WOMEN'S RELIEF CORPS, DECATUR, NEBRASKA

THE record of war work activities in Burt county would be incomplete without a mention of what was accomplished by that patriotic organization in all things for winning the war. The officers were Mrs. S. T. Young, president; Mrs. W. J. Stephenson, secretary, of Gordon Granger, Woman's Relief Corps, No. 216, took the lead in raising funds for the Decatur branch of the Burt County Chapter of the American Red Cross. They gave a dinner June 5, 1917, the first registration day, the proceeds netted $54, which was donated to the Red Cross. They purchased a community service flag for the city. They gave $50 to assist in purchasing an ambulance for overseas. The Decatur Woman's Relief Corps invested $50 in War Savings Stamps, and took $150 more as individual members. They are entitled to the credit of being the originators of the movement for the local Red Cross auction sale, which netted the Red Cross $4,863.57. The Decatur Woman's Relief Corps made 20 quilts, which were sold at that auction sale April 3, 1918, for almost $1,000. They also provided a dinner on sale day that netted $180.65; they gave another dinner September 12, 1918, second registration day, the proceeds of which were $65.00. All of the funds raised by this patriotic organization were donated to the Red Cross, Y. W. C. A., Y. M. C. A., and other war drives. The total membership of the Woman's Relief Corps also assisted in sewing, knitting and in all other activities in the Red Cross work room.

The Decatur Woman's Relief Corps in conjunction with Mrs. W. J. Stephenson, then acting chairman of the Red Cross, on April 3, 1919 gave a "Welcome Home" reception for returned soldiers, parents and their invited guests to the number of 150. Music for the occassion being the Decatur band, and Mrs. E. A. Sears and her singers. Mr. T. R. Ashley made an eloquent address of welcome to the returned boys. The Blair orchestra furnished music for the young folks for a dance later in the evening. The total expense of the Welcome Home reception was $63. The patriotism of Decatur's Woman's Relief Corps will go down in history as one of the most active and loyal organizations in Burt county during the world war.

BURT COUNTY COUNCIL OF DEFENSE - ITS ORGANI-

ZATION, PERSONNEL AND WORK

FOLLOWING the entrance of the United States of America into the world war, it became apparent that various coordinate bodies would be necessary in the country for the purpose of efficiently carrying on the important work in which the government had become involved, and on August 29th, 1916, there was created by Act of Congress, the Council of National Defense, with authority to create certain Advisory Commissions, which may be deemed necessary. The act creating the Council of National Defense was broad in its scope, embracing the control of practically all of the great industries and resources of the country for National Security and welfare, and especially directed towards the building up of an efficient military establishment.

At the request of, the National Government, the Nebraska legislature, by an act passed on Apr. 25, 1917 authorized the organization of the Nebraska State Council of Defense, with its coordinate bodies representing the manufacturing interests of the state, labor, farming, Red Cross, and kindred relief societies, medical profession, banking, railroads, engineering, army, and in fact every element of government and industry of the state, and with power to adopt such rules and regulations as might be necessary to carry out the act, and with power to create such subordinate bodies for its assistance, and special investigations as might be necessary and convenient. In short the state council became a council of inquiry vested with power to summon and compel attendance of witnesses to make investigation of the county in connection with the prosecution of the war. The State Council of Defense in conjunction with the governor was by the act authorized to provide for the creation and organization of County Defense Councils throughout the state, to act coordinately with the state council.

On June 5, 1917, at a mass meeting of citizens representing all sections of Burt county, there was formed the Burt County Council of Defense, and the following officers were elected: A. M. Anderson, Tekamah, chairman; W. W. Roberts, Oakland, vice chairman; Herbert Rhoades, Tekamah, secretary; and T. A. Minier, Craig, treasurer. Township members of the council were selected, composed of the following: S. S. Breckenridge, of Arizona; Louis M. Larson, Bell Creek; T. T. Plummer, of Craig; E. A. Anderson, of Decatur; Geo. W. Little, of Everett; Ed. O. Peterson, of Kerl; Chas. M. Viles, of Logan; Geo. W. Minier, of Oakland City; Harry G. Johnson, of Oakland; H. L. Webster, of Riverside; P. C. Peterson, of Silver Creek; M. S. Wilcox, of Summit; and Dr. Lukens, of Tekamah.

