Milford chronicle., 1944-09-01
COMMUNICATED
Milford, Delaware
August 10, 1914

Editor of the Chronicle:
+, With just pride and deep apprt
I citation for the work it afforded m
i hereby submit a short summar
!. of the activities throughout SUISSE
County which made the Fifth Wa
Loan Drive the most Outstandin
, of all drives to date.
. At the beginning of the drive tn
county was very well organized b
0 the chairman, Mr.. Edward
Evans. Mr.. Evans had given tn
preparation much thought, tim
and planning. Mr.. VIM. H. Hender
son of Georgetown was mad
chairman of the rural sections an,
Mrs. Blaine Atkins of MillsborC
chairman of the WOmen's Groups
BY these three chairman, loca
committees were appointed ant
complete plans for the who'll
county were made.
On the opening day of the drive
June 18th at nine O'Clock in the
morning, whistles and church bells
announced to the people of the
county the importance of the Fifth
War Loan Drive, or coming as II
did, so close to the day of the great
invasion of France, it was also
called the Victory Drive. Immedi-
ately after the announcement of
the opening, committees began to
function. The much discussed
house to house canvass was begun.
In Milford on the opening night at
the Rotary Club, with two veterans
as guest speakers, over $40,000.00
was subscribed. This instance was
only one in the many cervice clubs
in the county. Multiply this by the
work of the Kiwanis Clubs, the
Lions Clubs, the Business Girls
Clubs, the Womens' Clubs and the
Chambers of Commerce and you
have an idea of the contribution
these service clubs rendered to this
War Loan Drive. Their work was
not only confined to selling bonds.
in most communities large thermo.
meters were erected in the bust
ness districts to show the public
the progress of the drive and these
thermometers with the bond booths
erected in conspicuous places in
the banks, theatres, and along the
streets, decorated with attractive
posters, flags, and bunting, were
mostly manned and arranged by
the service clubs. Too, the main
streets in some of the towns were
decorated with flags and posters,
making the whole period of the
drive take on a festive air.
In every town and community
bond rallies and bond auctions
were held. The town having a
central square roped off in the
business district or having the use
of the theatres for the auctions. At
these auctions or rallies patriotic
citizens and merchants contributed
numerous gifts and articles for use.
In Milford, on the Plaza Square,
the two DickersOn brothers, licens-
ed auctioneers, gave their services.
At this particular affair professio-
hal entertainers were sent from
the New Castle Air Base with some
other veterans, who staged a show
for the benefit of all present. Arti-
cles from live pups to electric fans
and baskets of groceries were
offered to the highest bidder. One
electric fan sold for a thousand
dollar bond.
On June goth a Bomber Crew
arrived in Milford on tour of the
county. The object of their visit
was to inspire in each employee OF
the different plants they were to
visit, the importance of buying
bonds. They arrived in Milford at
ten thirty and went direct to the
Milford Ordance Plant where they
put on a twenty minute program
for the employees. From Milford
they visited Greenwood Air Craft
Plant, the DUPONT Plant at Seaford.
the Poultry Plant at Frankford
and arrived at Georgetown in the
early evening where they were
entertained at dinner by the Rotary
Club, from there they visited
Lewes at their meeting of the
Chamber of Commerce and then
returned to Dover Air Base A
Chemical Warfare Show toured the
county, this group from the Edg-
wood Arsenal was composed of
about one hundred fifty soldiers,
some colored and some white. The
exhibit they gave was a revelation
in the use of gas, flame thrOwers
and smoke screens. In Milford this I
exhibit was staged at the Milford
Playground, where, under the di-
! ection of Mayor Edward c. Evans,
tables were erected and arrange
ments made for the members of the
Red Cross Canteen, both colored
and white to serve sandwiches, ice
cream, punch and candy to all the
soldiers in the group. At this exhi-
bit a bond booth was also placed
on the grounds with all facilities
for selling bonds. The results were
very good At Laurel the merchants
gave over their Saturday night
business to devote to a bond rally
held at their busiest corner on
main street. This idea was carried
1ut in most of the towns. At some
)f these rallies, veterans from the
hospital at Valley Forge were on
land to participate, also music was
furnished by bands from the Dover
md New Castle Air Bases. These
lands and veterans were available
o any community at any time, pro-
'ided requests for them were made {
t the Wilmington office in time to ,
ngage them.
The help given by the theatres
# the county under the direction
# Mr.. f. c. Evans, Chairman for
he Theatre Group in Sussex Coun-
y, was too great to be overlooked.
Zach theatre entered into this drive
With the idea of making a record
Free movie days were
eld, Bond Premeiere given, free
liddies movies held and at the
'laza Theatre, in Milford a record
ale of eighteen thousand dollars
r more was made, this theatre