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d in the most important posts abroad and having given the most difficult service。 The work of the other Philadelphia committees； particularly that of the Women's Committee； was equally good。
To do away with the multiplicity of 〃drives；〃 rapidly becoming a drain upon the efforts of the men engaged in them； a War Chest Committee was now formed in Philadelphia and vicinity to collect money for all the war…work agencies。 Bok was made a member of the Executive Committee； and chairman of the Publicity Committee。 In May； 1918； a campaign for twenty millions of dollars was started； the amount was subscribed； and although much of it had to be collected after the armistice； since the subscriptions were in twelve monthly payments； a total of fifteen and a half million dollars was paid in and turned over to the different agencies。
Bok； who had been appointed one of the Boy Scout commissioners in his home district of Merion； saw the possibilities of the Boy Scouts in the Liberty Loan and other campaigns。 Working in co…operation with the other commissioners； and the scoutmaster of the Merion Troop； Bok supported the boys in their work in each campaign as it came along。 Although there were in the troop only nine boys； in ages ranging from twelve to fourteen yearsBok's younger son was one of themso effectively did these youngsters work under the inspiration of the scoutmaster； Thomas Dun Belfield； that they soon attracted general attention and acquired distinction as one of the most efficient troops in the vicinity of Philadelphia。 They won nearly all the prizes offered in their vicinity； and elicited the special approval of the Secretary of the Treasury。
Although only 〃gleaners〃 in most of the campaignsthat is； working only in the last three days after the regular committees had scoured the neighborhoodthese Merion Boy Scouts sold over one million four hundred thousand dollars in Liberty Bonds； and raised enough money in the Y。 M。 C。 A。 campaign to erect one of the largest huts in France for the army boys； and a Y。 M。 C。 A。 gymnasium at the League Island Navy Yard accommodating two thousand sailor…boys。
In the summer of 1918； the eight leading war…work agencies； excepting the Red Cross； were merged； for the purpose of one drive for funds； into the United War Work Campaign； and Bok was made chairman for Pennsylvania。 In November a country…wide campaign was launched； the quota for Pennsylvania being twenty millions of dollarsthe largest amount ever asked of the commonwealth。 Bok organized a committee of the representative men of Pennsylvania； and proceeded to set up the machinery to secure the huge sum。 He had no sooner done this； however； than he had to sail for France； returning only a month before the beginning of the campaign。
But the efficient committee had done its work； upon his return Bok found the organization complete。 On the first day of the campaign； the false rumor that an armistice had been signed made the raising of the large amount seem almost hopeless； furthermore； owing to the influenza raging throughout the commonwealth； no public meetings had been permitted or held。 Still； despite all these obstacles； not only was the twenty millions subscribed but oversubscribed to the extent of nearly a million dollars； and in face of the fact that every penny of this large total had to be collected after the signing of the armistice； twenty millions of dollars was paid in and turned over to the war agencies。
It is indeed a question whether any single war act on the part of the people of Pennsylvania redounds so highly to their credit as this marvellous evidence of patriotic generosity。 It was one form of patriotism to subscribe so huge a sum while the war was on and the guns were firing； it was quite another and a higher patriotism to subscribe and pay such a sum after the war was over！
Bok's position as State chairman of the United War Work Campaign made it necessary for him to follow authoritatively and closely the work of each of the eight different organizations represented in the fund。 Because he felt he had to know what the Knights of Columbus； the Salvation Army； the Y。 W。 C。 A。； and the others were doing with the money he had been instrumental in collecting； and for which he felt； as chairman； responsible to the people of Pennsylvania； he learned to know their work just as thoroughly as he knew what the Y。 M。 C。 A。 was doing。
He had now seen and come into personal knowledge of the work of the Y。 M。 C。 A。 from his Philadelphia point of vantage； with his official connection with it at New York headquarters； he had seen the work as it was done in the London and Paris headquarters； and he had seen the actual work in the American camps； the English rest…camps； back of the French lines； in the trenches； and as near the firing…line as he had been permitted to go。
He had； in short； seen the Y。 M。 C。 A。 function from every angle； but he had also seen the work of the other organizations in England and France； back of the lines and in the trenches。 He found them all faultynecessarily so。 Each had endeavored to create an organization within an incredibly short space of time and in the face of adverse circumstances。 Bok saw at once that the charge that the Y。 M。 C。 A。 was 〃falling down〃 in its work was as false as that the Salvation Army was doing 〃a marvellous work〃 and that the K。 of C。 was 〃efficient where others were incompetent；〃 and that the Y。 W。 C。 A。 was 〃nowhere to be seen。〃
The Salvation Army was unquestionably doing an excellent piece of work within a most limited area； it could not be on a wider scale； when one considered the limited personnel it had at its command。 The work of the K。 of C。 was not a particle more or less efficient than the work of the other organizations。 What it did； it strove to do well； but so did the others。 The Y。 W。 C。 A。 made little claim about its work in France； since the United States Government would not； until nearly at the close of the war； allow women to be sent over in the uniforms of any of the war…work organizations。 But no one can gainsay for a single moment the efficient service rendered by the Y。 W。 C。 A。 in its hostess…house work in the American camps； that work alone would have entitled it to the support of the American people。 That of the Y。 M。 C。 A。 was on so large a scale that naturally its inefficiency was often in proportion to its magnitude。
Bok was in France when the storm of criticism against the Y。 M。 C。 A。 broke out； and； as State chairman for Pennsylvania； it was his duty to meet the outcry when it came over to the United States。 That the work of the Y。 M。 C。 A。 was faulty no one can deny。 Bok saw the 〃holes〃 long before they were called to the attention of the public； but he also saw the almost impossible task； in face of prevailing difficulties； of caulking them up。 No one who was not in France can form any conception of the practically insurmountable obstacles against which all the war…work organizations worked； and the larger the work the greater were the obstacles； naturally。 That the Y。 M。 C。 A。 and the other similar agencies made mistakes is not the wonder so much as that they did not make more。 The real marvel is that they did so much efficient work。 For after we get a little farther away from the details and see the work of these agencies in its broader aspects； when we forget the lapseswhich； after all； though irritating and regrettable； were not majorthe record as a whole will stand as a most signal piece of volunteer service。
What was actually accomplished was nothing short of marvellous； and it is this fact that must be borne in mind； not the omissions； but the commissions。 And when the American public gets that point of viewas it will； and； for that matter； is already beginning to dothe work of the American Y。 M。 C。 A。 will no longer suffer for its omissions； but will amaze and gladden by its accomplishments。 As an American officer of high rank said to Bok at Chaumont headquarters： 〃The mind cannot take in what the war would have been without the 'Y。'〃 And that； in time； will be the universal American opinion； extended； in proportion to their work； to all the war…work agencies and the men and women who endured； suffered； and were killed in their service。
XXXV。 At the Battle…Fronts in the Great War
It was in the summer of 1918 that Edward Bok received from the British Government； through its department of public information； of which Lord Beaverbrook was the minister； an invitation to join a party of thirteen American editors to visit Great Britain and France。 The British Government； not versed in publicity methods； was anxious that selected parties of American publicists should see； personally； what Great Britain had done； and was doing in the war； and it had decided to ask a few individuals to pay personal visits to its munition factories； its great aerodromes； its Great Fleet； which then lay in the Firth of Forth； and to the battle…fields。 It was understood that no specific obligation rested upon any member of the party to write of what he saw： he was asked simply to observe and then； with discretion； use his observations for his own guidance and information in future writing。 In fact； each member was explicitly told that much of