NEW YORK STATE ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION GOPHER DOCUMENT ------------------------------------------------------------- Creation Date: June 1994 Date Added to Gopher: June 28, 1994 Source: Research Services ------------------------------------------------------------- RECORDS RELATING TO WORLD WAR I IN THE NEW YORK STATE ARCHIVES (a copy of the complete finding aid) _________________________________________________________ TO THE SOLDIERS OF THE NATIONAL ARMY: You are undertaking a great duty. The heart of the whole country is with you. Everything that you do will be watched with the deepest interest and with the deepest solicitude, not only by those who are near and dear to you, but by the whole Nation besides. For this great war draws us all together, makes us all comrades and brothers, as all true Americans felt themselves to be when we first made good our national independence. The eyes of all the world will be upon you, because you are in some special sense the soldiers of freedom. Let it be your pride, therefore, to show all men everywhere not only what good soldiers you are, but also what good men you are, keeping yourselves fit and straight in everything and pure and clean through and through. Let us set for ourselves a standard so high that it will be a glory to live up to it and then let us live up to it and add a new laurel to the crown of America. -- President Woodrow Wilson (1917) TO THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK: New York's pride is in the pride of things done. Her leadership is no more due to her great wealth or her large population than to the patriotism of her citizens and the uses to which her wealth is put. In every war in which this country has engaged, she has shown a spirit of sacrifice that has made her preeminent among the States. In this war, New York has outdone her own history. Over one hundred and seventy-five thousand of her citizens have gone into the fighting forces of the country. To the Red Cross, our citizens have given over thirty millions of dollars. One-third of the two previous Liberty Loans, or $2,457,832,100., was subscribed within this State. On the battlefields of France, the Frontier of Civilization, our men are to-day fighting that this country may endure as a great nation. They are fighting for us. On us is the sacred obligation to meet sacrifice with sacrifice. I call on every citizen of this State to do his duty, and by subscribing to the Third Liberty Loan, prove to the men at the front that we are doing our part in the world fight against savagery. -- Governor Charles S. Whitman (April 6, 1918) Introduction New York, with the rest of America, came late to the fighting in World War I. Following President Wilson's message to Congress and the declaration of war on April 6, 1917, New York mobilized. Once engaged, all of the State's formidable human and material resources were brought to bear, bequeathing a remarkable record of service during America's 19-month war. Prior to the U.S. entry in the war there was a significant pacifist movement in New York and considerable support for relief efforts to Belgium and other European communities. Some New Yorkers enlisted with British or Canadian forces. Eventually over 500,000 New Yorkers were in military service, the largest contingent from any state. Led by strong government promotion, communities statewide rallied to support the troops and the Allied cause. Citizens signed on to local defense committees, joined the medical corps or the Public Service Reserve, bought Liberty Bonds, worked the farms, knitted socks, conserved food and fuel, and kept an active home vigil against subversives, saboteurs, and submarines. New York was a center for mobilization of troops and materiel. In an era that lacked an interstate highway system, convoys of supplies and equipment traveled on State roads and railways, and the Port of New York was a major point for overseas embarkation. State industries built ships and munitions; they held the largest number of defense contracts of any state during the war. In sum, public and private sectors mobilized for a shared sacrifice commensurate with an effort required by a world at war. Coordinating the mobilization was the job of the New York State Council of Defense. Working with the Adjutant General's office, through the Resource Mobilization Bureau, the Council was responsible for the "efficient coordination and cooperation of the military, industrial, agricultural, and commercial resources of the state in time of war". Other agencies of State government responded as well, cooperating with military and federal authorities in such areas as finance, health services, fuel and food production, and the draft. The work of the Council of Defense and county home defense committees during the Great War became the model for the State's next mobilization nearly 25 years later, to be led by the Council's successor agency, the State War Council. The Armistice came on November 11, 1918, and with repatriation of U.S. forces communities acclaimed the survivors and venerated the dead. The end of the war spurred a collective spirit of commemoration, and an attempt to formally recognize the contributions of New York to the cause. Veterans received a State bonus benefit that accrued to their service. Echoing ventures in other states, the State Education Department's Office of Archives and History accumulated a written record that captured the sweeping character of the war effort; the records are precious raw material for a chronicle that was never published. As post-war celebrations faded the State confronted the same economic, political, and social problems that the nation faced. Problems that had emerged prior to the conflict were stunted during wartime, but blossomed in post-World War I New York. Issues of immigration, nationalism, censorship, education, labor, and transportation were all colored by the war experience. This guide describes 26 records series totaling over 440 cubic feet which reveal how the State's people and government responded to the First World War. It is divided into three sections: military service records, including records about bonus payments; an agency history and records of the State Council of Defense; and related records of other State agencies, records that document New York's public and private, individual and collective, war work. The surviving records can be meaningful sources for a review of World War I America. The service records, for example, are the only extant documentation of New York veterans' war service. Areas in which the records offer solid foundation for study include: military history, organization of the American Expeditionary Force, and deployment of the National Guard; governmental operations and interaction during the war; citizen participation and civilian war work; the role of educational institutions and students in a wartime environment; local history; medical, sanitary, and public health practices arising from the urgent demands of war; humanitarian relief efforts; public attitudes about civic responsibility, loyalty, patriotism, work, and women and family; government policy toward immigrants, business, and other groups during wartime; and how public opinion was formed to fix support for the war. Although the scope of this finding aid is roughly prescribed by the war years, additional records series in the holdings of the State Archives support ancillary research into the legal, social, political, and educational aspects that shaped response to the world war and its after-effects. Context is crucial to understanding outcomes and analyzing the impact of the war on policy and events in post-war New York. For example, no study of the era would be complete without examination of gubernatorial records. Appointment Correspondence Files (series A0612), Executive Statements (series A3217), and other records series document the actions of Charles Whitman, who was governor during World War I. These materials relate directly to his decisions, among others, on governmental appointments, promotion of travel abroad, and citizenship rights during wartime. In addition, the administrations of governors Martin A. Glynn and Alfred E. Smith, which frame that of Whitman, offer valuable pre- and post-war perspectives. Series A0531, Investigation Case Files of Charges and Complaints Against Public Officials and Agencies, contains constituent appeals to Governor Glynn from across the political spectrum: supporting war relief efforts; asking for statements of solidarity with the Allies; cooperating with peace movements; requesting help in locating New Yorkers traveling in Europe; and commenting on the effect of the "European War" on U.S. business. There is even an isolated example of correspondence on early attempts (1914) to organize a "colored" regiment of the New York National Guard. With the end of the war, economic conditions deteriorated as nationalistic feelings continued to run high. There was higher inflation and unemployment, labor strife, and a housing shortage. Bills aimed at education reform (loyalty oaths, teacher licensing, promoting immigrant education, and expanding educational facilities into the work place) were fiercely contested by governors Nathan L. Miller and Alfred E. Smith. At the beginning of his administration Smith created a Reconstruction Commission to consider post-war problems and recommend remedies, and in returning to a peacetime footing, he sponsored many legislative initiatives developed out of the State's war experience, especially in areas of public works, child labor, and literacy. Post-war records of agencies may also shed light on the war experience. For example, series A0063, Press Clippings and Background Files Concerning the Regents Literacy Test, offers insights into voting rights, literacy requirements, immigrant education, and the struggle among State agencies over testing and administration which in some ways mirrors the friction over military training for students. Several series from the Health Department document its fight against contagious diseases (such as the influenza outbreak) during the war years and into the 1920s, which impacted public health and sanitary practices. Other examples may be found in records of executive or legislative commissions or committees. Chief among these is the important group of records resulting from work of the Joint Legislative Committee to Investigate Seditious Activities (the Lusk Committee). Series L0035, Newspaper Clippings Files, includes information on U.S. involvement with the war in Europe; series L0036, Suspected Radical Propaganda Files, documents antimilitarism movements through the propaganda materials gathered by the committee in the post-war years. Finally, taking a longer comparative view, records of the New York State War Council, successor agency to the State Council of Defense, reveal lessons learned by the State in mobilizing for "the war to end all wars" and their practical application nearly 25 years later. Overall, this guide provides an important, but not exhaustive, list of records valuable for the study of the State's response to World War I. That response was shaped by events prior to the U.S. declaration of war and evolved after the Armistice to shape policy, directions, and events in post- war New York. The records of the State Archives can contribute significantly to the study of this important period in early twentieth century history. It is hoped that this guide will stimulate such research, and inspire increased use of State Archives records relating to the Great War. The records described in this guide are part of the holdings of the New York State Archives. Descriptions of some series have been abstracted to highlight those contents relating solely to the World War I era. The level of description varies among series; container listings and/or indexes are available in most cases. Some records have been microfilmed (see Appendix B). Microfilming and extensive processing and description work on many of these series are directly supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Processing and description work on this important group of records are ongoing. Researchers may contact the Archives to learn the status of any series listed in this guide. Microfilm copies are available on inter-library loan and may be purchased. The State Archives, part of the Office of Cultural Education of the State Education Department, is mandated to identify, acquire, preserve, and make available for research use State government records of enduring value. Since opening of the Archives storage and research facility in the Cultural Education Center in 1978, over 52,000 cubic feet of records have been transferred from State agencies, and additional records are accessioned continually. The records noted in this guide are available to researchers at the State Archives research facility weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Further information about the content and use of these or other State Archives holdings is available from: Research Services Unit New York State Archives and Records Administration Cultural Education Center, Room 11D40 Albany, NY 12230 (518) 474-8955 This guide was prepared by Senior Archivist Christine Karpiak, who wrote the majority of the series descriptions. Senior Archivist Roger Ritzmann described the military service records. Sharon Ritzmann, chair of the foreign language department at Johnstown High School (Johnstown, New York), translated photograph captions from the French in series A2042. Associate Curator Robert Mulligan, New York State Museum, provided background information on military history and the role of New York units in the war. 1. MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE B0808. Abstracts of World War I Military Service, 1917- 1919. 238 cubic feet (ca. 518,000 cards) Arrangement: Organized into 5 subseries: Subseries 1, Abstracts of World War I Military Service of Army Officers; Subseries 2, Abstracts of World War I Military Service of Nurses; Subseries 3, Abstracts of World War I Military Service of Enlisted Men; Subseries 4, Abstracts of World War I Military Service of Sailors; and Subseries 5, Abstracts of World War I Military Service of Marines. Arrangement within subseries is alphabetical by last name. The series consists of abstracts of military service for New York residents who enlisted or who were inducted into the armed forces of the United States from 1917 through 1919. The record consists of a 4 x 6" card (or a 5 x 8" card for Navy personnel) for each individual. The record for each individual provides the following data: þ name þ serial/service number þ designation as "white" or "colored" þ residence þ place and date of enlistment/induction þ place of birth þ age or date of birth þ organizations served in, with dates of assignments and transfers þ dates of overseas service þ wounds or other injuries received in action þ date of separation/discharge (and place of separation for Navy personnel) þ percent of disability at discharge For those who died while in service, date and cause of death, name and address of person notified of death, and relationship to the deceased are provided. These records were procured in 1920, by the Bureau of War Records, from the federal government pursuant to Chapter 75 of the Laws of 1919 which directed the Adjutant General, through the Bureau, to compile, collect, and preserve the "records and relics... relating to the wars in which the state participated." (See also Chapter 247 of the Laws of 1887, which established the Bureau as the "Bureau of Records of the War of the Rebellion.") Most federal records of World War I service were destroyed in a repository fire. Many of the cards in this series are fragile and use may be restricted. It should be noted that the Bureau discovered over time numerous errors in the transcription of the records provided by Washington that required correction. They made corrections to errors as they were found (see Annual Report of the Adjutant General, 1935, page 36). 