Digital Bob Archive

JANUARY 1918 - PART 2:

War news was taking up much of the space in the three Gastineau Channel newspapers in 1918, and the war effort was occupying considerable portions of the time, energies and finances of the residents of Juneau, Douglas, Treadwell, Thane and Perseverance.

Much energy was devoted to fund raising, for a variety of purposes. People of all ages were urged to buy War Savings Stamps and War Savings Bonds. School children, especially, bought the 25-cent stamps and pasted them in booklets. When a booklet was full it could be traded for a $25 War Savings Bond. School classes competed to see which could fill the most booklets in a week or a month. In addition, there was a Territory-wide competition. Commissioner of Education Lester D. Henderson announced that a pennant would be awarded the school whose pupils purchased the most War Savings Stamps during the year.

The American Red Cross Fund was constantly seeking contributions, and so was the Tobacco Fund. \"Keep our boys in the trenches supplied with smokes,\" read one promotional ad. And forms were published in the newspapers so people could \"Adopt a soldier and keep him supplied with tobacco.\" According to one ad, \"Every $1 contributed will supply him with $1.30 worth of tobacco.\" By the end of January, $744 had been contributed to the Tobacco Fund in Juneau.

After an ammunition ship blew up in the harbor of Halifax, Nova Scotia, killing some 2000 people, injuring thousands more and nearly destroying the town, a Halifax Relief Fund was started in Juneau. A quota of $500 was set, but before January ended double that amount had been contributed.

All of the funds and other causes having to do with the war effort, including the conservation of food and fuel, were constantly promoted in newspaper ads, on posters, from the pulpits on Sundays, and by the Four-Minute Men who addressed captive audiences in the movie theatres for four minutes each evening. Each week the newspapers carried a list of the Four-Minute Men for the ensuing week. The list usually ran heavily to lawyers, preachers and public officials. So far as can be determined, no women were admitted to the ranks of the Four-Minute Men.

School children were asked to sign a pledge which included these items:

I will help my parents save wheat, meat, fats and sugar.

I will help save sugar by not eating more than half as much candy as I have been eating.

I will be careful of my shoes and clothing in order that they may be worn for a long time.

I will not waste food or anything that may be useful to my country.

Judge Royal Arch Gunnison, formerly on the federal bench in Juneau, was named Federal Food Administrator for Alaska and opened an office in the Seward Building. In keeping with a national pattern, he ordered one meatless day and one wheatless day each week.