The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 11, 1917

Better Buy Your Clothes Now, Girls

Girls, Girls!

It’s a sad story but when the hot summer days roll around and there is nothing comforting but the summer frock, don’t forget to lay away your spring suit so that you may draw it out again next spring ready for use.

Uncle Sam’s officials have announced that this may be the last year for some time that ready made factories will be turned over for the manufacturing of women’s wear. Uncle Sam is going to have a little party all of his own in the next few years and he is going to require the ladies factories to make olive drab and khaki suits for his boys, and we girls are going to be the sufferers.

But then, patriotism comes first, and who will care to sport a new suit or a silk gown with all the sweethearts away on the border fighting? The dress maker will reign supreme one more. Her reign has fallen to the background during the past because the ready to wear garments have proven so exacting with the women.

We want our brothers to look spick and span when they go away to war, if it must be and this now looks inevitable. A million uniform suits will have to be made and maybe two million. There must be hats, coats, caps, shoes and socks.

A rush order may be that the boys will have to have the out put of the wool in this country, so girls get together al of yoru clothes. Brush them up and hang them away for it may be our lot to wear made over garments instead of ready made during the war.

Tags: 1917

The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 10, 1917

Memberships in Red Cross Jumps to 564

Organization Wants 1,700 in Webster County

Lehigh Women Will Enroll

May Have Three First Aid Classes Here

Fort Dodge women are giving their loyal support to every branch of the Red Cross work. Membership in the Webster County Red Cross chapter has jumped to 564. Thirty new members were received this morning. The mark of “1700 new members for Webster county,” as set by the national headquarters no longer seems impossible and in a short time that number will be reached.

Lehigh Women Enroll.

Lehigh women are anxious to organize an auxiliary. This will be done at a meeting at the home of Mrs. John Marsh Thursday afternoon. One of the Fort Dodge women will talk to the women and explain the methods of organization. The local chapter is known as the Webster County Red Cross. Any other organizations in the county will be auxiliary to this. That means that the money that will be raised will be distributed to the general fund here and work will be apportioned out to them from the headquarters here.

“Any Rags, Any Rags?”

Officers of Company F and company G has asked the Red Cross Chapter t collect as many rags as possible for them. These are used to clean rifles. Any rags, any color and of any age of service will do for this purpose. It is a simple request and with housecleaning on the program an opportunity will be given housewives to collect them and send them to the headquarters at the Municipal rest room.

White rags, such as old pillow cases and sheets are also needed for making the oakum pads. These may also be sent to the local headquarters.

May Be Three Classes.

If membership in the First Aid class increases as rapidly as it has started there may be three classes formed. At present there are forty members enrolled. It is the intention that the members should have one general meeting. Depending upon the size of this classes will be subdivided. Each class will then elect officers and choose its time for meeting.

The largest crowd that ever attended  a work session was present at the Municipal rest room Monday afternoon. Every chair was taken, but there was plenty of work for all and it is hoped that this attendance will be kept up.

Wednesday Evening class.

For the benefit of those whose work keeps them from attending the after noon sessions a class is held every Wednesday evening. The attention of young women and girls who work is called to this. The lighting facilities are excellent.

J.M. Plaister, manager of the Fort Dodge Telephone company, has donated a telephone to the Municipal rest room for use of the Red Cross members. This will be a great convenience and a saver of time.

Mrs. R.P. Atweil has been appointed chairman of a committee to arrange for lunches at the close of the work sessions. A small price will be charged for this and the money raised will go toward the general fund.

Visit Sherman Laundry.

Nearly 100 visitors were at the Sherman laundry Monday, the first day of the all week benefit for the Red Cross chapter. for every visitor F.V. Sherman will give ten cents to the chapter. Automobiles were kept busy going back and forth. St. Margaret’s guild after their meeting in the Boston Store tea rooms, attended in a body.

Tags: 1917, Atweil, Plaister, Red Cross

The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 4, 1917

Army Recruiting Office Gets Orders

Prepare to Handle Men in Large Numbers

To Ask Ministers to Help

Orders were received by the Fort Dodge recruiting office this morning from district army headquarters in Omaha to have the local office prepared to handle recruits in large numbers by the latter part of the week.

Corporal Weir in charge said today that as yet he could not give out any information which is purported to back the order, but that within a few days there would probably be more definite news given out by the war department at Washington.

Military men here believe that this order is a forerunner of an order which will be received within the next few days to recruit the regular army up to full war strength. In that case it would be necessary for the government to enlist 75,000 men at once. The standing army as it is in peace times numbers about 150,000 and 225,000 in war strength.

