the americanization of edward bok-第83部分

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nited　States；　was　the　spokesman　in　the　magazine　for　the　health　of　the　boys。

Secretary　of　the　Treasury　McAdoo　interpreted　the　first　Liberty　Loan　〃drive〃　to　the　women；　the　President　of　the　United　States；　in　a　special　message　to　women；　wrote　in　behalf　of　the　subsequent　Loan；　Bernard　Baruch；　as　chairman　of　the　War　Industries　Board；　made　clear　the　need　for　war…time　thrift；　the　recalled　ambassador　to　Germany；　James　W。　Gerard；　told　of　the　ingenious　plans　resorted　to　by　German　women　which　American　women　could　profitably　copy；　and　Elizabeth；　Queen　of　the　Belgians；　explained　the　plight　of　the　babies　and　children　of　Belgium；　and　made　a　plea　to　the　women　of　the　magazine　to　help。　So　straight　to　the　point　did　the　Queen　write；　and　so　well　did　she　present　her　case　that　within　six　months　there　had　been　sent　to　her；　through　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal；　two　hundred　and　forty…eight　thousand　cans　of　condensed　milk；　seventy…two　thousand　cans　of　pork　and　beans；　five　thousand　cans　of　infants'　prepared　food；　eighty　thousand　cans　of　beef　soup；　and　nearly　four　thousand　bushels　of　wheat；　purchased　with　the　money　donated　by　the　magazine　readers。

On　the　coming　of　the　coal　question；　the　magazine　immediately　reflected　the　findings　and　recommendations　of　the　Fuel　Administration；　and　Doctor　H。　A。　Garfield；　as　fuel　administrator；　placed　the　material　of　his　Bureau　at　the　disposal　of　the　magazine's　Washington　editor。

The　Committee　on　Public　Information　now　sought　the　magazine　for　the　issuance　of　a　series　of　official　announcements　explanatory　of　matters　to　women。

When　the　〃meatless〃　and　the　〃wheatless〃　days　were　inaugurated；　the　women　of　America　found　that　the　magazine　had　anticipated　their　coming；　and　the　issue　appearing　on　the　first　of　these　days；　as　publicly　announced　by　the　Food　Administration；　presented　pages　of　substitutes　in　full　colors。

Of　course；　miscellaneous　articles　on　the　war　there　were；　without　number。　Before　the　war　was　ended；　the　magazine　did　send　a　representative　to　the　front　in　Catherine　Van　Dyke；　who　did　most　effective　work　for　the　magazine　in　articles　of　a　general　nature。　The　fullpage　battle　pictures；　painted　from　data　furnished　by　those　who　took　actual　part；　were　universally　commended　and　exhausted　even　the　largest　editions　that　could　be　printed。　A　source　of　continual　astonishment　was　the　number　of　copies　of　the　magazine　found　among　the　boys　in　France；　it　became　the　third　in　the　official　War　Department　list　of　the　most　desired　American　periodicals；　evidently　representing　a　tie　between　the　boys　and　their　home　folks。　But　all　these　〃war〃　features；　while　appreciated　and　desirable；　were；　after　all；　but　a　side…issue　to　the　more　practical　economic　work　of　the　magazine。　It　was　in　this　service　that　the　magazine　excelled；　it　was　for　this　reason　that　the　women　at　home　so　eagerly　bought　it；　and　that　it　was　impossible　to　supply　each　month　the　editions　called　for　by　the　extraordinary　demand。

Considering　the　difficulties　to　be　surmounted；　due　to　the　advance　preparation　of　material；　and　considering　that；　at　the　best；　most　of　its　advance　information；　even　by　the　highest　authorities；　could　only　be　in　the　nature　of　surmise；　the　comprehensive　manner　in　which　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　covered　every　activity　of　women　during　the　Great　War；　will　always　remain　one　of　the　magazine's　most　noteworthy　achievements。　This　can　be　said　without　reserve　here；　since　the　credit　is　due　to　no　single　person；　it　was　the　combined；　careful　work　of　its　entire　staff；　weighing　every　step　before　it　was　taken；　looking　as　clearly　into　the　future　as　circumstances　made　possible；　and　always　seeking　the　most　authoritative　sources　of　information。

