Kansas State Council Ofdefense
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HISTORY of the K ansas State Council of Defense Edited bn FRANK W. BLACKMAR December, 1920 ■ ■ ■ ■ s A . J.’ lx I y fE I) BY KANSAS STATE I'KlXTlNG PLANT R, K. KEM.KV, ACTING STA.TK PK1NTKK TOPEKA, KAN. 1021 8-5487 V \ O s . \ HISTORY OF THE Kansas State Council of Defense EDITED BY FRANK W. BLACKMAR D ecember, 1920 PRINTED BY KANSAS STATE PRINTING PLANT E. E. KELLEY, ACTING STATE PRINTER TOPEKA, KAN. 10 21 8-5487 PREFACE. It is a very difficult matter to recount all of the activities and services of the Kansas State Council of Defense. It was so busy in trying to make world history that it failed to take note of its own records, so that when the Council of Defense closed its work in December, 1918, although a vast deal of work had been done, many things had been begun which were stopped in their midst on account of the sudden closing of the war. As soon as possible people dropped warlike pursuits and devoted them selves to the work of peace. This left the records of the work of many committees, and especially of the counties, in considerable confusion. The editor of this report, which attempts to give a portrayal of the organization and activities of the State Council of Defense, has found great difficulty in collecting the facts regarding the work actually done. In some counties, for instance, where they did persistent and vigorous work careful records were not kept, while in others where not any more work was done everything was carefully recorded. The same is true of the general committees; some of those who were most active did not have elaborate reports, while others reported everything in full. Under such circumstances it has been very difficult to obtain a complete record of service and to-give proportionate space to the work of the counties and to the general committees. Some of the committee reports necessarily had to be abbreviated to keep them from being out of proportion, and others were necessarily brief; otherwise the volume would be extended to great length. The editor is very grateful to those who assisted him in furnishing information and records of the transactions of the county organizations and of the state committees. If in the analysis of material an apparent injustice has been done to certain groups of people and certain localities, it has been entirely unintentional; the editor has done the best he could under the circumstances. It must be kept in mind that it was difficult to get the cooperation of people in certain sections of the state in furnish ing material. No such organization had ever been established in the state before, because no such need had ever occurred, and the shifting scenes of war gave constant changes in organization and activities of the Council of Defense, although its purpose, that of support of the war in general, and the boys at the front in particular, was never lost sight of. Every individual member of the Kansas Council of Defense held himself in readiness to do everything in his power to forward the movement, and there was complete unanimity of purpose, perfect cooperation and abso lute consecration to the cause by every member of the Council. It is a pleasure to record this, and an equal pleasure to write of the untiring efforts of Governor Arthur Capper and President Henry J. Waters, as well as members of the many committees who spent their en tire time and energy freely for the great purpose of the Council in the 4 History of Kansas Council of Defense. support of the war. Not in the history of the state, and I am inclined to think in the history of any other state, was shown greater zeal or more faithful cooperation of a distinguished body of citizens working for the common good without any compensation. The small expense attached to the Council of Defense compared with the amount of work it accomplished is a most commendable phase of the services of the men and women of the state over a period of nearly two years. This could not have been accomplished without the hearty cooperation of the State Board of Agriculture, the State Agricultural College at Manhattan, the University of Kansas at Lawrence, the State Board of Health, women’s clubs, and other organizations. It is important to note that the State Council of Defense received the hearty cooperation of the Woman's Committee of the State Council, which was organized under the Council of National Defense, and of various other national organizations. The editor hopes that this report will be a worthy chapter in the his tory of the state and an inspiration to people in the future should any similar service be required of her people to defend their citizenship. F. W. B. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE Preface......................................................................................................... 3 List of Officers......... ,.................................................................................. 8 List of Members.......................................................................................... 8 List of Standing Committees.............. ....................................................... 9 Kansas in the Great War, Ex-Governor Arthur Capper.......................... 13 An Over-Seas View of Kansas in the War, Governor H. J. Allen........... 15 The Work of the Kansas Council of Defense, H. J. Waters................. 17 Organization of the State Council of Defense, F. W. Blackmar............. 20 Summary of the Work on Agricultural Production, W. M. Jardine....... 36 Reports of Sub-Committees on Agricultural Production: Fruit, O. F. Whitney........................................................................... 49 Gardening and Canning, Edward C. Johnson................................... 48 Horse and Machine Power, J. C. Mohler.......................................... 52 Insects, George Dean and S. J. Hunter............................................. 50 General Report of State Board of Agriculture.......................................... 53 Committee on County and Community Organization, Edward C. Johnson and Walter Burr................................................................... 55 Committee on Highways Transport, W. C. Markham............................. 60 Committee on Labor, A. J. Johnson......................................................... 62 Committee on Legislation, L. H. Wulfekuhler.......................................... 63 Committee on Mineral Resources, Robert A. Gray................................. 62 Committee on Public Defense, Frank W. Blackmar................................ 64 State Committee of Research.................................................................... 66 Legal Advisory Committee of State and Counties, Frank W. Blackmar. 66 Committee on Publicity, Frank P. MacLennan....................................... 68 Committee on Public Relations, Frank Strong........................................ 68 Committee on Priority, H. J. Waters.......................................*............... 74 Committee on Social Hygiene, S. J. Crumbine. ....................................... 76 Committee on Speakers' Bureau, Walter Burr......................................... 78 Committee on Seed Wheat, L. H. Wulfekuhler........................................ 86 Committee on Utilization and Economy, Mrs. Mary Belleville-Brown.. 89 County Activities: Allen County....................................................................................... 91 Anderson County................................................................................ 91 Atchison County................................................................................. 91 Barber County..................................................................................... 91 Barton County.................................................................................... 92 Bourbon County.................................................................................. 92 Brown County..................................................................................... 93 Butler County..................................................................................... 93 Chase County...................................................................................... 93 Chatauqua County.............................................................................. 94 Cherokee County................................................................................. 95 Cheyenne County................................................................................ 95 Clark County....................................................................................... 95 Clay County........................................................................................ 95 (5) 6 History of Kansas Council of Defense. Cloud County........................................................................................ 95 CofTey County....................................................................................... 95 Comanche County................................................................................. 95 Cowley County...................................................................................... 96 Crawford County.................................................................................. 96 Decatur County..................................................................................... 97 Dickinson County................................................................................. 98 Doniphan County................................................................................