnnsyIvanians Are
Representative official records of
these units must in time be secured
from the national departments at
Washington. Already, however,
much information is available in the
form of War and Navy Department
communications, in personal diaries,
in newspaper correspondence and in
private letters. The War History
! Commission is particularly anxious
to obtain personal narratives
diaries and letters of officers and
privates in both the Army and
Navy. Where relatives wish to re-
tain the originals, the Commission
will gladly have copies made, and
return the originals to their own
| ers.
Wartime Activities Within the
| State
1T is impracticable to list here
| all the wartime activities of which
! the Commission desires facts, illus
trations and narratives. The follow
ing topics are only suggestive, but
they will give some idea of the field
to be covered.
"t. Agriculture and Food Supply
| Under this topic are included the
work of Oranges, Farmers Clubs,
! Farm Councils. the Rural Progress
| Association and similar bodies; the
| activities of county food adminis-
| traitors; the question of farm labor
and ways of solving it; the use of