Each Township to Pay Soldiers' Expenses, 1918

“Each Township to Pay Soldiers Expenses,” from the editorial page of the Watauga Democrat, Sept. 26, 1918, R.C. Rivers, proprietor. "This paper has enlisted with the government in the cause of America for the period of the war."

The Government is asking every township and county to pay the expenses of its soldiers at war. This costs the Government about $1,000 a year for each soldier, except when he is in battle. The way that the Government has devised for each township and county to do this is to purchase its full quota of War Savings Certificates. This amount will take care of the boys sent from that county.

A bulletin from State Headquarters points out that for the care of the 2,000,000 American soldiers selected by the first draft the War Savings Fund called for $2,000,000,000—or $1,000 for each solder in service, white or colored. As soon as the War Department decided to increase the army to 4,000,000, congress authorized an increase of the War Savings Fund to $4,000,000,000 thus keeping to the apportionment of $1,000 for each soldier.

The bulletin says, “If a township fails to invest its allotment of War Savings it fails to take care of its own boys, and unless some other township assumes the burden of their sustenance, they are unprovided for.” No township in North Carolina can afford not to support its own solders by lending the Government the money needed for the purpose. Such a record of ingratitude would outlive every person now living in the township.

The bulletin says further that when a person invests in War Savings Certificates he serves that part of the Army that is nearest and dearest to him,--he supports his won boy or that of his neighbors. It urges that every boy in service be represented by some star in some service flag and that every star be backed by $1,000 invested in War Savings Stamps.