By Dorothy Scheele n Saturday, November 15, Friendship 1947, Pittsburgh witnessed "The T a ceremony at the Pennsyl- Trainl Let s All vania Railroad Station which Do Our Part" marked the beginning of an extra- - ordinary episode: the journey of the Altoona Tribune Friendship Train across Pennsylvania. The cars were filledwithfood destined for the hungry people of Europe. It took three days and seven stops to cross the state, but bythen, an additional I 51 boxcars had been added to its length. The people of Pennsylvania had voluntarily, and with heart-warming generosity, donated the food which filled those cars to their 100,000-pound capacity. The enthusiasm behind this food drive, which occurred in y The Merci Train emblem virtually all 48 states, astounds. A portrays not just the engine but flowers — morning headline in The Erie Dispatch of glory, daisy, poppy — symbolizing 13 announced, citizens November "Erie Flanders Field, where many jointoday inFund-Raising for Friendship WWI American Doughboys Train." The Lancaster Intelligencer Journal are buried, 175 miles north shouted, "Here Comes the Friendship of Paris. The logo adorned all 49 boxcars and cards Train." Fifteen merchants and business- accompanying each of the men inAltoona sponsored a full-page ad 52,000 gifts. in the Altoona Tribune. "The Friendship THE FRIENDSHIP & MERCI TRAINS 35 M Train! Let's AllDo Our Part." A Pittsburgh paper printed a pic- * ture of actress Eve Arden's daughter Liza,holding a toy replica of the Friendship Train. Most likely, many serious. Twenty Iowa farmers who traveled children owned such a replica. toEurope at their own expense to assess the TheFriendship Train was, quite possibly, situation corroborated his observation. the greatest humanitarian movement in It was Drew Pearson, internationally recorded history. The American people, not known columnist, broadcaster, and the United States government, gave humanitarian, and a graduate of Swarth- $40 million worth of food to the more College inPhiladelphia, who had the hungry people of France and Italy. idea which resulted inthe Friendship Train. They gave from their own When Pearson broadcast the dire plight of kitchens, grain fields, and dairy the European people, Americans respond- farms. Unlike the Marshall Plan, ed. With an astonishing rapidity of organi- which was then just being for- zation, the firstboxcars left Los Angeles on Among the artifacts mulated in Congress, this was a November 7, 1947, just five weeks after he at the Blair County down-home, genuine present a people Historical Society are from announced his idea. The train crossed the this sugar bowl and who genuinely cared. Moreover, it led to country, collecting cars as it went, and by wind-up toy. something equally precious, obscure, 18, waiting ships as and — November ithad reached in the annals of American history the inNew York. The train totaled about 270 Merci Train, when France said thank you. boxcars; determining the precise number is nearly impossible because ofvariables such as unscheduled stops, last-minute changes incars added, and differences inreporting War IIhad stripped Euro- deadlines. peans of many of life's ordinary Manypersonal stories about the Friend- Worldcomforts, the most serious a grave ship Train were reported, and thousands shortage offood. Asevere drought in 1947 must stillbe fresh in many a person over compounded the misery of a continent 60. In one Pennsylvania town, a 6-year old already chaotic and bereft after the war. boy wrapped twopennies ina note: "Please Flour to bake bread, foremost in a Euro- buy some cakes for a littleboy or girl in pean's diet, was restricted to six ounces Europe." In Carlisle, Pa., 10-year-old daily.Ifa family wanted a few more ounces Ronald Ludwig spent his day off from to bake something else, it was taken off school collecting food; when his wagon was their bread ration. Personal accounts of filled,he took it to one of the collection those who visited Europe confirmed the need for food. Conference of Mayors presi- dent George Welsh, returning from a con- ference in Paris, described conditions as 36 WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA HISTORJ |FALL 2002 £ Many of the picture postcards were made into needle cases, attached to similar scenes on 1 the other side. points and then went to collect more. vegetables and flour.The Western Pennsyl- A citizens committee in tiny Barnesboro, vania Brewers Association and the United Pa., near Altoona, raised $1,000 in two Steel Workers each donated a carload of days. InSpencer, Iowa, an engineer stopped flour.Food bins were set out at 1,800 stores his freight train and trudged through the for people to deposit donations, which snow to donate his money to a radio sta- were collected by firemen under the direc- tion's fund-raiser. One cab driver collected that chilly and drizzling Novem- tion ofFire Chief