13721. Abstracts of National Guard Service in World War I , 1917-1919. 30 cubic feet (96 volumes) Arrangement: By military unit and therein alphabetical by name. The series consists of abstracts of the service of officers and enlisted men in units of the New York National Guard who were mustered into the regular U.S. Army during World War I. The records were created pursuant to Chapter 75 of the Laws of 1919, which directed the Adjutant General to compile, collect, and preserve records relating to the wars in which the State participated. The Military Law of the Consolidated Laws of 1909 (nominally Chapter 41), as amended by Chapter 644 of the Laws of 1917, governed the New York National Guard during World War I. The New York National Guard was drafted into the service of the United States by presidential order effective August 5, 1917. The record for each individual usually provides the following data: þ name þ U.S. Army serial number þ date and place of commission or enlistment in State service þ date of appearance for duty þ dates of muster into service (N.Y. and U.S. with rank, company, and regiment) þ date and rank at time of leaving service þ reason for leaving service (type of discharge or transfer) Following these data are "remarks" which sometimes give details of such additional matters as service overseas, promotions, or conduct during service. At the bottom of the form is space to record: þ age þ height þ complexion þ color of eyes and hair þ birthplace þ occupation þ residence þ marital status þ name of wife, parent, or guardian These spaces more often than not are blank. Finding aid: Volume list. B0814. Muster Rolls of New York National Guard Units that Served in the United States Army During World War I, 1917-1918. 4 cubic feet (12 volumes) Arrangement: By type of unit, then numerical by unit number. The series consists of bound volumes of bimonthly muster rolls registering officers and enlisted men from New York National Guard units that served in the U.S. Army during World War I. Also included is a very small amount of additional material, primarily memoranda, interspersed within the volumes. Filed in the Adjutant General's Office, these rolls became the records to which reference was made in investigation and settlement of claims or questions affecting officers and enlisted men and their heirs. Regulations stated that the rolls were to be forwarded to the Adjutant General within three days after each bimonthly muster. The rolls were kept according to the following rule of order, with names listed alphabetically under each grade (except for noncommissioned officers): þ commissioned officers, by rank þ commissioned officers attached to the organization, by rank þ noncommissioned officers, by grade and date of warrant þ all others, by grade þ musicians þ privates The rolls are pre-printed sheets in columnar form; the majority of information is entered in typescript, although there are some manuscript entries. One side of the form provides a brief "cover" naming the company, regiment, and inclusive dates of the roll (from the date of the last bimonthly muster). This cover is generally date stamped by the Bureau of Records of the Adjutant General's Office. On the verso a heading repeats the name of unit and inclusive dates and also gives names and ranks of those present and absent; when enlisted or commissioned; checkmarks (if present) or "absent"; and remarks. The remarks may include information on: assignment; date of joining (enlistment or drafted); assignment to or relief from command (transfers, detachment); changes in rank/grade; sentences; absences (of 24 hours or more); and discharge. Very rarely is there information on injuries or wounds, confinement, or medals or certificates of merit. At the end of the roll there are two certifications. One is signed by the commanding officer attesting that the roll conforms to the requisite instructions. The other is signed by the inspecting and mustering officer verifying that the roll has been examined and the organization inspected, including brief manuscript remarks on its condition (as to military appearance, arms, accoutrements and clothing). The small amount of scattered material includes transfer memoranda from/to the Adjutant General (one signed by Adjutant General Charles H. Sherrill) about specific cases or changes to the rolls, description cards of deserters, and one brief history of the Service Company, 10th Infantry, which was apparently required by the War Department. Finding aid: Volume list. 13726. National Guard Muster Rolls, 1878-1954. 87 cubic feet (311 volumes) Arrangement: 13726-84 (1885-1914) is arranged by type of unit (artillery, cavalry, medical, signal corps, depot units, separate companies, or regiment) and therein chronological by year. 13726-86 (1891-1954) is organized into four subseries: Subseries 1, Annual Returns, 1915-1934 (102 volumes); Subseries 2, Naval Militia Annual Muster Rolls, 1891-1954 (10 volumes); Subseries 3, Semi-Annual Returns, 1916-1917 (4 volumes); and Monthly Returns, 1935-1941 (90 volumes). Within subseries arrangement is by unit and therein chronological by year. This series consists of annual muster rolls for each division and brigade in the New York National Guard. They are bound together in one volume for all divisions, and one volume for each brigade. Chapter 80 of the Laws of 1870 provided for annual musters and inspections of units of the National Guard and return of the same to the Adjutant General. Material on the World War I years, 1914-1919, is found in accretions 13726- 84 and 13726-86. The division volume lists general and staff officers for each division as well as the officers and privates in each separate company of infantry or battery of artillery attached to the several divisions. The brigade volumes list general and staff officers for each brigade, regiment, and battalion, and officers and privates in each company of infantry, battery of artillery, and troop of cavalry. The following information is given for each commissioned officer: þ name þ rank þ whether present or absent at annual muster þ date of rank þ date and rank of original entry into service þ remarks on any change in status The information for non-commissioned officers and privates is similar, except that each entry gives date and term of enlistment or re-enlistment, and age at the time. Each roll also lists names of men gained or lost since the last annual muster, by discharge, promotion, expulsion, transfer, removal, desertion, or death. Each muster roll contains a certificate of the commanding officer which includes remarks on the state of discipline, drill, arms and accoutrements, clothing, and equipment of the unit. Company muster rolls have a record of drills, inspections, and parades performed during the past year. Each muster roll also has summary statistics on gains and losses and on present strength. The cover sheet of each roll gives identifying information on the unit, including names of commanding and mustering officers, and date and location of muster. Inside the cover of each volume is a typewritten list of muster rolls contained therein. The list gives name of unit and date and place of muster. Finding aids: There is a volume list for 13726-84 (30 cubic feet, 85 volumes). There is an item list (volume contents by unit) for 13726-86 (48 cubic feet, 206 volumes). B1357. World War I Veterans Bonus Cards, ca. 1920-1937. 97 microfilm reels Arrangement: Alphabetical by first letter of last name; names coded by Soundex. The series consists of 16mm negative microfilm of card files that were apparently part of the process to award bonus payments to New Yorkers for military service in the United States armed forces during World War I. Initially, any person who served honorably in military service from April 6, 1917 through November 11, 1918 and resided in New York at the time of service was eligible for a bonus. The amount of the bonus was based on the number of months served (at $10 for every month of service), but no bonus could exceed $150. These records do not show the amount of individual bonuses awarded. Some applications were disallowed and are so marked on the cards. Neither the original cards nor the applications for bonuses are extant. The cards usually contain the following information: þ index number (Soundex code) þ claim number þ name þ serial number þ residence þ date of enlistment or induction þ date of discharge þ date reported for active duty The cards are usually stamped "Army" or "Navy" and some carry remarks (e.g., "no active military service," "officer," or "investigate"). Most information is typescript although there are some manuscript entries. Bonus payments were first authorized under Chapter 872 of the Laws of 1920, which allowed bonds to be issued, upon agreement of the voters in the general election of 1920, with the money realized from the sale of the bonds to pay for the bonuses. The bonus program was administered by an unnamed commission, which was created by Chapter 315 of the Laws of 1921 to administer payments provided for by the previous law. The commission consisted of the adjutant general (chairman), the comptroller, and the attorney general. It had the right to appoint deputies in each county, the right to subpoena witnesses and take testimony, and to adopt rules and regulations for distribution of the bonuses. It was to be abolished by executive order of the governor as soon as its purposes were accomplished, and its records turned over to the adjutant general. This commission was superseded by the New York State Bonus Commission, created in 1924 (Chapter 19) after a constitutional amendment was passed to authorize financing of the bonus payments. The bonus program was marked by constitutional, financial, and administrative problems. It required additional appropriations and extensions of its original 2-year application deadline well into the 1930s. The foundation legislation for the program, Chapter 872 of the Laws of 1920, was declared unconstitutional (in People v. Westchester County National Bank). In 1923 a concurrent resolution was passed proposing an amendment of article 7 of the State constitution, to empower the legislature to authorize by law the creation of debt for payment of the bonuses. The amendment (new section 13 of article 7) was submitted to the people and passed by voters in November of 1923. Chapter 19 of the Laws of 1924 was the resulting act to authorize creation of the debt and issuance and sale of bonds for the bonuses. The proceeds of the bond sales were to be distributed by the New York State Bonus Commission which was created by this law. The commission was made up of the adjutant general (chairman), attorney general, comptroller, and the State treasurer. At the same time eligibility was extended specifically to any person in the army or navy nurse corps. Bonus awards were to be made by application filed within two years. Surviving relatives could claim the bonus in this order: widow or widower, child, mother, father, brother, and sister. Chapter 26 of the Laws of 1925 redefined "honorably discharged" to include those who died or were killed in service (in which case the bonus could be paid to relatives). Filing deadlines were extended numerous times and additional appropriations were passed throughout the 1920s and 1930s. On April 22, 1926 the functions of the New York State Bonus Commission were transferred to a unit of the Adjutant General's office called the Soldiers' Bonus Bureau. According to a 1929 report of the Adjutant General, approximately 518,000 people from New York served in the war and by the end of 1928 over $48 million had been paid out in bonuses and administrative costs. The Bureau was closed June 30, 1937. Chapter 40 of the Laws of 1937 authorized the Board of War Records to take over the bureau's records. Finding aid: An explanation of the Soundex system is available. 2. STATE COUNCIL OF DEFENSE AGENCY HISTORY STATE COUNCIL OF DEFENSE The Council of Defense was created by Chapter 369 of the Laws of 1917. Its responsibilities included making "all investigations and plans for efficient coordination and cooperation of the military, industrial, agricultural and commercial resources of the state in time of war". It was charged with the "creation of relations which render possible immediate concentration and utilization of state resources for military purposes". Preparedness meant the organization and coordination of the civilian as well as military population, and encompassed transportation systems, hospital and medical services, industry, volunteer organizations, and the supervision of aliens. Persons employed by the council were deemed to be in the military service of the State. The council controlled expenditures made from appropriations voted in 1917 for general mobilization of the State's resources (Chapter 3), for a food supply commission (Chapter 205), and for a military census (Chapter 103). Detailed plans for taking a military census and mobilizing the State's resources were worked out by the Adjutant General's Office through divisions within a Resource Mobilization Bureau. Governor Charles S. Whitman was chairman, William A. Orr was secretary, and Joseph H. Wilson was auditor of the council. Other members appointed in May of 1917 included Frank M. Williams, the State Engineer and Surveyor; William W. Wotherspoon, the Superintendent of Public Works; Charles S. Wilson, the Commissioner of Agriculture; and Charles H. Sherrill, who became Adjutant General in September of 1917 upon the resignation of Louis W. Stotesbury. At a meeting on November 29, 1918 the Council decided that the wartime emergency for which it was created had ended with the Armistice, and that it would conclude its activities on December 15, 1918. Two branches of its work continued: the Bureau of Americanization, under the State Education Department; and the Division of Information, which continued to handle requests from Washington for publicity on activities regarding federal reconstruction programs, and kept the county defense committees advised of its work. Chapter 123 of Laws of 1919 abolished the council and stated that its "books, papers and documents" were to be turned over to the Adjutant General's office. The law took effect in March of 1919. THE RESOURCE MOBILIZATION BUREAU This bureau was the mechanism devised by the Adjutant General's office to accomplish the major work of mobilizing the State's resources for war. Its structure reflected the idea that direct channels of "military communication" and organizational hierarchy were critical to massing a united effort of military and civilian resources, and to reinforcing the idea that civilians were expected to accept certain minimum standards of personal contribution in time of war. The bureau included the following 12 divisions: þ Military Census (hundreds of thousands of persons in the State, including the illiterate and non-English speaking, were enrolled, largely by volunteers) þ Finance (raising money for general work) þ Publicity and Information þ Defense