the americanization of edward bok-第64节

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fallible　in　his　judgment　of　what　the　public　wanted　or　would　accept。

No　man　is；　for　that　matter。



XXXIV。　A　War　Magazine　and　War　Activities

When；　early　in　1917；　events　began　so　to　shape　themselves　as　directly　to　point　to　the　entrance　of　the　United　States　into　the　Great　War；　Edward　Bok　set　himself　to　formulate　a　policy　for　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal。　He　knew　that　he　was　in　an　almost　insurmountably　difficult　position。　The　huge　edition　necessitated　going　to　press　fully　six　weeks　in　advance　of　publication；　and　the　preparation　of　material　fully　four　weeks　previous　to　that。　He　could　not；　therefore；　get　much　closer　than　ten　weeks　to　the　date　when　his　readers　received　the　magazine。　And　he　knew　that　events；　in　war　time；　had　a　way　of　moving　rapidly。

Late　in　January　he　went　to　Washington；　consulted　those　authorities　who　could　indicate　possibilities　to　him　better　than　any　one　else；　and　found；　as　he　had　suspected；　that　the　entry　of　the　United　States　into　the　war　was　a　practical　certainty；　it　was　only　a　question　of　time。

Bok　went　South　for　a　month's　holiday　to　get　ready　for　the　fray；　and　in　the　saddle　and　on　the　golf　links　he　formulated　a　policy。　The　newspapers　and　weeklies　would　send　innumerable　correspondents　to　the　front；　and　obviously；　with　the　necessity　for　going　to　press　so　far　in　advance；　The　Journal　could　not　compete　with　them。　They　would　depict　every　activity　in　the　field。　There　was　but　one　logical　thing　for　him　to　do：　ignore　the　〃front〃　entirely；　refuse　all　the　offers　of　correspondents；　men　and　women；　who　wanted　to　go　with　the　armies　for　his　magazine；　and　cover　fully　and　practically　the　results　of　the　war　as　they　would　affect　the　women　left　behind。　He　went　carefully　over　the　ground　to　see　what　these　would　be；　along　what　particular　lines　women's　activities　would　be　most　likely　to　go；　and　then　went　home　and　back　to　Washington。

It　was　now　March。　He　conferred　with　the　President；　had　his　fears　confirmed；　and　offered　all　the　resources　of　his　magazine　to　the　government。　His　diagnosis　of　the　situation　was　verified　in　every　detail　by　the　authorities　whom　he　consulted。　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　could　best　serve　by　keeping　up　the　morale　at　home　and　by　helping　to　meet　the　problems　that　would　confront　the　women；　as　the　President　said：　〃Give　help　in　the　second　line　of　defense。〃

A　year　before；　Bok　had　opened　a　separate　editorial　office　in　Washington　and　had　secured　Dudley　Harmon；　the　Washington　correspondent　for　The　New　York　Sun；　as　his　editor…in…charge。　The　purpose　was　to　bring　the　women　of　the　country　into　a　clearer　understanding　of　their　government　and　a　closer　relation　with　it。　This　work　had　been　so　successful　as　to　necessitate　a　force　of　four　offices　and　twenty　stenographers。　Bok　now　placed　this　Washington　office　on　a　war…basis；　bringing　it　into　close　relation　with　every　department　of　the　government　that　would　be　connected　with　the　war　activities。　By　this　means；　he　had　an　editor　and　an　organized　force　on　the　spot；　devoting　full　time　to　the　preparation　of　war　material；　with　Mr。　Harmon　in　daily　conference　with　the　department　chiefs　to　secure　the　newest　developments。

Bok　learned　that　the　country's　first　act　would　be　to　recruit　for　the　navy；　so　as　to　get　this　branch　of　the　service　into　a　state　of　preparedness。　He　therefore　secured　Franklin　D。　Roosevelt；　assistant　secretary　of　the　navy；　to　write　an　article　explaining　to　mothers　why　they　should　let　their　boys　volunteer　for　the　Navy　and　what　it　would　mean　to　them。

He　made　arrangements　at　the　American　Red　Cross　Headquarters　for　an　official　department　to　begin　at　once　in　the　magazine；　telling　women　the　first　steps　that　would　be　taken　by　the　Red　Cross　and　how　they　could　help。　He　secured　former　President　William　Howard　Taft；　as　chairman　of　the　Central　Committee　of　the　Red　Cross；　for　the　editor　of　this　department。

He　cabled　to　Viscount　Northcliffe　and　Ian　Hay　for　articles　showing　what　the　English　women　had　done　at　the　outbreak　of　the　war；　the　mistakes　they　had　made；　what　errors　the　American　women　should　avoid；　the　right　lines　along　which　English　women　had　worked　and　how　their　American　sisters　could　adapt　these　methods　to　transatlantic　conditions。

And　so　it　happened　that　when　the　first　war　issue　of　The　Journal　appeared　on　April　20th；　only　three　weeks　after　the　President's　declaration；　it　was　the　only　monthly　that　recognized　the　existence　of　war；　and　its　pages　had　already　begun　to　indicate　practical　lines　along　which　women　could　help。

The　President　planned　to　bring　the　Y。　M。　C。　A。　into　the　service　by　making　it　a　war…work　body；　and　Bok　immediately　made　arrangements　for　a　page　to　appear　each　month　under　the　editorship　of　John　R。　Mott；　general　secretary　of　the　International　Y。　M。　C。　A。　Committee。