Two Men Enlist.

James S. Jenkins of Bancroft was enlisted into the coast artillery today. He left this morning for Fort Logan, Colo. Glen M. Paul of Bancroft was enlisted this morning but upon protests from his mother, who said that he was not of age, he was rejected by the local officers.

Want Ministers to Help.

Recruiting Officers Kellar and Weir at the army recruiting office announced today that they would visit every minister in the city this week and request them to urge men to join the army. This is one of the plans that the army is taking to recruit up to the required strength.

Sergeant Kellar said today that he had planned to see all the ministers in the city as soon as possible. He will urge them to speak fro the pulpit on the standing army and the excellent chances for promotion that is offers, and tell of its need of good clean men to enlist under the colors of the United States of America.

The army has no trouble in getting recruits, but it can not get the right kind of recruits. Men are being turned down daily because they are not the kind of men that are needed in the regular army.

Sergeant Kellar would like to have the ministers preach a sermon next Sunday on the army. Next Sunday, however, is Easter Sunday and it is probably that many of the ministers would rather not give over the entire service. Recruiting officers, however, will try and get them to say a few words about the army.

Tags: 1917, Paul, World War I

The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 1, 1917

Enlist at Once in IA. Nat’l Guard

Two Fort Dodge Companies Must Get Men

Enlist to 100 Men Each

“Proof of Patriotism” Declares Philpot

Plans for a big mass meeting in the armory Thursday evening were begun by national guard officers to spur many Fort Dodge young men to enlist in Companies F and G. Both companies probably will parade behind the Fort Dodge Municipal band. After the parade, the meeting will be held in the armory at which Mayor John F. Ford, Robert Healy and Major S.B. Philpot will speak.

Every effort is being made to recruit the Second Iowa up to full strength so it can be called out at once. One report has it that as soon as the regiment is on a war footing, it is to be divided into four skeleton regiments, each of which will then be recruited up to war strength.

Big posters printed in red have been put up in business places today telling the urgent need the Iowa National Guard has for recruits.

In the meantime, the officers of the two national guard companies at the armory are also making every effort to recruit the two companies up to 100 men each.

A total of only ten recruits was gained by Tuesday’s work. Personal canvass will be made in an effort to secure the required number. Co. F. now has about seventy eight while Company G has about ten more.

Major Philpot Here

Major S.B. Philpot of this city has been put on recruiting work, declared this morning that the two local companies have the least number of recruits of any of the companies in the Second Iowa Infantry. He urged the local men to get busy.

“We offer recruits,” said Major Philpot, “the best regiment on the border, officered by men of experience. Connection with a crack organization means a great deal more than connection with a loosely organized regiments. The Second Iowa will be used as an organization regiment. It saw the longest service on the border of any of the Iowa troops and will be used to train the raw men. Recruits should avail themselves of the opportunity to enlist without being drafted.

“At LeMars they got fourteen recruits after I left. Other companies in the regiment have been doing much better than Fort Dodge has. it’s up to Fort Dodge to get busy and do something.”

Put in Recruiting Window

The national guardsmen today decorated a display window in the front of The Messenger Building with some of their equipment and with posters appealing to the young men of the city to enlist before they will be made to suffer the stigma of a draft.

Fort Dodge guardsmen who came back from the border and were given so hearty a welcome feel that the city can pass the real test of patriotism by getting the young men of Fort Dodge to enlist. High school boys, particularly, whose parents are patriotic, will find a welcome in either of the local companies.

Suggest Earlier Graduation

Local guard officers have suggested that the eligible young men in the senior class of the high school be given their diplomas earlier than in June upon their enlistment with the national guard.

This would provide for many recruits among the best class of young fellows.

Governor Suggests Meeting

A citizens patriotic mass meeting in fort Dodge was suggested in a communication received today by Mayor John F. Ford from W.L. Harding, governor of Iowa.

Recruiting of the Iowa National Guard has been going along so slowly in the state that an effort has been launched to have the mayors in the cities in Iowa take hold of the work in order to hasten the recruiting of the guards up to the required strength.

The letter which Major Ford received today was a request for him to assemble the citizens of Fort Dodge at a mass meeting and urge those of military age to enlist in the national guard. The plan, it is hoped, will extend far enough to provide men who might be enlisted into the volunteers when the call comes for their enlistment.

Tags: 1917, Ford, Harding, military, Philpot, World War I