and Security (bringing military strength to the maximum, including enrollment of men not eligible for the National Guard, on account of age or disability, for home defense) þ Information and Intelligence þ Transportation (coordinating railroads, trolleys, automobiles and other vehicles and listing drivers, chauffeurs and others engaged in transport) þ Food Production and Conservation (operating through the Food Supply Commission appointed by the Governor and cooperating with county farm bureaus) þ Division of Co-Operating Agencies (coordinating organizations and individuals for war work) þ Division of Aliens (supervising location of aliens, registering and enlisting aliens, and dealing with treasonable activities) þ Instruction (in personal hygiene, first aid, operation of field bakeries, and economical cooking in the home) þ Health and Hospital (supervising care of discharged permanently disabled soldiers, the establishment of schools and re-education of the crippled and blinded and the marketing of their goods, and the protection of private practice during the absence of medical officers) þ Industrial (investigating needs of vital industries, providing labor for them, providing information on welfare of workers, and cooperating with the State Industrial Commission and local chambers of commerce) For each of these divisions there was a corresponding sub- committee in each county under the direction of the county home defense committee. COUNTY HOME DEFENSE COMMITTEES Through planning by the Adjutant General's office, the county was made the unit for mobilization of the State's resources during wartime. Each of the 62 counties was represented by a committee of seven known as the home defense committee. Members of the home defense committees were appointed for each county by mayors of cities, county judges, and chairmen of boards of supervisors, and in New York City by the mayor. The original committee of seven was enlarged to provide a general committee made up of subcommittees for all activities, including representation for women on committees and subcommittees. The county committees were organized around 12 divisions of work with subcommittees that mirrored the twelve divisions established by the Resource Mobilization Bureau. They had charge of taking the military census; raising money for all direct county work; enrollment for home defense of men not eligible for the National Guard; "secret service" investigations such as topographic map-making; evolving a workable system of transportation; food production and conservation; and coordinating work of private societies, organizations, and individuals that constituted an outpouring of community support. County home defense committees were engaged in several areas crucial to the State's war relief efforts. These areas included: þ working with the State council's Division of Health and Hospitals providing free medical treatment for enlistment applicants when enlistment was rejected because of curable physical defects þ arranging routes for a motor convoy conveying materials across the State þ providing information on and issuing licenses for non-war construction, and reporting to the State on building projects upon which post-war deferment were requested þ curtailing unnecessary retail deliveries and reducing the return of goods, as a means to prevent diversion of workers from war work þ establishing "Return Load Bureaus" for motor truck express lines, to make truck travel more efficient, relieve railroad congestion, and assure prompt delivery of short-haul shipments to manufacturers and shippers þ conducting recruitment appeals and enrolling applicants in the United States Ship Yards Volunteer program Chapter 525 of the Laws of 1917 authorized county supervisors to appropriate funds for county defense committees for a period not longer than "the expiration of six months after the close of the present war." The home defense committees routinely cooperated in such federal efforts as: the Liberty Loan program; work of federal exemption and enlistment boards; Herbert Hoover's food conservation pledge and "cleanup campaign" (to reach American homemakers); federal collection of the personal income tax; and the U.S. War Department's plans (subsequently discontinued) for a pictorial history of war work. The six-month provision in the law permitted funding to continue after the Armistice (which was viewed as the close of the war), for assistance to the food program and other work initiated in Washington to meet the problems of peace. As the work of the Council of Defense concluded, it was suggested that the county and community defense councils, as their final act, prepare an Honor Roll to include the names of all those in military or naval service from the start of the war until the Armistice. COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE The war effort was strongly directed at the federal level. Given the situation of the Allies at the time of America's entry into the war, concerted efforts were made to quickly mobilize great amounts of money, food, supplies, and troops overseas. Members of the Council of National Defense included the secretaries of the federal departments of War, Navy, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and Labor. Its purpose was to promote efficiency in mobilization, with a mandate to smooth relations between government and business. W.S. Gifford was Director of the National Council and also of the Advisory Commission of the Council of National Defense. Grosvenor B. Clarkson was Secretary to both the National Council and the Commission. The Council was comprised of several boards and sections, including those on production, standards, munitions, commercial economy, medical work, food supply and prices, war inventions, and women's defense work. The section on Co-Operation with State Organizations was headed by George F. Foster, and later by his successor, Arthur H. Fleming. The separate Advisory Commission of the Council of National Defense was chaired by Daniel Willard. Representing transportation, labor, general industry, finance, mining, merchandise, and medicine, it was organized into several committees and subcommittees, including those for transportation and communication, munitions, science and research, raw materials, labor, and medicine and surgery (including general sanitation). There was continuous and active communication and cooperation between state and federal governments throughout the war, especially in regard to ensuring military service, reinforcing patriotic sentiments, and eliciting contributions to help meet the enormous economic cost of the war. 3. STATE COUNCIL OF DEFENSE RECORDS SERIES DESCRIPTIONS A4234. Correspondence Files, 1917-1918. .8 cubic foot Arrangement: Alphabetical by last name of correspondent. The series consists of correspondence files, maintained by Assistant Secretary Frederic E. Foster, relating to general information and functions of the State Council of Defense. The bulk of the records are copies of incoming and outgoing correspondence with civilian relief organizations, patriotic societies, emergency industrial organizations, advocacy groups, other state councils, and state and national government officials. The series also includes copies of circulars, pamphlets, and bulletins produced by various private and governmental organizations; copies of federal laws and congressional acts; and copies of wartime messages and proclamations by Governor Charles S. Whitman and President Woodrow Wilson. The series documents the mobilization work of the Council of Defense. As reflected in the series, preparedness meant the organization and coordination in the important areas of medical services and supervision of aliens. Chief officers of the council (Governor Charles S. Whitman, William A. Orr, and Joseph H. Wilson) and members of related offices and program areas are all represented in the series correspondence. Topics covered by the correspondence files include: þ requests for employment and financial assistance þ pay allotment and appeals þ offers of services, especially for speaking engagements and providing publicity þ inquiries about Council of Defense publications, including lists of home defense committees or officers þ questions concerning loyalty, recruitment, and the draft þ requests for reports on the loyalty of prospective employees (e.g., for positions in foreign service with the Red Cross) Examples of records of special interest include: þ copies of circulars and pamphlets published by the American Red Cross (including issues of the Red Cross Bulletin) containing information on regulations for sending parcels to prisoners of war, cooperative work on legal plans, and descriptions of home service volunteer work and work for civilian relief þ copies of federal laws and congressional acts on appropriations for the armed forces and of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Rights Bill þ correspondence relating to the American Defense Society's questions on the loyalty of several newspapers and periodicals held in subscriptions by the New York Public Library þ pamphlets, bulletins, and copies of addresses or appeals by such groups as the League to Enforce Peace (including its platform), the New York Peace Society, and the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief þ a press edition of the "War Information Series" published by the Committee on Public Information in Washington, D.C. þ correspondence between the council and the Charity Organization Society of New York regarding the requirements necessary for inclusion of war relief organizations in bulletins of "Approved War Relief Organizations" produced jointly by the council and the society (copies of the listing also included) þ messages from the U.S. War Department, including its Commission on Training Camp Activities (on developing community councils), the Office of the Chief Military Censor (on photographing of production plants), and the U.S. Surgeon General (on building a convalescent home, data on disease conditions among troops in the U.S., and a syllabus to instruct "Drafted Men in the Knowledge and Avoidance of Venereal Diseases") þ correspondence from Governor Whitman (to exemption boards on diagnosing tuberculous recruits) and gubernatorial proclamations (on public productivity, support for the Liberty Loan program, and fire and waste prevention during wartime) þ copies of President Wilson's war message (April 2, 1917), his reply ("America's Terms of Peace") to Pope Benedict XV's peace note (August 28, 1917), proclamations (on licensure of commodities, Liberty Day, manufacture of explosives, regulation of wartime exports and imports, the state of war with the Austro-Hungarian empire, and establishment of a military proving ground), and executive orders (establishing the War Trade Board, providing for requisitioning of food and feed, and establishing defensive sea areas) Finding aid: Folder list. A4242. Administrative and Correspondence Files, 1917-1918. .5 cubic foot Arrangement: Rough alphabetical by subject. The series consists of copies of legislation, organizational charts, requisitions, memoranda, informational circulars, reports, bulletins, minutes, and some correspondence relating to the organization and administration of the council's war work. Consistent with the council's purpose to coordinate the military, industrial, agricultural, and commercial resources of the State, the series reflects cooperation with other State agencies (especially the Departments of Health, Agriculture, Education and the Food Supply Commission), the Council of National Defense, and the network of State home defense committees. Included are files of the council's Divisions of Films, Information, and Women as well as material related to committee work on highway transportation, provision of legal service, and the Liberty Loan campaign. Correspondence in the series is principally to/from the chairs of the divisions, often with the council's assistant secretary Frederic E. Foster. Other forms of material fall either under general headings or specific subjects covering the whole range of council work, from aliens to war-risk insurance. Materials of special interest include: þ bulletins promoting Fire Prevention Day, advising on military sanitation and hygiene (venereal diseases, alcohol, and tuberculosis), reporting on a census of the State's agricultural resources, and reviewing the network of State laboratory services þ organization charts for the Council of Defense, the Adjutant General's Resource Mobilization Bureau, and the home defense committees þ a "War Contract Analysis" blueprint (1918) made by the Division of Information using statistics from the Council of National Defense, showing nationwide distribution of firms holding war contracts and illustrating New York as the lopsided leader in that category þ memoranda circulated to chairs of county home defense committees by the council þ minutes of proceedings of a council meeting (March 28, 1918) þ reports on such topics as military training, aliens, work of the State Food Supply Commission and the council's Industrial Division, use of the State's canals for transport, the military census, the New York Naval Militia, and preparation of the National Guard for federal service þ circulars by the council's Division of Information relating to the military census, a drive for donation of observation glasses, fighting a "conspiracy" to destroy grain and cattle by fire, the Liberty Loan appeal, mobilization of the National Guard, and the organization of "cadet camps" to provide agricultural labor to save perishable crops þ materials relating to the enrollment and registration of draftees Finding aid: Folder list. A4241. Subject Correspondence Files, 1917-1918. .5 cubic foot Arrangement: Alphabetical by subject. The series consists of correspondence, memoranda, telegrams, and circulars relating to the council's work to administer and supervise programs for food conservation, motor convoys, and non-war construction. The correspondence covers these three subject areas, which are subdivided into more specific subjects and chief correspondents. The records document the "creation of relations" with which the council was charged to "render possible immediate concentration and utilization of the State's resources for military purposes" during the war. The series especially documents council cooperation with the U.S. Food Administration and the U.S. War Industries Board. Materials of special interest in the series include: þ a federal advisory (originating with Herbert Hoover, then U. S. Food Administrator) to Governor Charles S. Whitman and the council, and thereby to chiefs of police, on a conspiracy to destroy grain and cattle by fire þ materials on the patriotic "Cleanup Campaign" initiative of Herbert Hoover and the U.S. Food Administration, to enlist homemakers in "Hoover's Army" to conserve food þ copies of federal circulars (and some extracts) by the War Industries Board on priorities for non-war construction, including a preference list issued in September 1918 þ correspondence on truck convoy transport (generally traveling through New York State en route to Baltimore), including planning of routes, inspection of roads and bridges, and copies of telegrams sent to report on departures, conditions, progress en route, and arrivals of the convoys þ materials relating to non-war construction (at factories, businesses, cemeteries, and schools), including suggested application forms for construction licenses, correspondence on applications