the americanization of edward bok-第84部分

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was　a　herculean　task；　practically　impossible　with　any　large　degree　of　efficiency　in　view　of　the　almost　insurmountable　obstacles　to　be　contended　with。　But　step　by　step　the　imperfect　machinery　was　set　up；　and　it　began　to　function　in　the　home　camps。　Then　the　overseas　work　was　introduced　by　the　first　troops　going　to　France；　and　the　difficulties　increased　a　hundredfold。

But　Bok's　knowledge　of　the　workings　of　the　government　departments　at　Washington；　the　war　boards；　and　the　other　war…work　organizations　soon　convinced　him　that　the　Y。　M。　C。　A。　was　not　the　only　body；　asked　to　set　up　an　organization　almost　overnight；　that　was　staggering　under　its　load　and　falling　down　as　often　as　it　was　functioning。

The　need　for　Y。　M。　C。　A。　secretaries　overseas　and　in　the　camps　soon　became　acute；　and　Bok　was　appointed　chairman　of　the　Philadelphia　Recruiting　Committee。　As　in　the　case　of　his　Belgian　relief　work；　he　at　once　surrounded　himself　with　an　able　committee：　this　time　composed　of　business　and　professional　men　trained　in　a　knowledge　of　human　nature　in　the　large；　and　of　wide　acquaintance　in　the　city。　Simultaneously；　Bok　secured　the　release　of　one　of　the　ablest　men　in　the　Y。　M。　C。　A。　service　in　New　York；　Edward　S。　Wilkinson；　who　became　the　permanent　secretary　of　the　Philadelphia　Committee。　Bok　organized　a　separate　committee　composed　of　automobile　manufacturers　to　recruit　for　chauffeurs　and　mechanicians；　another　separate　committee　recruited　for　physical　directors；　and　later　a　third　committee　recruited　for　women。

The　work　was　difficult　because　the　field　of　selection　was　limited。　No　men　between　the　military　ages　could　be　recruited；　the　War　Boards　at　Washington　had　drawn　heavily　upon　the　best　men　of　the　city；　the　slightest　physical　defect　barred　out　a　man；　on　account　of　the　exposure　and　strain　of　the　Y。　M。　C。　A。　work；　the　residue　was　not　large。

It　was　scarcely　to　be　wondered　at　that　so　many　incompetent　secretaries　had　been　passed　and　sent　over　to　France。　How　could　it　have　been　otherwise　with　the　restricted　selection？　But　the　Philadelphia　Committee　was　determined；　nevertheless；　that　its　men　should　be　of　the　best；　and　it　decided　that　to　get　a　hundred　men　of　unquestioned　ability　would　be　to　do　a　greater　job　than　to　send　over　two　hundred　men　of　indifferent　quality。　The　Committee　felt　that　enough　good　men　were　still　in　Philadelphia　and　the　vicinity；　if　they　could　be　pried　loose　from　their　business　and　home　anchorages；　and　that　it　was　rather　a　question　of　incessant　work　than　an　impossible　task。

Bok　took　large　advertising　spaces　in　the　Philadelphia　newspapers；　asking　for　men　of　exceptional　character　to　go　to　France　in　the　service　of　the　Y。　M。　C。　A。；　and　members　of　the　Committee　spoke　before　the　different　commercial　bodies　at　their　noon　luncheons。　The　applicants　now　began　to　come；　and　the　Committee　began　its　discriminating　selection。　Each　applicant　was　carefully　questioned　by　the　secretary　before　he　appeared　before　the　Committee；　which　held　sittings　twice　a　week。　Hence　of　over　twenty…five　hundred　applicants；　only　three　hundred　appeared　before　the　Committee；　of　whom　two　hundred　and　fifty…eight　were　passed　and　sent　overseas。

The　Committee's　work　was　exceptionally　successful；　it　soon　proved　of　so　excellent　a　quality　as　to　elicit　a　cabled　request　from　Paris　headquarters　to　send　more　men　of　the　Philadelphia　type。　The　secret　of　this　lay　in　the　sterling　personnel　of　the　Committee　itself；　and　its　interpretation　of　the　standards　required；　and　so　well　did　it　work　that　when　Bok　left　for　the　front　to　be　absent　from　Philadelphia　for　ten　weeks；　his　Committee；　with　Thomas　W。　Hulme；　of　the　Pennsylvania　Railroad；　acting　as　Chairman；　did　some　of　its　best　work。