WilliamH.Davis. $10 from his passengers. At football games ber 1947 evening inPittsburgh, the Because of the brief time period and inmovie theaters, spectators donated OnFriendship Train rolled into the between the inception of the food drive when the collection box came around. East Liberty freight yard at Penn Avenue and the date of the train's arrival, outlying A Johnstown businessman, I. Klatzkin, and Dahlem Street. Railroad workmen had communities were asked to contribute cash head of Penn Furniture Company, offered prepared the yard for the welcoming cere- tobe used later topurchase food wholesale to match each dollar with one dime. mony and the attachment of the cars. inNew York. Atleast $1,000 was collected. The [Philadelphia] Evening Bulletin of Although between 3,000 and 5,000 people West Virginia's donation to the food train November 17 reported that a Sioux Indian were expected, according to The Pittsburgh was sent to Pittsburgh; Parkersburg sent an tribe inNebraska, while making its contri- Press, only about 500 were there, deterred entire carload, and Fairmont and Charleston bution,held up a sign saying, "TellEurope most likelyby the weather. The CityPolice each contributed quarter carloads. we want peace." and Firemen's Band launched the enter- The train left Pittsburgh at 9 a.m., Companies contributed withequal gen- tainment and local radio personalities and November 16, forJohnstown, 70 miles east. erosity: none of the railroads on which the nightclub acts performed. There were The fact that Johnstown was not a sched- Friendship Train traveled charged for the speeches by MayorDavid H.Lawrence and uled stop reflects the unbridled enthusiasm use of their men, rails, and boxcars. J.S. Crutchfield, chairman of Pittsburgh for the Friendship Train; when Johnstown- Because some food arrived too late to be Citizens Food Committee. Radio station ers demanded to be among the contribu- loaded on the train, California Eastern Air- WWSW recorded the activities for later tors, Congressman Harve Tibbott and the ways announced it would fly Friendship rebroadcast inEurope. Pennsylvania Railroad arranged for the planes east to New York without charge. The Steel City added five cars to the stop. Even though the area's first snow had Goodyear train, Tire and Rubber supplied food each bearing a sign— in French fallen the previous day, thousands of pliofilm for waterproofing all packages. and Italian, "Pittsburgh Food For enthusiastic citizens waved, cheered, and Both the United States Lines and American Friends." Two of the boxcars were filled applauded as the diesel-powered Friend- Export line shipped all of the food to with wheat, the others withassorted staples ship Train roared into the P.R.R. station Europe without charge. requested by the organizing committee at 12:01 p.m. According to the Johnstown such as condensed milkand pasta. TheItal- Tribune, thousands more were watching ian Sons and Daughters, the Independent from Iron Street and the Prospect viaduct. Order of the Sons ofItaly, and the Sons of The BlueDevils Trumpet and Drum Corps Columbus donated 1,600 cases of assorted of American Legion Post No. 294 added to foods. Manufacturer Salvatore Viviano the occasion. added 300 more, and M.Rom Sons, Inc., contributed more than 200 cases ofcanned THE FRIENDSHIP « MERCI TRAINS 37 in Italy & France From Windber, PA." i Nicholas Bruno of Central City headed a delegation seeking $4,000 which would be sent toNew York to purchase food. While the train was at the station, John- stown residents signed their names to one A number of cards portray life in the historic provinces of France: here, Normandy, of the posters on the side of the car. An Provence, and Brittany. The senders wrote hour after its arrival, the train was on its notes on back, too: way. After a quick stop in Huntingdon, Saint-Charles Orphanage Mayor Arthur L.Schwing and members where a boxcar of flour was added, the 17 St-Maurice Road of the city council greeted the train. Drew train headed for Altoona, where itarrived Iam a little orphan. Ino longer have my Pearson was on the train almost its entire at 3 p.m. Daddy, my Mommy. journey, and spoke to the crowd at John- Altoona had apersonal connection with Itwas a pleasure for me to realize that stown. Others addressing the crowd were the train:Drew Pearson's secretary, Marian generous hearts over there, far away in M.M. Chudy, who headed the local food Canty, was an Altoona native, and was with America, have thought ofme. Ifeel less drive; Daniel L. Wertz, (Pearson isolated. President of the the train when itstopped there. Pennsylvania Junior Chamber of Com- left the train in Altoona, and delivered his Thank you fromall my heart. merce (and a native); and W.N. weeklySunday night program from WRTA May God protect you. Johnstown Lockard, representing the contributors of in Allentown, then rejoined the train in S.