for permits, requests for informational circulars on regulations or explanations of new rulings, and reporting on projects by local defense councils Chief correspondents include: þ Frederic E. Foster, assistant secretary of the State Council of Defense þ Charles E. Treman, federal food administrator þ George F. Bailey, commanding officer in charge of motor convoys þ Esten A. Fletcher and William Fellowes Morgan, regional advisors for the federal War Industries Board, Resources and Conversion Section þ D. R. McLennan, Chief of the Non-War Construction Section of the War Industries Board Finding aid: Folder list. A4240. Correspondence with State Agencies, 1917-1918. .3 cubic foot Arrangement: Alphabetical by name of corresponding agency and therein roughly in reverse chronological order. The series consists primarily of carbon copies of outgoing correspondence, along with smaller amounts of incoming original letters, sent among the Council of Defense and other State agencies associated with emergency war efforts. Also included are newspaper clippings, telegrams, bulletins, and pamphlets relating to council activities, coordination of efforts among agencies, and wartime issues and regulations. The subject matter of the correspondence generally reflects the coordinating position that the council held relating to other government agencies. A considerable amount of the correspondence represents referrals of questions to more appropriate venues or requests for routine information for which only the response or transmittal letter by the council was saved. Transportation systems, hospital and medical services, industry, volunteer organizations, and the supervision of aliens all fell within the scope of operations of the Council of Defense and are represented in the series correspondence. The series also includes material relating to council- controlled appropriations for general mobilization of the State's resources, for regulating food supplies, and for a military census. Plans for work in these areas were worked out by the Adjutant General's Office through divisions within the Resource Mobilization Bureau. Two of that bureau's key parts, the Division of Aliens and Division of Co-Operating Agencies, were both abolished shortly after the council's Industrial Division was organized, and their functions were assigned to the new division. Correspondence files of these offices are of special note in the series. Topics covered in the letters include: þ supervision of war charities þ dissemination of organizing materials promoting "Americanization Day" activities (national service and allegiance) throughout the State þ publicity and informational materials regarding aliens relating to conscription, draft registration, citizenship, loyalty, and questions on the military census þ reclamation of waste material and conservation of fuel þ subscription campaigns for Liberty Bonds þ distribution of gubernatorial proclamations relating to support efforts on the home front The bulk of material in the series pertains to the work of several large State agencies. The file of the Adjutant General's office (Charles H. Sherrill) contains transcriptions of memoranda to/from chairs of the county home defense committees and general correspondence from several divisions within the important Resource Mobilization Bureau. Copies of reports on hospital facilities for contagious diseases (done for the U.S. Public Health Service) are found in the Department of Health file. Information from the Commission on Highways includes rulings on use of materials in construction work; inspection of State roads and bridges; commentary on the suitability of routes for a truck convoy from Buffalo to Albany; and other matters important to movement of supplies during wartime. The chief activities of the council's important Industrial Division are also documented in the series. These included fire prevention; investigation of the labor market to plan for replacement of workers withdrawn for military purposes, and substitution of women for men in industry; acting as a clearinghouse on information to alien residents (replacing the discontinued program of the Division of Aliens that had established "plant correspondents" to report on aliens employed in the State); coordination of the county women's committees with members of the county home defense committees; and carrying out various other plans, such as those to reduce the number of retail deliveries made by business, to refuse the return of unsold bread by wholesale bakers, and to survey important industrial manufacturing plants (i.e., munitions) to report to the adjutant general on their security needs. Finding aid: Folder list. A4235. Correspondence of County Home Defense Committees, 1917-1918. 2 cubic feet Arrangement: Alphabetical by county, and therein alphabetical by correspondent or subject, then in reverse chronological order. The series consists of memoranda, letters, and copies of resolutions sent to county home defense committees from the State Council of Defense, and also correspondence from the various committees to the council reporting on their organizing and program efforts. These efforts were coordinated statewide and with federal authorities through the State council. Some correspondence in the series concerns organizing and designating members of subcommittees or special projects, and clarifying procedures. The resolutions were typically taken upon the recommendation of the Council of National Defense. In addition to the correspondence, the contents of two folders at the beginning of the series are of special note. The first contains copies of form letters sent to the county committees, usually from the council's Assistant Secretary Frederic E. Foster to those chairing the committees. Taken together, these letters give an overview of many of the project areas coordinated by the State council upon plans devised by the Adjutant General's office. The second folder contains lists that comprise a directory of county home defense committees and selected subcommittees. County home defense committees maintained similar correspondence files on several areas pertinent to war relief efforts. As reflected in the series, these areas included: þ work with the State council's Division of Health and Hospitals providing free medical treatment for enlistment applicants rejected because of curable physical defects þ arranging routes for a motor convoy traveling across the State þ providing information on and issuing licenses for non-war construction, and reporting to the State on building projects upon which post-war deferment was requested (most of the reports in the series are marked "Blank") þ curtailing unnecessary retail deliveries and the practice of returning goods, as a means to prevent diversion of workers from war work þ establishing "Return Load Bureaus" for motor truck express lines, to make truck travel more efficient, relieve railroad congestion, and assure prompt delivery of short-haul shipments to manufacturers and shippers þ conducting recruitment appeals and enrolling applicants in the United States Ship Yards Volunteer program Correspondence also documents home defense committees' cooperation with the Liberty Loan program; federal exemption and enlistment boards; Herbert Hoover's food conservation pledge and "cleanup campaign" (to reach American homemakers); federal collection of the personal income tax; and the U.S. War Department's plans (subsequently discontinued) for a pictorial history of war work. The series also includes several lists. Lists of the State's county home defense committees (some of which are corrected copies) generally include county, committee mailing address, and name of chairman and/or secretary. There is a also a list reporting on the council's free medical treatment program, with information including county name; number of applicants; number later qualified (for military service); number failed to report; payments; and services donated. Another list shows organizations active with the county defense committees in the deliveries curtailment campaign. Finding aid: Folder list. A4237. Correspondence with Council of National Defense, 1917-1918. .8 cubic foot Arrangement: Arranged by hierarchical council title, then alphabetical by name of member, subject, or committee. The series consists of correspondence between the New York State Council of Defense and the Council of National Defense, its parent organization at the federal level. The State correspondence is largely authored by Frederic E. Foster, who was Assistant Secretary of the State Council of Defense. The correspondence chiefly relates to methods of conserving food and fuel supplies and administering the labor force during war emergency conditions. There are files in the series for many of the organizational subdivisions of the National Council; included are files of leading officials and chairmen, subject files, and committee files. The series also includes extensive numbers of telegrams to the State Council from various chairmen of the national divisions, and others from the State officials to the national office; questionnaires from the national offices on State Council personnel and committees; and occasional bulletins published as a result of national committee work. Official correspondence of both W. S. Gifford (Director of the National Council and also of the Advisory Commission of the Council of National Defense) and Grosvenor B. Clarkson (Secretary to both the National Council and the Commission) is found in the series. The Council of National Defense was comprised of several boards and sections, including those on production, standards, munitions, commercial economy, medical work, food supply and prices, war inventions, and women's defense work. The section on Co-Operation with State Organizations was headed by George F. Foster, and later by his successor, Arthur H. Fleming. Correspondence between each of these individuals and the State Council is found in the series, as are files from many of the specific program areas. The separate Advisory Commission of the Council of National Defense was chaired by Daniel Willard. It was organized into several committees and subcommittees, including those for transportation and communication, munitions, science and research, raw materials, labor, and medicine and surgery (including general sanitation). There are files in the series relating to the policies and programs of many of these subdivisions. The correspondence includes such topics as: þ resolutions of the Council of National Defense concerning maintenance of standards and suspension of labor laws during wartime þ organizing sales of Liberty Bonds þ copies of general statements (often with copies of telegrams) circulated, upon release for publication, to all state councils and/or state divisions of the Women's Committee (e.g., announcements of conservation drives; regulations affecting manufacturers and retailers; issues of home defense; and apprehension of deserters during demobilization) Work of the Commercial Economy Board is well documented. Correspondence relates to the following issues: þ the board's recommendations in regard to the policy of non-return of unsold bread, and a campaign to induce bakers to discontinue the practice of accepting returns (the State Supply Commission was involved in this issue) þ plans for conservation and restricting the use of cloth, metal, and other materials in retail manufacture (e.g., of baby carriages, strollers, and sulkies), and the reduction of waste material in farms and factories þ a program to curtail service plans to promote economy in retail deliveries The work of the Women's Committee of the National Council is similarly documented. The file focuses on cooperation on plans for food conservation, economy in the home, and a child welfare campaign to "secure the Public Protection of Maternity and Infancy." The latter program was in support of public hygiene, prenatal care, and civilian relief to reduce infant death and disease during the stressful wartime period. Finding aid: Folder list. A4239. United States Public Service Reserve Correspondence Files, 1917-1918. .8 cubic foot Arrangement: Alphabetical by last name of applicant/correspondent, or by subject. The series consists primarily of original correspondence sent to the Council of Defense regarding service in the U.S. Public Service Reserve, and copies of responses sent to the applicants. The responses were typically written by Frederic E. Foster, Assistant Secretary of the Council, who was also assistant to William A. Orr, State Director of the U.S. Public Service Reserve and Secretary of the Council. Also included in the series are memoranda and correspondence of national, State, and local officials involved in recruitment and organization efforts; data on inductions and labor needs; a few supply invoices; and memoranda, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, and forms on the shipyard volunteer program and related correspondence relating to its "Four Minute Men" publicity. In response to an appeal by the Council of National Defense, the U.S. Shipping Board, and the U.S. Department of Labor, New York organized a State U.S. Public Service Reserve, which worked in cooperation with the State Council of Defense to recruit men to fill needs of ship building yards and for other services. The reserve had no power to take men from the draft; work in the shipyards placed men in a deferred class. There was no enrollment for women workers. Neither a fee nor a physical was required of applicants. Wages and living conditions were stated when the call for workers came from Washington, D.C., and those enrolled in the reserve were free to accept or reject offers for positions. The "Four Minute Men" organization was a branch of the Committee on Public Information commissioned to speak to motion picture theater audiences on topics of national importance. The group's New York City committee worked with the Council of Defense Speaker's Bureau on a campaign publicizing the importance of ship building to the war effort and inviting enrollment in the Public Service Reserve. William A. Orr, Secretary of the State Council of Defense and State Director of the U.S. Public Service Reserve, kept files of direct enrollment inquiries and referrals from the National Director William E. Hall, and Associate Director A. D. Smith. These letters mostly concern offers of individuals' services, requests for application blanks, and job placement questions. Other correspondence in the series includes referrals to county home defense committees for enrollment in the reserve; referrals to recruiting stations for enlistment with skilled non-combatant forces; and updates on changing labor needs on farms, in railway transport service, and tank or motor mechanic regiments (sometimes listing the numbers and kinds of men wanted). In addition, the series includes material on several general subjects. There are some pre-printed application forms, completed in manuscript, for membership in the reserve. Information on the forms includes the applicant's signature, residence, business address, and telephone numbers, as well as the date. Elsewhere in the series are memoranda, newspaper clippings, bulletins, and forms on the shipyard volunteer program. Forms from enrollment chairmen of county home defense committees to William Orr report on the number of workers enrolled as shipyard volunteers. Forms typically list county, number of cards received, and total number of applicants. Some are separately dated and/or date stamped as received by the council. Other forms in the series include invoices and memoranda of supplies mailed to the State office from the Department of Labor (U.S. Public Service Reserve). The forms give date, stock number, and the type and amount of articles sent. Memoranda and correspondence to William Orr, as State Director of the Reserve, from the U.S. Department of Labor concern employee quotas, the status of common labor and needs for skilled trades in the manufacture of essential war materials, and also referrals of applicants to await requests for men needed to work government contracts. There is also a small amount of correspondence and induction data from enrollment agents, with some names of men enrolled for work. Finally, there are a few letters from companies engaged in war contract work protesting recruitment of their employees for the reserve, as well as letters from employees of such companies declining to enroll in the reserve in preference to their current war employment. Finding aid: Folder list. DIVISION OF HEALTH AND HOSPITALS A4238. Health and Hospital Resources Files from the Adjutant General's Office, 1917. 