Bok　merely　directed。　Each　month；　before　his　magazine　went　to　press；　he　sought　counsel　and　vision　from　at　least　one　of　three　of　the　highest　sources；　and　upon　this　guidance；　as　authoritative　as　anything　could　be　in　times　of　war　when　no　human　vision　can　actually　foretell　what　the　next　day　will　bring　forth；　he　acted。　The　result；　as　one　now　looks　back　upon　it；　was　truly　amazing；　an　uncanny　timeliness　would　often　color　material　on　publication　day。　Of　course；　much　of　this　was　due　to　the　close　government　co…operation；　so　generously　and　painstakingly　given。

With　the　establishment　of　the　various　war　boards　in　Washington；　Bok　received　overtures　to　associate　himself　exclusively　with　them　and　move　to　the　capital。　He　sought　the　best　advice　and　with　his　own　instincts　pointing　in　the　same　way；　he　decided　that　he　could　give　his　fullest　service　by　retaining　his　editorial　position　and　adding　to　that　such　activities　as　his　leisure　allowed。　He　undertook　several　private　commissions　for　the　United　States　Government；　and　then　he　was　elected　vice…president　of　the　Philadelphia　Belgian　Relief　Commission。

With　the　Belgian　consul…general　for　the　United　States；　Mr。　Paul　Hagemans；　as　the　president　of　the　Commission；　and　guided　by　his　intimate　knowledge　of　the　Belgian　people；　Bok　selected　a　committee　of　the　ablest　buyers　and　merchants　in　the　special　lines　of　foods　which　he　would　have　to　handle。　The　Commission　raised　hundreds　of　thousands　of　dollars；　with　which　it　purchased　foods　and　chartered　ships。　The　quantities　of　food　ran　into　prodigious　figures；　Bok　felt　that　he　was　feeding　the　world；　and　yet　when　the　holds　of　the　ships　began　to　take　in　the　thousands　of　crates　of　canned　goods；　the　bags　of　peas　and　beans；　and　the　endless　tins　of　condensed　milk；　it　was　amazing　how　the　piled…up　boxes　melted　from　the　piers　and　the　ship…holds　yawned　for　more。　Flour　was　sent　in　seemingly　endless　hundreds　of　barrels。

Each　line　of　goods　was　bought　by　a　specialist　on　the　Committee　at　the　lowest　quantity　prices；　and　the　result　was　that　the　succession　of　ships　leaving　the　port　of　Philadelphia　was　a　credit　to　the　generosity　of　the　people　of　the　city　and　the　commonwealth。　The　Commission　delegated　one　of　its　members　to　go　to　Belgium　and　personally　see　that　the　food　actually　reached　the　needy　Belgian　people。

In　September；　1917；　word　was　received　from　John　R。　Mott　that　Bok　had　been　appointed　State　chairman　for　the　Y。　M。　C。　A。　War　Work　Council　for　Pennsylvania；　that　a　country…wide　campaign　for　twenty…five　million　dollars　would　be　launched　six　weeks　hence；　and　that　Pennsylvania's　quota　was　three　millions　of　dollars。　He　was　to　set　up　an　organization　throughout　the　State；　conduct　the　drive　from　Philadelphia；　speak　at　various　centres　in　Pennsylvania；　and　secure　the　allocated　quota。　Bok　knew　little　or　nothing　about　the　work　of　the　Y。　M。　C。　A。；　he　accordingly　went　to　New　York　headquarters　and　familiarized　himself　with　the　work　being　done　and　proposed；　and　then　began　to　set　up　his　State　machinery。　The　drive　came　off　as　scheduled；　Pennsylvania　doubled　its　quota；　subscribing　six　instead　of　three　millions　of　dollars；　and　of　this　was　collected　five　million　eight　hundred　and　twenty…nine　thousand　dollarsalmost　one　hundred　per　cent。

Bok；　who　was　now　put　on　the　National　War　Work　Council　of　the　Y。　M。　C。　A。　at　New　York；　was　asked　to　take　part　in　the　creation　of　the　machinery　necessary　for　the　gigantic　piece　of　work　that　the　organization　had　been　called　upon　by　the　President　of　the　United　States　to　do。　It　was　a　herculean　task；　practically　impossible　with　any　large　degree　of　efficiency　in　view　of　the　almo