1918-11-09 Victory Loan Event at Loew's

On November 8, 1918, despite the untiring efforts of so many people, it was beginning to look as if the City of Hamilton might be one of the few cities in the Dominion not to meet its objective in the Victory Loan campaign

That day, the Spectator expressed that concern while urging Hamiltonians to subscribe, not only for patriotic reasons but because the Victory Loan scheme was a safe investment:

“There is some disappointment expressed at the way the average citizen is coming forward. Although the campaign is more than halfway through, some districts only record around thirty per cent of their objectives; these must be speeded up if the anticipated results are to be attained.

“In some cases, doubtless, even a minimum subscription involves no small amount of self-denial. But such self-denial should be cheerfully exercised when it is remembered what tremendous sacrifices have been made by others. The self-denial entailed is of direct benefit to the person making it; the money which is loaned will ultimately be returned in full without fail, and the interest paid is most generous. As a savings scheme, the victory Loan could not be beaten, and it is one of the surest preventives of industrial depression. We are turning our thoughts from war to peace. Our soldiers have fought with the utmost gallantry for the protection of the country; it is now the turn of us civilians to do our part in fighting to the limit of our capacity for its economic stability. Ours is the easy, safe and profitable role; if we play it as well as the soldiers have played theirs, the success of the loan is assured.”¹

¹ “Speed Up”

Hamilton Spectator.    November 08, 1918.

One of the last major events to appeal for subscribers to the campaign was held on Saturday evening, November 9, 1918 at the Loew’s theatre:

 “Fully 3,000 people attended the Victory Loan meeting in Loew’s theater last evening, heard several excellent speeches, saw a number of reels of appropriate movies, joined heartily in the signing of popular and patriotic songs, and incidentally, bought a substantial amount of bonds.

“George C. Coppley was chairman, and before the program made a stirring appeal for the co-operation of all present for the successful prosecution of the drive, and their personal subscriptions.” ²

² “Great Impetus is Given Victory Loan : Appeals Made to Citizens to Back Up Their Overseas Men : Prominent Speakers Here For Big Theater Night on Saturday”

Hamilton Spectator.    November 11, 1918.

Although a the management of the Savoy theatre viewed the management of the Loew’s theater in making their theaters as the favorite moving picture and vaudeville palace in Hamilton, all such competition was set aside in the efforts of getting as many subscribers as possible for the Victory Loan campaign :

 “Bond-selling ability of a kind which should entitle them to seats on the stock exchange was displayed by Alfred Cross and Miss Carpenter, the leading man and woman of the Savoy players, who, through the courtesy of Manager Stroud, visited Loew’s shortly after 9 o’clock and worked the big audience up to a high pitch of enthusiasm.

“ Mr. Cross, who during his engagement here many years ago, was one of the most popular leading men that this city has ever known, proved in the short time that he entertained the responsive crowd, that he lost none of his old-time magnetism and boyish enthusiasm. His appearance was the occasion for an ovation from many old friends in the house, who expressed their pleasure at his return by cheers and applause. Judging by the reception accorded the leading man of the Savoy, he will be very quickly established as an exceedingly well-liked member of the re-organized company which has already won golden opinions for its interpretation of the high-class plays presented.

“Although he admitted frankly that he was ‘scared to death’ at his new job, Mr. Cross very successfully managed to get up a friendly rivalry between the gallery and the other parts of the house. Miss Carpenter, the fascinating little leading woman, added her plea, and met with a hearty response, the sum total of the efforts of Miss Carpenter, who started proceedings by herself buying a bond and Mr. Cross amounting to $12,000.

In the course of his little visit, Mr. Cross gave a life-like imitation of that idol of the screen world, Douglas Fairbanks, selling bonds and a clever recitation in Italian dialect.”²

The following speaker was a young lady who had experienced, first-hand, the horrors of the war in her native country, Belgium:

“Miss Schultz, a Belgian lady, who, with her parents and other relatives, suffered from the entrance of the Hun into her gallant land, was given an ovation when she rose to make her address, the house rising en masse and cheering heartily.

“While brief, the address of Miss Schultz gave a very graphic picture of the indignities inflicted on the Belgians, the cruelties and outrages suffered, and the sad plight of the helpless women and the nagged.

The speaker, in quaint, whose accent lent a charm to the recital, recalled the glorious history of her brave people, and the indomitable spirit which the coming of the Hun could not break.

“ ‘It is a very awful thing to have an enemy in your country. I’ve known it,’ said Miss Schultz, simply and sadly, as she went on to tell of the sights she had seen, and the experiences numbers of her people had suffered.

“ ‘One day four Germans came into our house, and told us they were going to be in London by Christmas, 1914. They said Belgium had not suffered so much – not nearly what Britain would be made to suffer. There, not even a tree would be left, and the people would be falling on their knees asking for pity.

“ ‘Now who is falling on their knees?’ asked Miss Schultz smilingly and evoked a storm of cheers.

“ ‘The people of Belgium know that the Germans will pass through the cities again, but this time they won’t do the goose-step, and it will not be a parade.’

“ ‘My father was put in jail for two weeks because he smiled at a German officer. The Belgian women have taken an oath that when the dirty German flag is removed from the sky, they will take the allied flags and make one great flag of them, plant it in front of the kaiser’s palace, and print on it the word, ‘Victory,’ concluded Miss Schultz.”²

The final speaker was an American, Alfred Hurrell :

“Alfred Hurrell, insurance expert, and noted attorney, New York, made a rousing address, urging citizens to buy bonds that they might feel themselves partners in the great victory that was near. He considered that subscribing to the loan was a matter of conscience, and could not understand anyone holding back after listening to Miss Schultz’s story.

“He stated that he carried from friends in the U.S. the sympathy of Americans, who realized just what the struggle meant. That they might become articulate as to what kind of peace there should be with the enemy, he had urged his compatriots to buy bonds. He declared  that these terms should be such that the enemy should have to pay for all the damage he had done, and put things back, so far as it was possible to do. Mawkish sentimentality was not justice. The enemy must pay. Neither should the enemy have a place at the peace table; and there could not be too much expression on the part of the people that the peace shall not be a soft peace.

“ ‘It behooves us to be very humble in the presence of the flag of Britain,’ concluded Mr. Hurrell. ‘While we are very proud of the accomplishments of our boys, and what we have done in our industrial undertakings, we fully realize what the British navy has done. There should be no misunderstanding between our two countries whose governments are both organized species of liberty. It becomes our duty to subscribe again and again for Victory bonds.’ ” ²

Throughout the event at Loew’s theater, woman and men were going through the assembled trying to get signatures on Victory Loan subscriptions. Those efforts did not take place during the speeches but during the presentation of moving pictures, and during the community singing.