2 cubic feet Arrangement: Organized into 4 subseries: Subseries 1, Correspondence Files; Subseries 2, Lists of Health and Hospital Resources; Subseries 3, Census and Inventory of Hospital Resources; Subseries 4, Census and Inventory of Military Resources. Subseries 1, Correspondence Files: alphabetical by last name, then by subject; Subseries 2, Lists of Health and Hospital Resources: alphabetical by subject; Subseries 3, Census and Inventory of Hospital Resources, alphabetical by name of correspondent or hospital; Subseries 4, Census and Inventory of Military Resources, alphabetical by last name. The series consists of correspondence, memoranda, lists and reports, census data, and some bulletins and newspaper clippings on work undertaken by the Council of Defense to inventory and apply the State's medical resources to aid troop mobilization and the casualties of war. Internal evidence in the series suggests that these files were kept in the Adjutant General's office. Correspondence dates to September of 1917, which marks the ending tenure of Louis W. Stotesbury as Adjutant General. Upon Stotesbury's resignation, Charles H. Sherrill became Adjutant General. As is reflected in the series, the Division of Health and Hospitals cooperated with the Adjutant General's office as well as the State Department of Health. With the declaration of World War I, the Department of Health placed its organization and resources at the disposal of the State Council of Defense and the Adjutant General's office. The council had responsibility for the general mobilization of the State's resources. The Adjutant General's office had charge of the National Guard and detailed planning for the mobilization. Thus, Adjutant General Stotesbury worked closely with Hermann M. Biggs, who was chief of the council's Division of Health and Hospitals, and with staff of the Health Department's laboratories. These offices were sources and recipients of official information on organizational and policy matters, and of correspondence traveling through both governmental and private channels. Biggs was also chair of the Tuberculosis Committee of the Medical Section of the Council of National Defense. New York's pioneering war work to test for tuberculosis (by Roentgen-ray), assure sanitary conditions in troop camps, provide vaccines, and plan for care of tubercular soldiers is well documented in the series. Work of the division closely followed analysis of reports of the Canadian experience with returning soldiers and conditions in France during the early years of the war. Establishment of the State Council of Defense's Division of Health and Hospitals marked the start of the State's organized efforts to address health-related military issues such as: þ adequate supervision and care of soldiers who might be invalided at home þ prevention of epidemics due to mobilization of large bodies of troops þ a census of hospitals and medical and nursing resources of the State þ increasing laboratory facilities to provide antitoxins, sera, and vaccines for the troops in the field and in camps þ measures for the sanitary protection of areas adjacent to concentration camps Specific features of the division's plan, well documented in the records, included: þ enforcing Chapter 469 of the Laws of 1917,establishing a county tuberculosis hospital in each county with a population over 35,000, enacted because of reports of the large number of tubercular soldiers returned from the front in the early stages of the war þ expanding the Health Department's laboratory service (developed during the Mexican Campaign of 1916) to furnish sera (for smallpox, meningitis, dysentery, pneumonia, etc.) initially for U.S. and British troops in France during the winter þ conducting a medical census to assess physicians' (including osteopaths) medical training and physical fitness for war service or qualification to serve on exemption boards þ conducting a hospital census to assess bed capacity and availability of treatment for incapacitated returning soldiers þ enlisting all State health officers and public health nurses in the Sanitary Reserve Corps with a pledge not to serve outside the State in war work without consulting the Department of Health þ extending a system (begun in Albany County) for "corrective work" to treat rejected applicants for enlistment, providing free treatment by physicians, surgeons, dentists, and opticians to enable applicants to serve þ assuring "moral welfare" and health in military training camps, by gathering information on the sale of liquor to enlisted men, investigating complaints of unsanitary conditions, indoctrinating soldiers on the danger of venereal diseases, conducting sanitary surveys on the suitability of sites for mobilization camps, and exterminating mosquitoes at encampments to prevent disease The series is organized into four subseries, as described below. Subseries 1, Correspondence Files. The subseries includes incoming and outgoing correspondence and reports among county defense committees, the Office of the Surgeon General, local health boards, and others. The material pertains to: þ the medical and hospital census þ regulation of private medical practices þ training schools for nurses and enrollment of public health nurses þ x-ray examinations, including special tuberculosis exams for the National Guard and experimental work with the Roentgen-ray þ rehabilitation of soldiers and reports from county "Corrective Committees" on work with rejected applicants for enlistment þ various sanitary, laboratory, and disease control measures, including serum production, and lists of sanitary supervisors, their districts, and county physicians þ pamphlets on regulations concerning venereal disease, social hygiene, and tuberculosis in France Subseries 2, Lists of Health and Hospital Resources. The subseries includes information on the organizational and personnel responsibilities of the division, and a memorandum of its work and a special report on budgeting. Also included are varied files of lists apparently maintained by the Adjutant General's office, including: þ tabulations of institutional resources þ city and county health officers, and county committees on health and hospitals þ medical members of exemption boards þ clinics and dispensaries þ charity organization societies þ public health nurses working in county clinics and hospitals, and nurse training schools þ other health resources, such as agencies employing nurses Subseries 3, Census and Inventory of Hospital Resources. The subseries includes correspondence and a card file inventory of hospitals. The correspondence is between the Adjutant General and the division, county home defense committees, the Council of National Defense, medical societies and charitable organizations, and physicians. Correspondence pertains to: þ questions on filling out medical census forms, making corrections, or reporting duplications þ plans and work of medical and hospital subcommittees of the county defense committees þ cooperative efforts on the special medical census and the hospital census, including hospitals for the treatment of the insane þ assessment of services and health facilities, especially relating to tuberculosis diagnosis and care, including reports on hospital facilities for contagious diseases and discussion of Canadian hospital conditions brought about by the war The census of private and State hospitals, and county and city almshouses, was undertaken by direction of the governor under Chapter 103 of the Laws of 1917. The inventory of New York hospitals, numbering about 230, consists of pre-printed 5 x 8" cards completed in manuscript. It tallies such statistics as: þ capacity of hospital þ possible bed increase if required for war emergency þ number of ambulances þ number of laboratory and x-ray facilities þ membership of attending and resident staff þ number of Graduate Nurses Subseries 4, Census and Inventory of Military Resources. The subseries includes pre-printed forms (measuring 8.5 x 14") completed in manuscript. The forms were returned by osteopaths to the Military Census Bureau, Special Medical Census Division, by direction of the governor under Chapter 103 of the Laws of 1917. The forms provide information on: þ individuals' place of residence þ date of birth þ citizenship þ academic degrees þ graduation þ hospital or dispensary positions þ license to practice þ present occupation þ branch of medicine þ past and present military status þ war experience þ height and weight þ habits þ number of dependents þ public status Finding aid: Folder list. 4. ADDITIONAL STATE AGENCY RECORDS ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE 14403. General Orders, 1802-1975. 9.2 cubic feet (83 volumes) Arrangement: General Orders are chronological by year and therein by order number. Divisional and Brigade Orders are numerical by division or brigade name and therein chronological. This series consists of bound general orders issued by the adjutant general and commanding officers of specific military units to direct those under their command in carrying out specified operations and policies. General orders are permanent orders which apply to all members of a command and usually concern policy or administrative matters. They deal with the military system as a whole and should not be confused with special orders, which deal with specific units and individuals. Typically included with the orders are copies of circulars and bulletins published for "the information and guidance of all concerned." These were issued by the Adjutant General as replies to questions relative to the general orders or approving regulations. Division and brigade orders (1867- 1917) are separately bound and numbered at the end of the series. Included are orders dealing with assignments, detachments, and reorganization of units; rescindment, corrections, and amendments of previously issued general orders; pay, promotions, demotions, and transfers of personnel; issuance of arms, uniforms, equipment, and accoutrements to units and training institutions, including site selection, expenses/accounts, and authorization for repairs to armories; courts martial and appeals; details for special occasions; appointments of aides to the governor; changes in designations of units; discharges, re-enlistments, and retirements; training exercises; issuance of regulations; grants or suspension of leaves of absence; and awarding of prizes. Volumes 37 through 40 (box 5) and volume 13 (box 9) cover the World War I years, 1914-1919, and include information on establishment and operation of the New York Guard and the Home Defense Reserve. Finding aid: Volume list. Index: Indexing is irregular. Some volumes contain a name/subject index to the general orders; some volumes (also/only) contain a separate index to bulletins and circulars. Indexing of division and brigade orders is very limited. 14405-84. Special Orders, 1855-1946. 57.5 cubic feet (182 volumes) Arrangement: Chronological by year, then numeric by order number. This accretion is one part of a large series (343 total volumes, 1855-1975) consisting of bound special orders issued by the Adjutant General as permanent orders that deal with specific units and individuals. Included are orders dealing with reassignment of regiments to brigades and divisions; formation and assignment of companies (including names of commanding officers); revocation of previously issued special orders; promotions and demotions; issuance of arms, uniforms, equipment, and accoutrements to units and training institutions; courts martial and appeals; details for special occasions; inspection of troops; discharges; training exercises; transfer of personnel; issuance of regulations; and grants or suspension of leaves of absence. Volumes 71 through 83 (boxes 41 through 50) cover the World War I years, 1914-1919. Finding aid: Volume list. Index: Most of the volumes contain a name/subject index. A3354. World War I Historical Research Files, ca. 1914- 1928. .3 cubic foot Arrangement: By type of material (photographs, clippings, maps) and therein roughly chronological. The series consists of a group of clippings, photographs, training circulars, instructions, and maps, dating from the World War I period. The exact source and association of these records is unclear, although they may be from a collection of Franklin W. Ward, who was Adjutant General from 1926 to 1934. They were apparently kept as background files, perhaps for research purposes or to illustrate New York's part in military training (including intelligence training) and the actual fighting. The materials include: þ a photograph of the 12th Infantry Rifle Team, Peekskill (New York) dated September, 1914 þ a selection of newspaper clippings (ca.1928) from the Albany Knickerbocker Press publication of "War Struck," reminiscences of Adjutant General Franklin W. Ward about his experiences as Colonel in the 27th Division of the American Expeditionary Force (including the 105th and 106th Infantry Regiments), showing officers (e.g. John F. O'Ryan commander), captured German soldiers and equipment, and scenes of damage and action in Belgium and France þ annotated print maps (7 copies) labeled "No. 9228" showing approximate front line and disposition of "Trenches Corrected from Information Received Up To 29-6-18" in West Flanders, Belgium, near the French border (40 x 33 cm) þ annotated print maps (7 copies) labeled "No. 9229" showing approximate front line and disposition of "Trenches Corrected from Information Received Up To 29-6-18" in West Flanders, Belgium, near the French border (40 x 33 cm) þ annotated print maps (2 copies) labeled "No. 9309" and entitled "Probable Enemy Order of Battle. 