World War I 100 Years Ago: May 18-24

From The Indianapolis News, Friday, May 24: The week-long War Chest campaign across Indianapolis brought in pledges of $2,281,002 (2017: $ 37,846,583), but far short of its goal. After receiving this report at a noon luncheon, William Fortune, war chest board president, said, “Heroic work must be done between now and Monday night…Let us prove that the people of Indianapolis are united…behind this movement and all that it means to America and the successful prosecution of the war.” With renewed determination, more than 700 team members left the meeting to carry the war chest message to every citizen of Indianapolis over the three days remaining in the campaign. Shortridge High School students marched from the school building on North Pennsylvania St to the War Chest on Monument Circle where they left a $1,000 (2017: $16,592) contribution that they had raised.