   Immediately the active work of the council was begun, and during the life of the council, numerous problems connected with many phases of state and national life were submitted to it for consideration and action, dealing with questions of publicity, finance, defense and security, food production, conservation and distribution, labor, secret service and direction of efforts towards the encouragement of volunteer enlistments, and the enforcement of the selective draft law.

   As the work of the council progressed it became apparent that it must get into closer touch with the various localities of the county in order that its efforts might be more quickly productive of results, and therefore was formed an Associate Council composed of one member from each school district in the county, thus forming at once a well distributed, yet compact and efficient body of men, sworn to do their duty in all matters pertaining to government and governmental affairs. This Associate Council originated with Burt county, and was copied by other counties of the state. The results obtained in Burt county in matter of finance, particularly as effecting the Red Cross and kindred activities, sales of Liberty Loan Bonds, and War Savings Stamps are directly traceable to the active work of the Associate Council, and its assistance to the County Council proper in connection with all matters under consideration, cannot be over-estimated.

   One of the greatest problems which the county was confronted with, was that of food production and food conservation, requiring an elaborate campaign of education. In this campaign the work of the food administrator was actively assisted by the County Council of Defense, and many a reluctant family was taught the necessity of conforming to the rules and requirements of the county in regard thereto. It was found that not only the enemy aliens, or the citizen emigrating from foreign countries were included to combat the rules of the Food Administrator, but the American born citizen with his own selfish welfare alone in view as well.

   The council was frequently called upon to act in matters of disloyalty, especially connected with the spread of unpatriotic and disloyal propaganda connected with matters pertaining to the Volunteer and Selective Service Draft, in matter of raising funds for the Red Cross and similar organizations, and in raising funds for government purposes in the sales of bonds and War Savings Stamps. The council at the outset decided that loyality in such troublesome times was of first importance. The man of disloyal inclinations never received kindly consideration at the hands of the council. Be he of enemy origin or not, his case was considered with a view for the good of the country, and not that of the individual. Life long friendships were shattered, enmities were created, business interest of members were disregarded, always with the purpose of promoting the interest and welfare of the country.

   Foreign language propaganda was another subject with which the council had to deal. Burt county was especially favored in that very few actual alien enemies were to be encountered. We did have within our borders many foreign born citizens, whose thoughts had for years been guided and directed in channels un-American, by the foreign press, and by clergymen and teachers of foreign soul and body, and by persons who failed to adjust their thoughts and actions to the standard of American citizenship. An effort to turn schools and churches to the use of the English language was only partly successful, not from any fault on the part of the membership of the County Council, but by reason of political interests of men outside of Burt county, wrongfully directed, the influence of which entered with injurious effects into the deliberation of the County Council.

BURT COUNTY SELECTIVE SERVICE BOARD

THE Local Board of Burt County, Nebraska, under the Selective Service Regulations consisted of the following: Ran Stanfield, chairman; Dr. A. D. Nesbit, physician, and James A. Clark, clerk.

The work of the local board began shortly after the war was declared, and continued several months after the armistice was signed, when the questionnaires, reports, classification records, cards and all other records and reports of every description were sent to Washington, D. C. and a detailed and accurate report of the work actually accomplished by this board cannot be made.

The endless amount of detailed work which had to be done by this board can hardly be described. It was the duty of the board to make complete inventory of the qualifications of the registrants in order that they might be placed where they could best serve the common good, and this board had to inquire into the domestic, industrial, physical and educational qualifications of all of the registrants.

The local board arranged for all the registrations, selected registration officers, distributed supplies, collected returns, copied, classified and recorded same and reported both to the state and national headquarters.

The local board sent out questionnaires, and upon their return checked up and corrected same, classified the men, sent the records on to the district board of all appeal cases, and cases over which the local board had no jurisdiction, and upon return of the cases sent to the district board re-classified registrants.

The local board sent out notices to appear for physical examination, made examinations, re-classified, arranged for appeals, reported to headquarters and finally determined upon the man eligible for service.

When a call was made that Burt county had to send a certain number of men on a certain day it was the duty of the local board to send that number of men, and it was necessary for the local board to select those qualified, make all arrangements for food and transportation, arrange all details and to see that the men were finally entrained, and then report to both state and national headquarters.