9-8- 18." showing division and regiment boundary references, the approximate enemy (German) front line, and approximate dates of relief, in West Flanders, Belgium, near the French border (33 x 40 cm) þ undated, unattributed reference map overlay, showing position of companies, guns, reserve positions, and divisional boundaries (51 x 69 cm) þ copies (2) of War Department Training Circular No. 21 "Positive Intelligence" dated September 14, 1918 prescribing "subjects to be considered and methods observed in training of positive intelligence groups" with separate sheets explaining military symbols denoting size and identification of units and posts, and how natural and man-made elements should be represented on maps þ copy of "Instructions for the Intelligence Service of an Infantry Regiment" by the Military Intelligence Branch of the War Department, dated February 22, 1918, explaining the mission, organization, instruction, and fundamental principles of a regimental intelligence service, with guidelines on the nature of information to be collected, possible sources, and the coordination, transfer, and recording of the information and including a separate "Reproduction of Captured Enemy Intelligence Map Dated 13-7-18, Captured 9-8-18" þ a map entitled "Sketch Map No.2 Drawn from Air Photos to 14/8/18 to be used as Reference Map for Front Line Intelligence and Patrols" with a legend showing posts, pillboxes, disused roads, old huts or dugouts, and natural features in West Flanders, Belgium, near the French border (27 x 40 cm) Finding aid: Folder list. COMMISSION ON ACQUISITION OF LAND FOR PUBLIC DEFENSE AT ROCKAWAY B0237. Administrative Files, 1917-1918. 1 cubic foot Arrangement: By type of material or subject. Correspondence is roughly chronological. The series consists of correspondence, minutes of meetings, exhibit materials, a few photographs, and copies of maps, plans, and legislation documenting work of the commission in acquiring and making improvements to land at Rockaway, Queens County, for defensive purposes during World War I. Chapter 13 of the Laws of 1917 amended Chapter 59 of the Laws of 1909 in relation to the acquisition of land by the State for purposes of public defense. The 1917 law was intended to acquire land deemed necessary by the federal government for establishment of defensive works at Rockaway Beach. The land was essential to construct a fortification for heavy guns to defend New York City against foreign attack. The idea was to put in place guns of sufficient calibre and range to protect New York City from sea bombardment and to protect the southern entrance to New York Harbor. The law provided for the condemnation of all lands within the proposed government preservation and the transfer of title to the U.S. government. The project involved a land purchase from the Rockaway Pacific Corporation (a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company), as well as the City of New York's ceding of certain land and lands under water in Jamaica Bay, Queens. Conflict arose in the legislature over alleged attempts to inflate the purchase price, concerns by legislators, including Senator Robert Wagner, that valuable waterfront land was being "given away" for nongovernmental purposes or to enrich friends of New York City Mayor John Purroy Mitchell, and countercharges by city officials of legislative stonewalling on urgent matters of public defense. A highway to the site was also planned and constructed, including a timber bulkhead to protect it from erosion. Chapter 12 of the Laws of 1917 authorized the City of New York to cede or grant to the U.S. government lands or lands under water adjacent to the upland required. This responsibility was assumed by R.A.C. Smith, New York City Commissioner of Docks. The Commission on Acquisition of Land for Public Defense at Rockaway, which was created under Chapter 13 of the Laws of 1917, was made up of the Superintendent of Public Works (W. W. Wotherspoon), the Adjutant General (Louis W. Stotesbury and later Charles H. Sherrill), and the State Engineer and Surveyor (Frank M. Williams). It was in charge of acquiring title to the land and the structures and waters thereon "in the name and for the benefit of the people of the state." It was to undertake a survey and map of the required lands to which the State Engineer would affix a certificate of accuracy; the entire commission would certify the lands described were necessary for the purposes of public defense. Originals were submitted to the governor and after his approval filed with the Secretary of State and with the county clerk in which the lands were situated. The State retained concurrent jurisdiction with the U.S. government on the property, and such property conveyed and released to the U.S. was exempt from state taxes. Chapter 130 of the Laws of 1917 added public highways to the scope of land defined as defense related. Surveys were to include descriptions of strips of land for easements and rights of way, and provision was made for the maintenance and repair of such highways by the State. Moneys connected with the acquisition of land were to be paid by the State treasurer upon the warrant of the State comptroller. Chapter 654 of the Laws of 1917 also applied to the acquisition of title by the U.S. of lands within New York State for the purpose of maneuver grounds, fortifications, and other purposes at any time during the existence of a state of war. The records include: þ correspondence þ about a dozen maps, blueprints, and site plans showing boundaries and/or conditions of the property, proposed highway, etc. þ minutes of committee meetings (February 26, 1917 to December 4, 1918) prepared by the commission's acting secretary, R. G. Finch þ copies of pertinent legislative bills þ copies of specifications on constructing the timber bulkhead protecting the highway adjacent to the site þ statement and testimony of Mayor John Purroy Mitchell before the legislature on charges of contempt þ statement of facts on ceding lands or lands under water in Jamaica Bay by R.A.C. Smith The correspondence includes incoming and outgoing letters among federal, State, and local (New York City) officials. Major correspondents include members of the commission, Attorney General Merton E. Lewis, Comptroller Eugene M. Travis, various U.S. attorneys, officials of the Secretary of State and Queens County Clerk offices, and their various clerks and deputies. Correspondence also pertains to: þ required certifications and notices by the commission þ details about contracts with dredging companies or realtors volunteering appraisal services þ plans and specifications about highway (and timber bulkhead) construction and letters about advertisements, bids, inspections, and payments for same þ scheduling meetings of the commission and transmitting its directions/decisions Finding aid: Folder list. Index: The series is indexed by series B0240, Card Index to the Commission's Administrative Files. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT DIVISION OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY A3166. Working Files for a Publication on New York in World War I, 1917-1925. 1.5 cubic feet Arrangement: Arranged roughly by subject. This series consists of correspondence, memoranda, notes, reports, clippings, copies of legislative bills, and occasional photographs concerning the participation of New York State residents in World War I. Also included are copies of war histories prepared by other states (and apparently used as models). The files were collected by the State Historian, James Sullivan, in response to a joint resolution of the Senate and Assembly (1919) authorizing him to "collect, collate, compile, edit and prepare for publication sufficient material, statistics and data for a history of the State of New York in the World War...." To advance this work, Sullivan requested material from local defense councils, major manufacturers in the State, libraries and historical societies, and private citizens. He also contacted state war councils, libraries, historical surveys, and war history commissions nationwide to provide models for the publication and funding of the work. When the immense scope of the undertaking became clear, he lobbied the legislature for funds. No funds were appropriated for the work and it was never completed. The files contain: þ information on New York's response to the Liberty Loan campaigns, and details on ship production in the State þ service data on New York residents who served in allied armies (especially Canadian and British) þ list of New York contractors for aircraft materials, giving name and address of contractor and type of article produced þ historical summaries of U.S. Army divisions' activities during the war þ report on the return of New York's war dead from Europe, and lists of Americans killed in action while serving with Canadian forces þ catalogs of American Expeditionary Force official photographs taken by the U.S. Signal Corps, Photographic Section þ copies of other states' reports on participation in the war (including California, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Virginia) þ a copy of the pamphlet "Canada's Part in the Great War" published by the Canadian Department of Public Information (1919) þ copies of legislation from other states authorizing war memorials þ minutes, correspondence, and reports of the National Association of State War History Organizations (James Sullivan served as president and member of the Executive Committee) þ extensive news clippings covering the publicity engagements and promotional talks by Sullivan, accounts of the New York dead and wounded as reported by the War Department, and reports on the unveiling of war memorials þ related memoranda, apparently originating with Sullivan, on cooperating with the Association of State War History Organizations to help with the work, promoting legislative appropriations to carry out the original joint resolution, coordinating volunteer aid through county publicity campaigns, and enlisting the support of the Commissioner of Education, John H. Finley þ a small amount of memoranda relating to an aborted War Department plan for a pictorial history of munitions production, and also on work of local councils of defense to produce community honor rolls þ correspondence with major New York manufacturers on providing summaries of their war work þ a small number of photographs, including individual portraits of uniformed soldiers (sometimes with a copy of service record attached) or scenes in the field þ some photostatic reproductions and a smaller amount of original material produced by Cuyler Reynolds, Albany City Historian, for his work on "Albany Heroes of the World War" Finding aid: Folder list. A0412. World War I Veterans' Service Data and Photographs, 1917-1938 (bulk 1919-1924). 33.4 cubic feet (53 microfilm reels) Arrangement: Alphabetical by county, then alphabetical by municipality. This series primarily contains personal information, service data, newspaper clippings, and photographs of New York State veterans of World War I, and some accounts of home front activities in the State. Also included is a small amount of material documenting contributions toward the war effort by the State's schools, faculty, and students as well as war work done by units of the Education Department. These records were collected by State Historians James Sullivan and Alexander C. Flick (from 1923) in response to a joint legislative resolution to prepare a history of the State of New York in the World War. Because no funds were appropriated for this work, the publication was never completed. The State Historian relied on officially appointed local historians to collect and forward information relating to their communities' roles in the war. Only two-thirds of the State's communities provided the requested information, and very few veterans from New York City are represented in the series. There are no files for Bronx, Queens, or Richmond counties. The contents of the files vary considerably, but each contains all or some of the following: þ list of soldiers from the community þ service record forms for each veteran, usually providing: þ name þ address þ place and date of birth þ parents' names and address þ date entered service þ drafted or enlisted þ military unit at entrance and discharge þ brief outline of service giving duty stations, combat experience, wounds and decorations received þ date, place, rank, and military unit at discharge or death þ narrative statements of individuals' war service by veterans or the local historian þ newspaper clippings documenting the return of soldiers, commemorative celebrations, or other soldier-related activities þ transcripts of original letters written by soldiers while in the service, some written from France þ photographs of soldiers, most in uniform and identified þ narrative written by the local historian describing home front activities in the community þ transcripts of community newspaper articles concerning local home front activities þ souvenir booklets or other items of memorabilia þ transmittal correspondence between the State Historian and the local historian þ information on nurses who served in the war Photographs in the series are primarily portraits of soldiers in uniform, taken either formally in studio settings or informally as private snapshots in home-like surroundings. Some are of the souvenir variety taken overseas. A small number are of women in service. There are no scenes from the war front. The final box of the series contains important additional material (correspondence, reports, lists, bulletins, pamphlets, books, and a few photographs) on New York State's contributions to the war. These materials provide information on: þ wartime activities of the State's schools, teachers, and pupils (e.g. Liberty Loan campaigns, Red Cross and civilian relief work, conservation activities, and work for base hospitals) þ war service of college and university students þ wartime activities, especially through the Bureau of Educational War Service, of the Regents and the Education Department, including specific projects of the Division of Archives and History, the State Museum, and the State Library þ the reorganization of New York State troops in the federal service, including transcribed extracts from military cables and communiques (May 1917-December 1918) on deployment and military actions of New York components of the American Expeditionary Force (the 77th, 42nd, 78th, and 27th Divisions) Copies of several noteworthy works are also found with this material: þ a research paper, New York State "Boys" in the War: A Report of Impressions Gathered From Sorting and Reading Soldiers' Letters of the World War During the Summers of 1934 and 1935, prepared for Alexander Flick using materials collected by the Division of Archives and History þ a 1920 book, The New York Hospital in France: Base Hospital No. 9, A.E.F., a historical diary of the New York Hospital Unit during its two years of active service in the war þ a 1920 booklet, Army Ordnance: History of District Offices - New York, a detailed account of the organization, activities, and production (including statistics) of the New York District of the Army Ordnance Department Researchers may consult Alexander Flick's 10 volume History of the State of New York (1933), available at the New York State Library, for a review of New York's civilian and military efforts in World War I. Finding aid: Folder list. A3167. Historical Research Working Files, 1795-1945. 