Elkhart Lake; third vice president, Walter S. Goodland, Racine; secretary, George F., Kull, Appleton; treasurer, Walter Kasten, Milwaukee. The governing body of the organization is known as the general council and consists of fifteen members, one from each of the eleven congressional districts in the state and four at large, as follows: C. E. Gray, Whitewater; Judge Martin Lueck, Juneau; Richard Lloyd Jones, Madison; C. B. Perry, Wauwatosa; George E. Morton, Milwaukee; Thomas Higgins, Manitowoc; J. E. McConnell, La Crosse; Ortel E. Thomas, Milwaukee; P. H. Martin, Green Bay; W. N. Fuller, Cumberland; A. W. Sanborn, Ashland; Judge Henry Graass, Green Bay; Herman A. Wagner, Milwaukee; Wheeler P. Bloodgood, Milwaukee. The Legion is the official distributing agency in Wisconsin for the Committee on Public Information in Washington. During the first fifteen months of its activities more than 4,000,000 pieces of patriotic literature issued by the committee were distributed by this organization. In addition to this several million other pieces of patriotic literature issued by various organizations were distributed. State wide organization was undertaken about November 1, 1917, and in six months more than 300 chapters had been organized. One year later there were 390 chapters in the state with a total membership of 104,000. In addition to printing and distributing printed matter the Legion organized a state wide speakers' bureau. The Wisconsin Four-MinuteMen were handled from this office and speakers were furnished by this bureau for practically all of the patriotic activities in the state. Up to November, 1918, more than 5,000 speeches had been booked from Legion headquarters. The Legion operated through the schools, banks, hotels, churches, motion picture houses, clubs, creameries, cheese factories, lumber camps and, in fact, wherever people assembled. It is estimated that not less than ten million people were reached by its literature and speakers. The pledge of the organization sets forth its purposes in specific terms. It is as follows: I hereby promise faithfully: To encourage enlistment in the army and navy. To uphold firmly the selective draft law. To protect the soldiers from abuse and attack of enemies at home. To aid in building up the fighting strength of the whole nation. To seek out and bring traitors to punishment. To hold up slackers to public contempt. To assist the government in carrying out its food and health policies. To oppose all efforts to obtain undue profits at the expense of the government and to the public. To teach and practice a broad and vigorous American patriotism. To stand boldly up for government by the people, for law, for liberty, for justice, and for the square deal. FINANCING THE WAR THE FOUR MINUTE MEN The Four Minute Men division of the Committee on Public Information, probably did as much as any other one group of men in the state in developing public sentiment in 1918 in favor of the Red Cross, the Y. M. C. A., United War Work and Liberty Loan campaigns. Under the direction of Roger Y. Flanders, and later Albert B. Houghton, Milwaukee, Four Minute Speakers were secured in every county, in every city of any size, to speak on the war or on the particular drive which was then being waged or was soon to be waged. These men spoke at practically every theater and moving picture house in the state and at practically every public gathering. Between 800 and 1,000 patriotic men gave their services for a few minutes every day for months at a time to enlighten the public on the issues, with the results that every succeeding financial campaign became easier than the former one. A county or local chairman was appointed in every community in the state whose duty it was to see that a Four Minute Speaker was ready to give a brief address on any and all occasions. These chairmen also had to secure and impart the information to their assistants for them to explain to their audiences. The chairmen of the Four Minute Men in Wisconsin were as follows: Albany Algoma.. Almond. Appleton A voca... Balsam Lake. Baraboo Bayfield Beaver Dam Beloit... Berlin Bethany Birnamwood Black Creek. Black River Falls Boyceville. Brillion.. Brodhead. Burlington Cambridge Cato... Centuria. Chetek.. Chilton... Chippewa Falls Clear Lake George B. Parkhill Clinton ville W. A. Olen Colfax.... O. M. Wanwig A. G. Briggs Vojta Kwapil H. H. Savage W. W. Winchester C. J. TeSelle John Morgan Rev. David L. Alex- J. M. Dady Frank J. Mirlach John J. Blaine Baron DeHirsh Meyer F. L. Witter George W Boie Rev. D Evans Jones George Reuther A. B Wesner E. J. Morrison G. M. Morrissey 27-B. B. Delavan.. De Pere.. Dresser Junction. J. H. McManus M. C. Palmer Mrs Edward Porter S E. Smalley W. G. Miller W. H. Doughrey Rev. Wm. P McDermott Rev. E. G. Sanderson John P. McGalloway R. J. Sarosy Location Name Location Name Hixton... Holcombe.... Horicon.. Hortonville. Hudson Humbird.. Hurley.. Iola Iron River. Janesville. Jefferson.. Kilbourn.. Kimberly Rev. ArthurJ, Coram Robert Zimmerman Charles Hawks Robert H. Wright Leo G. Schussman Walter French Scott LacduFlambeau James W. Blamer La Crosse. Lewis Loraine. Loyal. Luck. Marinette Marion Marshfield. Mayville Manitowoc Mattoon Menah. Medford Madison Manawa Mellen. Melrose Menasha. Menomonee F'lls Menomonie. Merrill. Merrillan.. Milton Junction. Mineral Point.. Neillsville. Oconto.. Oconomowoc Oconto. Oconto Falls Odanah Omro Onalaska Oneida.. Orfordville. Osceola. John F. Doherty H. J. Jensen Victor E. Kimball I. D. Wood Frank E. Himenway Thomas W. Anderson H. J. Latimer H. T. Ames W. H. Clark A. M. Harkness L. F. Graber 1. Foschage Charles F. O'Brien J. P. Keating W. Campeman R. J. White Sharon.. Shawano. Sheboygan. Sheboygan Falls. Sister Bay J. Reese Jones E. B, Heimstreet Dr. A. L. Wood H. H. Butts B. C. Alm Buchanan Johnson George J. Seamans Samuel N. Pedrick C. E. Knowles F. R. Tripp J. Boyd Stevenson R. W. Gibson C. H. Underhill G. A. Morrison C. S. Ortham E. E. Robey B. A. Pieser Thomas W. Suddard J. C. Colby E. L. Messer W. B. Van Winter W. D. Church Nels M. Oscar Morris W. Locke J. H. Miller Rev. D. J. Gretzinger Wisconsin was the first state in the Union to provide for aid for soldiers' dependents during the war. A law was passed by the legislature in June 1917 providing for aid to any dependent parent, wife or child of any resident of Wisconsin mustered into the service of the United States, for the period of the war or until the legislature should other(wise provide. It was provided in the act that the amount of the state aid should be such that, together with the income of the dependent or dependents derived from other sources, except such as might be contributed from the service pay of the enlisted man, should be $30 per month for one dependent, $40 for two, $50 for three and $5 for the fourth and each additional dependent. The measure became a law by publication on June 28, 1917. The aid was administered by the Adjutant General and the first application was approved July 31, 1917. From that date to April, 1919, a total of 689 families had been aided by the state, of which 351 families were still receiving aid, and the state had paid $141,207.45, as follows: |