the americanization of edward bok-第73章

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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　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　Commit