8.3 cubic feet Arrangement: Arranged roughly by topic. The series contains correspondence, unpublished historical articles, notes, clippings, photographs, posters, and a few original or photostatic copies of historical documents collected by the State Historian in the course of research on historical topics. The subjects of these files vary widely. Material on New York's participation in World War I, and life on the homefront during the war era is found in accretions A3167-78 and A3167-78A. Examples include: þ circulars from the New York State Food Supply Commission advocating patriotic agricultural practices (May 1917) þ copies of organization charts of the Resource Mobilization Bureau þ materials issued by the National Security League's Committee on Patriotism Through Education (1917) to promote patriotism and national efficiency by affecting public opinion through the press, educators, and preparing printed materials and encouraging public discussions þ materials issued by the National Board for Historic Service, which helped historical agencies to document local reactions and events relating to the war þ a depiction of "Distinguishing Marks of the U.S. Army" and a "Station List of Units Since Arrival in the American E.F." that includes field orders and messages, reports on recent operations, and commendations relating to the 53rd, 105th, and 106th Infantry units Of special note is material that was apparently gathered to document work of the War Council of the American Red Cross and wartime humanitarian relief efforts. This material consists of copies of photographic portraits of major historical figures. Military and political figures represented include: John J. Pershing; Woodrow Wilson; Winston Churchill; Joseph Joffre; Georges Clemenceau; and Franklin Roosevelt (Assistant Secretary of the Navy). Humanitarian relief workers represented include: Herbert Hoover (Chairman of the Committee for Relief of Belgium); Commissioner of Education Colonel John H. Finley (Red Cross Commissioner to Palestine); Edith Cavell (nurse/hospital administrator who was executed during the German occupation of Belgium); and Ignacy Jan Paderewski (famed Polish pianist who raised great sums in America for Polish war relief). There are also extensive photographs (many of which are captioned) relating to Troy, New York during wartime, or to servicemen from that area, which were apparently collected by City Historian Mary T. Ryan, including: þ photographs of the Tank Center at Bourc, France (1919) showing servicemen, living quarters, and facilities sponsored by the Knights of Columbus organization þ photographs and postcards of sites in France, Belgium, Germany, and Jerusalem apparently acquired from Troy servicemen þ group photographs of the Students Army Training Corps (and Naval Section) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy þ photographs of soldiers stationed at the Watervliet Arsenal þ photographs of Troy scenes, businesses, civic leaders, women's groups, and parades during and after the war (especially for Liberty Loan campaigns and greeting returning troops), including many portraits of Troy veterans þ photographs of Troy citizen organizers of Liberty Loan campaigns, and other participants in Salvation Army or other unidentified civilian war work EDUCATION DEPARTMENT COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE A2042. Records of the Commissioner's Visit to France, 1915- 1917 (bulk 1917). 1.2 cubic feet Arrangement: By type of material. Selected correspondence is alphabetical by name of institution or last name of correspondent. Photographs are numbered consecutively in two sequences. The series consists of material documenting a mission to France made by Education Commissioner John H. Finley during May and June of 1917. The Board of Regents commissioned Dr. Finley to make the trip in order to observe the way French universities and schools, which were highly organized in the war effort, bore the exigencies of war, dealt with the mobilization of students, and aided national war service. Information on French practices could help solve similar educational problems arising from America's entry into the war. In their meeting of April 12, 1917 the Regents adopted resolutions endorsing selective conscription as the best means of preparing America for war and resolving that absence from college in the State to perform public service should not interfere with granting degrees or affect the standing of students. The Education Department encouraged high school students to work on farms to meet the wartime labor demand, and it cooperated with the State Food Supply Commission to shorten the school year to achieve that end. Education Commissioner John H. Finley was a renowned Francophile who had lectured at the Sorbonne and several French universities in the years prior to World War I. He was a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor and author of a book that was awarded the Malte-Brun Medal of the Geographic Society of Paris. In addition to his pursuits in the realm of education, he was particularly active in health and social service matters, serving, for example, as chairman of the New York State Commission for the Blind (1913-1915), the Albany County Chapter of the American Red Cross, the New York State Committee of the Commission for Relief in Belgium, and the Committee for Men Blinded in Battle. Dr. Finley's trip was endorsed at the highest levels of both countries. He conveyed to France greetings from President Woodrow Wilson and a special letter from Governor Charles S. Whitman, who proclaimed the observance of "France Day" in the State during which all schools gave special lessons in French history and the part France was playing in the war. Dr. Finley was the representative of colleges and universities across the country, many of which sent messages of sympathy and support to their sister institutions in France. Letters from Winifred Holt, Secretary of the New York Association for the Blind, characterize Dr. Finley as the organization's "Ambassador of the blind," and he also visited members of a host of charitable and service organizations during this stay in France. The records include a journal, correspondence, copies of addresses (by Finley and others), newspaper clippings, pamphlets, notes (especially background information on French universities), and photographs. The bulk of the material dates from March through August 1917. Photographs are undated and unattributed. Most of the correspondence consists of letters of introduction, social invitations, welcome notes, and letters asking for assistance or scheduling meetings with Dr. Finley. Included in this group is a signed letter from General John J. Pershing from Paris (June 22, 1917), and letters from/to the French Minister of Public Instruction (M. Petit-Dutaillez), the rectors of the universities of France, and members of various political, civic, and educational groups. The bulk of the records consists of copies of greetings sent from over 100 American colleges (with French translations), and acknowledgment letters from French schools, officials, and pupils, many of them in French with some translations. Major French universities visited by Dr. Finley and represented in the series include: Bordeaux, Poitiers, Grenoble, Lyons, Nancy, Rennes, Toulouse, and Montpellier. A historical sketch of each of these universities (apparently used for speeches and perhaps as the basis for a report on the trip) is found in the series, along with selected school catalogues and other relevant material. Dr. Finley's journal includes entries (sometimes substantial) from May 15 ("Arrived at Bordeaux") through June 2 (no entry) and appears to be only a partial record of his trip. Copies of clippings, programs, calling cards, and invitations are scattered throughout. Also included in the series are pamphlets in French on physical education and other materials on fitness training; a few postcards of universities and other sights visited; newspaper accounts of Dr. Finley's visits, speeches, and receptions; and publications relating to schools, curricula, and special educational programs. The clippings and pamphlets include several dozen scenes of French schools; copies of French newspapers contain war reports. Of particular note are 46 undated, unattributed photographs (5 x 7") at the end of the series. These show war damage inflicted by retreating German forces to buildings, agricultural machinery, trees and farmland in the areas of Aisne and the Somme, France (where major battles were fought throughout the war). A few of the scenes show people, primarily French soldiers and a few civilians. The photographs are in two sets, one numbered in blue and the other in red. Most of the photographs are captioned, in manuscript, on the verso in French (with some English translations in a different hand). They may have been intended as illustrations for a publication about the trip. Finding aids: Folder list and a photograph caption list (in English). EDUCATION DEPARTMENT DIVISION OF AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION A3112. Enlistment Papers and Reports of the New York State Boys' Working Reserve (Farm Cadet Program), 1918. 3 cubic feet To alleviate a shortage of farm labor caused by mobilization during World War I, the Board of Regents authorized the release of certain high school students (boys and girls) from school in 1917 and 1918 to serve as farm laborers in a program sponsored by the New York State Food Supply Commission. In 1918 the Education department allowed school credit for some time spent working, requiring weekly and final reports of all participants, and provided for on-site supervision by district superintendents of schools. The series consists mostly of narrative final reports of participants in the State Boys' Working Reserve, also known as the Farm Cadets. Also included are occasional daily logs of cadets' activities, a few enlistment forms by which high school students joined the cadets, and correspondence by district superintendents transmitting reports to the department. The final reports submitted by the cadets give: þ period of service þ location of service þ number of hours per day worked þ general type of work completed þ statement of cadets' impressions of the value and usefulness of the work The occasional daily logs usually describe in detail the type of work and hours spent by a cadet. The enlistment forms provide: þ cadet's name þ address þ height and weight þ age þ religious preference þ prior farming and mechanical experience þ a personal reference þ location and type of work preference þ signed approval of parent or guardian MILITARY TRAINING COMMISSION A0401. Administrative Reports and Correspondence on Physical Training and Military Instruction, 1917- 1921. 15 cubic feet Arrangement: Roughly by subject. Some correspondence is alphabetical by name of correspondent. Some reports and/or statistical tabulations are grouped by city/village within geographic zones. The series consists of correspondence, reports, statistics, and instructional material produced and collected by the Military Training Commission in carrying out its mandate to provide physical and military training for boys during the World War I era. The records reflect the important, and often strained, interaction of military and educational establishments at the time; the confusion encountered in distinguishing military and physical training; and early attempts to formulate and implement a State policy of public service for young people. The commission was created by Chapter 566 of the Laws of 1916 to provide military and disciplinary training to boys 16 through 18 years of age. Its chairman was the Major General commanding the National Guard ex officio, John F. O'Ryan. Education Commissioner John H. Finley (or Thomas E. Finegan, acting commissioner in 1919) was a member appointed by the Regents. In 1917 Finley made a trip to France at the request of the Regents to study how the French school system provided physical and military training to its youth. The commission's secretary was Thomas C. Stowell. Other leaders of the commission included Howard G. Burdge (and later Dr. Arthur D. Dean), supervising officer for vocational training; Brigadier General William H. Chapin, supervising officer for military training; and Dr. Thomas A. Storey, inspector of physical training. To accomplish its training, the commission divided the State into the following six military training zones (roughly following judicial district boundaries): New York and Long Island, both headquartered in New York City; Hudson Valley, headquartered in Albany; East Central, headquartered in Syracuse; West Central, headquartered in Rochester; and Western, headquartered in Buffalo. Each zone had a supervisor in charge of military training who selected instructors to conduct the military work. Any school wishing to take charge of the military drill for its pupils had that option, subject only to mandated time and course requirements. Some records in the series are apparently from the files of secretary Thomas C. Stowell. The bulk of the series consists of consolidated weekly reports (in tabular format) of instruction and/or training drills, and reports by supervisors of training. The series also includes forms, pamphlets, memoranda, reports, enrollment cards, delinquency files, and a small number of posters and plans relating to the Corps of Cadets training camps run by the commission, as well as information on the complementary training program for physical instructors and male teachers to qualify as instructors in the military training corps. There is statistical information gathered from the city/village level on boys 16 to 18 years of age subject to military training, including detailed tabulations of data submitted to the commission on the boys' employment, parentage, family environment, education, and future prospects. Reports were prepared and sent to the chief supervisor by zone supervisors to account for services rendered whenever an expense to the commission was involved. These consolidated weekly reports have headings giving zone name, inclusive report dates, and the signature of the zone supervisor. Sheets list administrative zone; company/regiment number; place; instructor; drill area (name of armory or hall); date; time; attendance totals; character of instruction (lecture, physical exercises, games); and sometimes a detailed narrative by the zone supervisor (on the verso). Correspondence generally covers issues of enrollment, confirmation of employment, exemption from service, delinquency, and authorization to discontinue training in schools. Administrative material includes information on commission policy and procedure in areas such as vocational training; cooperation with schools in assessing numbers of eligible pupils, planning enrollment and training programs, and eliminating duplication of instruction for boys attending school; and directions for governance of the Bureau of Technical Military Training under provisions of the State's military law. In 1918 the commission's Bureau of Vocational Training surveyed cities and villages for information on boys subject to military training. Responses were cumulated and aggregate statistics reported by city/village. These aggregate statistics include information on: whether foreign or American born (boy and parents); foreign country of boy's birth; boy's guardian; number of children in family, with age breakdowns; reason for and age at leaving school; last grade completed; kind of school last attended; kind of shop work done in school; best liked study; kind of employment while in school; beginning and current weekly wage; who helped to get the job; number of jobs held; length of present job service; reason(s) for job satisfaction; how job obtained; if doing war work; on what advancement depends; if attended night school; savings (if any); and amount spent weekly in support of family. Other types of materials in the series include: þ orders to report for military training and gubernatorial proclamations þ enrollment files, including application forms, confirmations of employment, and enrollment cards þ delinquency files, including lists of boys who failed to report for training, summons forms, lists of cadets who failed to appear at "Delinquency Court," letters to employers urging suspension of boys until they comply with the law, and appeals to the police to help locate delinquent cadets þ plans for housing quarters for the Farm Cadets (a unit formed in 1917 to recognize farm work by boys during wartime and allow its application toward the military training requirement), with a description and estimate for materials and construction instructions þ Corps of Cadets attendance books þ payment cards apparently documenting fees paid to drill instructors and the location of and rents for drill exercises (typically armories or civic halls rented without charge) þ list of speakers and subjects for military classes and educational talks to cadets þ a tentative hygiene syllabus (1918) for a Regents program of physical training þ training materials, such as a manual for physical training of the Corps of Cadets, standards of discipline and deportment, and copies of general and special orders For further information, including details of commission recommendations, researchers may consult the reports of the commission available at the New York State Library. The commission published the survey results of its Bureau of Vocational Training in Howard G. Burdge's book, Our Boys: A Study of the 245,000 Sixteen, Seventeen and Eighteen Year Old Employed Boys of the State of New York (1921). Finding aid: Rough container list. The series is unprocessed. DEPARTMENT OF STATE BUREAU OF MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS 13035. Proclamations by the Governor, 1893-1992. 