The　editor　had　been　told　that　the　question　of　food　would　come　to　be　of　paramount　importance；　he　knew　that　Herbert　Hoover　had　been　asked　to　return　to　America　as　soon　as　he　could　close　his　work　abroad；　and　he　cabled　over　to　his　English　representative　to　arrange　that　the　proposed　Food　Administrator　should　know；　at　first　hand；　of　the　magazine　and　its　possibilities　for　the　furtherance　of　the　proposed　Food　Administration　work。

The　Food　Administration　was　no　sooner　organized　than　Bok　made　arrangements　for　an　authoritative　department　to　be　conducted　in　his　magazine；　reflecting　the　plans　and　desires　of　the　Food　Administration；　and　Herbert　Hoover's　first　public　declaration　as　food　administrator　to　the　women　of　America　was　published　in　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal。　Bok　now　placed　all　the　resources　of　his　four…color　press…work　at　Mr。　Hoover's　disposal；　and　the　Food　Administration's　domestic　experts；　in　conjunction　with　the　full　culinary　staff　of　the　magazine；　prepared　the　new　war　dishes　and　presented　them　appetizingly　in　full　colors　under　the　personal　endorsement　of　Mr。　Hoover　and　the　Food　Administration。　From　six　to　sixteen　articles　per　month　were　now　coming　from　Mr。　Hoover's　department　alone。

The　Department　of　Agriculture　was　laid　under　contribution　by　the　magazine　for　the　best　ideas　for　the　raising　of　food　from　the　soil　in　the　creation　of　war…gardens。

Doctor　Anna　Howard　Shaw　had　been　appointed　chairman　of　the　National　Committee　of　the　Women's　Council　of　National　Defence；　and　Bok　arranged　at　once　with　her　that　she　should　edit　a　department　page　in　his　magazine；　setting　forth　the　plans　of　the　committee　and　how　the　women　of　America　could　co…operate　therewith。

The　magazine　had　thus　practically　become　the　semiofficial　mouthpiece　of　all　the　various　government　war　bureaus　and　war…work　bodies。　James　A。　Flaherty；　supreme　knight　of　the　Knights　of　Columbus；　explained　the　proposed　work　of　that　body；　Commander　Evangeline　Booth　presented　the　plans　of　the　Salvation　Army；　and　Mrs。　Robert　E。　Speer；　president　of　the　National　Board　of　the　Young　Women's　Christian　Association；　reflected　the　activities　of　her　organization；　while　the　President's　daughter；　Miss　Margaret　Wilson；　discussed　her　work　for　the　opening　of　all　schoolhouses　as　community　war…centres。

The　magazine　reflected　in　full…color　pictures　the　life　and　activities　of　the　boys　in　the　American　camps；　and　William　C。　Gorgas；　surgeon…general　of　the　United　States；　was　the　spokesman　in　the　magazine　for　the　health　of　the　boys。

Secretary　of　the　Treasury　McAdoo　interpreted　the　first　Liberty　Loan　〃drive〃　to　the　women；　the　President　of　the　United　States；　in　a　special　message　to　women；　wrote　in　behalf　of　the　subsequent　Loan；　Bernard　Baruch；　as　chairman　of　the　War　Industries　Board；　made　clear　the　need　for　war…time　thrift；　the　recalled　ambassador　to　Germany；　James　W。　Gerard；　told　of　the　ingenious　plans　resorted　to　by　German　women　which　American　women　could　profitably　copy；　and　Elizabeth；　Queen　of　the　Belgians；　explained　the　plight　of　the　babies　and　children　of　Belgium；　and　made　a　plea　to　the　women　of　the　magazine　to　help。　So　straight　to　the　point　did　the　Queen　write；　and　so　well　did　she　present　her　case　that　within　six　months　there　had　been　sent　to　her；　through　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal；　two　hundred　and　forty…eight　thousand　cans　of　condensed　milk；　seventy…two　thousand　cans　of　pork　and　beans；　five　thousand　cans　of　infants'　prepared　food；　eighty　thousand　cans　of　beef　soup；　and　nearly　four　thousand　bushels　of　wheat；　purchased　with　the　money　donated　by　the　magazine　readers。

On　the　coming　of　the　coal　question；　the　magazine　immediately　reflected　the　findings　and　recommendations　of　the　Fuel　Administration；　and　Doctor　H。　A。　Garfield；　as　fuel　administrator；　placed　the　material　of　his　Bureau　at　the　disposal　of　the　magazine's　Washington　editor。

The　Committee　on　Public　Information　now　sought　the　magazine　for　the　issuance　of　a　series　of　official　announcements　explanatory　of　matters　to　women。

When　the　〃meatless〃　and　the　〃wheatless〃　days　were　inaugurated；　the　women　of　America　found　that　the　magazine　had　anticipated　their　coming；　and　the　issue　appearing　on　the　first　of　these　days；　as　publicly　announced　by　the　Food　Administration；　presented　pages　of　substitutes　in　full　colors。

Of　course；　miscellaneous　articles　on　the　war　there　were；　without　number。　Before　the　war　was　ended；　the　magazine　did　send　a　representative　to　the　front　in　Catherine　Van　Dyke；　who　did　most　effective　work　for　the　magazine　in　articles　of　a　general　nature。　The　fullpage　battle　pictures；　painted　from　da