The　after…results；　according　to　the　report　of　the　New　York　headquarters；　showed　that　no　Y。　M。　C。　A。　recruiting　committee　had　equalled　the　work　of　the　Philadelphia　committee　in　that　its　men；　in　point　of　service；　had　proved　one　hundred　per　cent　secretaries。　With　two　exceptions；　the　entire　two　hundred　and　fifty…eight　men　passed；　brought　back　one　hundred　per　cent　records；　some　of　them　having　been　placed　in　the　most　important　posts　abroad　and　having　given　the　most　difficult　service。　The　work　of　the　other　Philadelphia　committees；　particularly　that　of　the　Women's　Committee；　was　equally　good。

To　do　away　with　the　multiplicity　of　〃drives；〃　rapidly　becoming　a　drain　upon　the　efforts　of　the　men　engaged　in　them；　a　War　Chest　Committee　was　now　formed　in　Philadelphia　and　vicinity　to　collect　money　for　all　the　war…work　agencies。　Bok　was　made　a　member　of　the　Executive　Committee；　and　chairman　of　the　Publicity　Committee。　In　May；　1918；　a　campaign　for　twenty　millions　of　dollars　was　started；　the　amount　was　subscribed；　and　although　much　of　it　had　to　be　collected　after　the　armistice；　since　the　subscriptions　were　in　twelve　monthly　payments；　a　total　of　fifteen　and　a　half　million　dollars　was　paid　in　and　turned　over　to　the　different　agencies。

Bok；　who　had　been　appointed　one　of　the　Boy　Scout　commissioners　in　his　home　district　of　Merion；　saw　the　possibilities　of　the　Boy　Scouts　in　the　Liberty　Loan　and　other　campaigns。　Working　in　co…operation　with　the　other　commissioners；　and　the　scoutmaster　of　the　Merion　Troop；　Bok　supported　the　boys　in　their　work　in　each　campaign　as　it　came　along。　Although　there　were　in　the　troop　only　nine　boys；　in　ages　ranging　from　twelve　to　fourteen　yearsBok's　younger　son　was　one　of　themso　effectively　did　these　youngsters　work　under　the　inspiration　of　the　scoutmaster；　Thomas　Dun　Belfield；　that　they　soon　attracted　general　attention　and　acquired　distinction　as　one　of　the　most　efficient　troops　in　the　vicinity　of　Philadelphia。　They　won　nearly　all　the　prizes　offered　in　their　vicinity；　and　elicited　the　special　approval　of　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury。

Although　only　〃gleaners〃　in　most　of　the　campaignsthat　is；　working　only　in　the　last　three　days　after　the　regular　committees　had　scoured　the　neighborhoodthese　Merion　Boy　Scouts　sold　over　one　million　four　hundred　thousand　dollars　in　Liberty　Bonds；　and　raised　enough　money　in　the　Y。　M。　C。　A。　campaign　to　erect　one　of　the　largest　huts　in　France　for　the　army　boys；　and　a　Y。　M。　C。　A。　gymnasium　at　the　League　Island　Navy　Yard　accommodating　two　thousand　sailor…boys。

In　the　summer　of　1918；　the　eight　leading　war…work　agencies；　excepting　the　Red　Cross；　were　merged；　for　the　purpose　of　one　drive　for　funds；　into　the　United　War　Work　Campaign；　and　Bok　was　made　chairman　for　Pennsylvania。　In　November　a　country…wide　campaign　was　launched；　the　quota　for　Pennsylvania　being　twenty　millions　of　dollarsthe　largest　amount　ever　asked　of　the　commonwealth。　Bok　organized　a　committee　of　the　representative　men　of　Pennsylvania；　and　proceeded　to　set　up　the　machinery　to　secure　the　huge　sum。　He　had　no　sooner　done　this；　however；　than　he　had　to　sail　for　France；　returning　only　a　month　before　the　beginning　of　the　campaign。

But　the　efficient　committee　had　done　its　work；　upon　his　return　Bok　found　the　organization　complete。　On　the　first　day　of　the　campaign；　the　false　rumor　that　an　armistice　had　been　signed　made　the　raising　of　the　large　amount　seem　almost　hopeless；　furthermore；　owing　to　the　influenza　raging　throughout　the　commonwealth；　no　public　meetings　had　been　permitted　or　held。　Still；　despite　all　these　obstac