21.6 cubic feet Arrangement: Chronological by filing date. This series consists of original signed proclamations issued by the governor to formally notify the people of the State on matters of law, policy, or custom affecting them, or to designate exclusive times for commemoration or observance of special events. The proclamations were filed with the Secretary of State as the office of record for New York State. Subjects of proclamations typically include: special elections, holidays (e.g., President's days, Thanksgiving, Arbor Day, Flag Day), compensatory time for State employees to attend special events (e.g., Civil War commemorations), extraordinary sessions of the legislature, and statewide days of prayer. The proclamations are in typescript on sheets bearing the seal of the State of New York, and carry the governor's official seal. They are signed by both the governor and his secretary, and are also stamped with the date of filing at the Office of the Secretary of State. A manuscript entry giving the subject of the proclamation is found on the folded outer side. Proclamations issued by Governor Charles S. Whitman (and his secretary William A. Orr) during the World War I period (1917-1919) are found in series accretion 13035-79, Box 2. Some war-related issues addressed by the proclamations include: appeals for war relief (of Jewish, Polish, Belgian and French refugees), Liberty Loan, and Red Cross drives; organization of patriotic and educational events such as "France Day" or "Italy Day" in support of the Allied cause; and messages requesting citizen cooperation with the State Food Supply Commission and the New York State Boys Working Reserve to produce and conserve food during wartime. There are also several transcribed copies of gubernatorial approvals (required under Chapter 521 of Laws of 1918) of applications received by the Department of Excise to suspend the liquor tax certificates of local purveyors during wartime. Of special interest is the proclamation of a "Loafer Law" (Chapter 625 of the Laws of 1918) certifying that "public exigency requires that every able-bodied male between the ages of eighteen and fifty years, inclusive, shall be habitually and regularly engaged in some lawful, useful and recognized business, profession, occupation, trade or employment, until termination of [the] war". STATE ENGINEER AND SURVEYOR A3260. Payrolls for Employees in Military Service, 1917- 1920. .2 cubic foot Arrangement: Chronological by month of payroll. When the United States entered the First World War in 1917, the New York State Legislature enacted a law stipulating that State employees would not lose any of their employment privileges due to absence in military service, and that they would be paid the difference between their military pay and their State salaries. Later that year the legislature appropriated funds for the salaries of employees in military service. These records document payment to State Engineer and Surveyor employees for the differential between their military pay and their State salaries. Most of the records are monthly payrolls providing: þ name þ State title þ military rank þ monthly State salary þ monthly military pay þ amount due from State þ governor's approval number There are also a few additional items in the series, including lists of dates on which employees went on the military payroll or returned to work, and a table which apparently lists rates of compensation due at various salary levels. LEGISLATURE B0303. Joint Legislative Resolution Regarding the 332nd Regiment of the American Expeditionary Force, 1919. .1 cubic foot (1 item) This document is an original typed resolution issued by both houses of the State Legislature upon the return of the 332nd Infantry Regiment of the American Expeditionary Force from the Italian front in 1919. The resolution was issued to recognize the "conspicuous services and devotion to duty" for which the 332nd Regiment was decorated by the Italian government upon its return to New York. It is noteworthy that Major Fiorello H. LaGuardia, born at Madison Barracks, Sacketts Harbor, New York, and future mayor of New York City, was attached to this regiment. The 332nd Infantry Regiment was part of the 83rd Division, which was deployed overseas in June 1918. After training in France the regiment was detached for service as army and corps troops, and on July 25 it moved, with the 331st Field Hospital, to Villafranca, Custoza, and Sommacompagna, Italy. In October the regiment participated in the Vittorio-Veneto Operation (Italy). The regiment assisted in establishing bridgeheads at the Piave River, and as part of the Italian 31st Division (Tenth Italian Army) participated in the pursuit of the Austrians from the Piave to the Tagliamento River. The Second Battalion crossed the Tagliamento under fire and reached Villaorba on November 4, when the Austrian armistice became effective. Thereafter the Second Battalion arrived at Cattaro and sent troops into Montenegro; Headquarters and the First Battalion moved into Treviso; and the Third Battalion moved to Fiume. The regiment assembled at Genoa in March 1919 and the first contingent sailed for the U.S. on March 29. The second contingent sailed from Marseille on March 29 and April 4, 1919. The resolution was introduced on April 16, 1919 by Senator Salvatore A. Cotillo of the Eighteenth District and concurred in without amendment by the Assembly on April 17, 1919. It is signed by Ernest A. Fay and Fred W. Hammond, Clerks of the Senate and Assembly respectively. Affixed to the resolution are the original seals of the Clerks' offices. JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE SEDITIOUS ACTIVITY L0031. National Civil Liberties Bureau Subpoenaed Files, 1917-1919. 5.25 cubic feet (10 microfilm reels) Arrangement: Organized into 2 subseries: Subseries 1, Legal Defense Correspondence, is arranged alphabetically by topic or by state. Subseries 2, Conscientious Objection Correspondence, is arranged by topic, state, or Army camp. As part of its investigations, the Committee to Investigate Seditious Activities (commonly referred as the Lusk Committee) probed the wartime "subversive" ventures of the National Civil Liberties Bureau (NCLB). The Committee charged the NCLB was in the forefront of a legitimate pacifist movement that was being manipulated by Socialist revolutionaries in order to influence U.S. foreign policy. The NCLB was formed in 1917 as an outgrowth of the American Union Against Militarism, which itself was formed to work against American intervention in the war in Europe. One of the stated objectives of the NCLB was to assist the defense of conscientious objectors during World War I, and it served as a type of national clearinghouse of information on their legal defense. The NCLB changed its name in 1920 to the American Civil Liberties Union. Activities investigated by the committee included encouraging individuals to register as conscientious objectors to escape military duty, assisting radical groups in obstructing the war effort, and furnishing attorneys for those objecting to military service. Correspondence between the NCLB and conscientious objectors from 32 states and 12 Army camps are found in Subseries 2, boxes 4, 5, and 6. Included are letters from the NCLB to the War Department on behalf of individuals applying for conscientious objector status. The records also include correspondence between the NCLB and organizations active in the pacifist movement, such as the American Friends Service Committee, the American Liberty Defense League, the League for Democratic Control, and the People's Defense Council. Finding aid: Folder list. APPENDIX A. LIST OF SERIES BY SERIES NUMBER This appendix is a list of series described in this guide in their entirety, or as abstracts of larger series that contain, in part, pertinent information relating to World War I. Series mentioned in the guide's introduction as having relevance for World War I research are also listed. 13035. Proclamations by the Governor, 1893-1992. 21.6 cubic feet (information abstracted) 13721. Abstracts of National Guard Service in World War I , 1917-1919. 30 cubic feet (96 volumes) 13726. National Guard Muster Rolls, 1878-1954. 87 cubic feet (311 volumes) (information abstracted) 13726. National Guard Muster Rolls, 1878-1954. 87 cubic feet (311 volumes) (information abstracted) 14403 General Orders, 1802-1975. 9.2 cubic feet (83 volumes) (information abstracted) 14405-84. Special Orders, 1855-1946. 57.5 cubic feet (182 volumes) (information abstracted) A0063. Press Clippings and Background Files Concerning the Regents Literacy Test, 1916-1933 (bulk 1922-1933) 1.8 cubic feet (including over 1500 clippings) (cited in Introduction) A0401. Administrative Reports and Correspondence on Physical Training and Military Instruction, 1917- 1921. 15 cubic feet A0412. World War I Veterans' Service Data and Photographs, 1917-1938 (bulk 1919-1924). 33.4 cubic feet A0531. Investigation Case Files of Charges and Complaints Against Public Officials and Agencies, 1857-1919 (bulk 1872-1919). 51 cubic feet (cited in Introduction) A0612. Appointment Correspondence Files, 1883-1936 248.9 cubic feet (cited in Introduction) A2042. Records of the Commissioner's Visit to France, 1915- 1917 (bulk 1917). 1.2 cubic feet A3112. Enlistment Papers and Reports of the New York State Boys' Working Reserve (Farm Cadet Program), 1918. 3 cubic feet A3166. Working Files for a Publication on New York in World War I, 1917-1925. 1.5 cubic feet (information abstracted) A3167. Historical Research Working Files, 1795-1945. 8.3 cubic feet (information abstracted) A3217. Executive Statements, 1915-1918. .3 cubic foot (cited in Introduction) APPENDIX A. LIST OF SERIES BY SERIES NUMBER (continued) A3354. World War I Historical Research Files, ca. 1914- 1928. .3 cubic foot A3260. Payrolls for Employees in Military Service, 1917- 1920. .2 cubic foot A4234. Correspondence Files, 1917-1918. .8 cubic foot A4235. Correspondence of County Home Defense Committees, 1917-1918. 2 cubic feet A4237. Correspondence with Council of National Defense, 1917-1918. .8 cubic foot A4238. Health and Hospital Resources Files from the Adjutant General's Office, 1917. 2 cubic feet A4239. United States Public Service Reserve Correspondence Files, 1917-1918. .8 cubic foot A4240. Correspondence with State Agencies, 1917-1918. .3 cubic foot A4241. Subject Correspondence Files, 1917-1918. .5 cubic foot A4242. Administrative and Correspondence Files, 1917-1918. .5 cubic foot B0237. Administrative Files, 1917-1918. 1 cubic foot B0303. Joint Legislative Resolution Regarding the 332nd Regiment of the American Expeditionary Force, 1919. .1 cubic foot (1 item) B0808. Abstracts of World War I Military Service, 1917- 1919. 238 cubic feet (ca. 518,000 cards) B0814. Muster Rolls of New York National Guard Units that Served in the United States Army During World War I, 1917-1918. 4 cubic feet (12 volumes) B1357. World War I Veterans Bonus Cards, ca. 1920-1937. 97 microfilm reels L0031. National Civil Liberties Bureau Subpoenaed Files, 1917-1919. 5.25 cubic feet (information abstracted) L0035. Newspaper Clippings Files, 1919. 14 cubic feet (cited in Introduction) L0036. Suspected Radical Propaganda Files, 1890-1919. 10.9 cubic feet (cited in Introduction) APPENDIX B. LIST OF SERIES AVAILABLE ON MICROFILM A0412. World War I Veterans' Service Data and Photographs, 1917-1938 (bulk 1919-1924). 33.4 cubic feet (53 microfilm reels) A3166. Working Files for a Publication on New York in World War I, 1917-1925. 1.5 cubic feet (6 microfilm reels) A4234. Correspondence Files, 1917-1918. .8 cubic foot (3 microfilm reels) A4235. Correspondence of County Home Defense Committees, 1917-1918. 2 cubic feet (5 microfilm reels) A4237. Correspondence with Council of National Defense, 1917-1918. .8 cubic foot (3 microfilm reels) A4238. Health and Hospital Resources Files from the Adjutant General's Office, 1917. 2 cubic feet (5 microfilm reels) A4239. United States Public Service Reserve Correspondence Files, 1917-1918. .8 cubic foot (3 microfim reels) A4240. Correspondence with State Agencies, 1917-1918. .3 cubic foot (1 microfilm reel) A4241. Subject Correspondence Files, 1917-1918. .5 cubic foot (1 microfilm reel) A4242. Administrative and Correspondence Files, 1917-1918. .5 cubic foot (2 microfilm reels) L0031. National Civil Liberties Bureau Subpoenaed Files, 1917-1919. 5.25 cubic feet (10 microfilm reels) L0035. Newspaper Clippings Files, 1919. 14 cubic feet (28 microfilm reels) L0036. Suspected Radical Propaganda Files, 1890-1919. 10.9 cubic feet (31 microfilm reels) Aftermath By Siegfried Sassoon Have you forgotten yet? ... For the world's events have rumbled on since those gagged days, Like traffic checked awhile at the crossing of city ways: And the haunted gap in your mind has filled with thoughts that flow Like clouds in the lit heavens of life; and you're a man reprieved to go, Taking your peaceful share of Time, with joy to spare. But the past is just the same-- and war's a bloody game ... Have you forgotten yet? Look down, and swear by the slain of the war that you'll never forget. Do you remember the dark months you held the sector at Mametz-- The nights you watched and wired and dug and piled sandbags on parapets? Do you remember the rats; and the stench Of corpses rotting in front of the front-line trench-- And dawn coming, dirty-white, and chill with a hopeless rain? Do you ever stop and ask, "Is it all going to happen again?" Do you remember that hour of din before the attack-- And the anger, the blind compassion that seized and shook you then As you peered at the doomed and haggard faces of your men? Do you remember the stretcher-cases lurching back With dying eyes and lolling heads-- those ashen-grey Masks of the lads who once were keen and kind and gay? Have you forgotten yet? ... Look up, and swear by the green of the spring that you'll never forget. March, 1919 Siegfried Sassoon: The War Poems. London: Faber & Faber, 1983. þ George Sassoon, 1983.