History of Santa Clara County by Eugene T. Sawyer

Author:Eugene T. Sawyer [Sawyer, Eugene T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Geschichte
Publisher: Jazzybee Verlag
Published: 2017-10-26T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XVII.

San Jose and Santa Clara Activities During the Great European War-Liberty Loan, Red Cross, Y. M. C. A., Belgian Relief and Other Noteworthy Drives-The Men and Women Who Did the Work.

The part played by San Jose and the other towns in Santa Clara County in the Great European War was both patriotic and self-sacrificing. During the hurry and stress of the grave and arduous responsibilities of the occasion, when even the average, easy-going citizen was called upon to bear unusual burdens, no one realized that the activities in which they were engaged constituted the making of history. What the city and county did is realistically and finely told by Mrs. Edith Daley in her pamphlet written for the Santa Clara County Historical Society. From that labor of love the historian has compiled the following interesting facts:

On April 6, 1917, President Wilson signed the resolution of Congress declaring the "existence of a state of war" and asking that all the resources of the United States be "directed to prosecute hostilities against the German Government to a successful conclusion." On April 12, 1917, San Jose inaugurated the loyalty movement in California. On that day more than 10,000 loyal citizens led by City Manager Thomas H. Reed, marched through the city's streets while the Stars and Stripes waved above them and the bands played "Dixie" and "America"-and the thrilling "Marseillaise." That night in a great mass meeting in the high school auditorium hundreds unanimously pledged hearts and hands to the country's cause.

On May 3, 1917, the announcement was made that the first offering of bonds under the finance law would be $2,000,000,000. Liberty Loan issue, open to popular subscription at par; subscriptions to be received until June 5; bonds to be dated July 1 and ready for delivery then. Santa Clara County's quota was about $2,000,000.

On May 14, 1917, the details of the Liberty Loan were telegraphed all over the country. Officers' training camps opened. Men flocked to fill them. Pacifists were abroad in the land, their voices raised in protest against the country's war policy. The espionage measure was passed May 14. One began to hear the ominous words "slacker," "disloyalty," and "sedition." The old easy settled routine of things was sadly disturbed at the time of the beginning of the first Liberty Loan drive.

California was divided into two districts with the Tehachapi the dividing line and Los Angeles and San Francisco headquarters. The northern district was divided into sixteen sub-districts with a competent bond seller in charge of each. Before the real campaign started voluntary local bond subscriptions began to come in. The Knights Templar and Observatory Parlor of the Native Sons were the first fraternal organizations to buy bonds. Senator Frank H. Benson and Judge Urban A. Sontheimer are on record as having advocated the early purchase of Liberty Bonds by the Native Sons.

May 23, 1917, by telegraphic designation, the Secretary of the Treasury and A. Kains, Governor of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, appointed a local

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