1918-11-02 Editorial

On November 2, 1918, the Hamilton Herald’s afternoon edition carried extensive coverage of the morning’s events regarding the Victory Loan campaign.

The biggest draw for Hamiltonians in the morning was the appearance of the tank, Britannia, which only weeks before had been involved in combat in France. The tank, referred to as a ‘Hun Chaser’ in the Herald literally demolished a railway box car had been set up in Gore Park.

Although the Spanish Influenza epidemic was still in full force, and although the Hamilton Board of Health was strongly against any public gatherings because of fears of spreading the disease even more quickly, the need to attract crowds was important for the Victory Loan campaigners. The idea was that canvassers could readily approach more people, more easily, if there was a crowd gathered..

The afternoon edition of the Hamilton Herald carried the following editorial :

“This is a red letter day in Hamilton. With the tank the outstanding feature of a day’s program crowded with attractions, citizens are not likely to forget the first Saturday of the Victory loan campaign. This tank – the Britannia – has been in many a gory fight, and we have been given the chance to see exactly how these wonderful  implements of modern warfare negotiate and remove all obstructions from their path. The military procession this afternoon and the big auto parade tonight make up an eventful day, which should mean greatly increased business for the canvassers.

“Yesterday a slight note of discouragement was struck. Certain householders visited by the canvassers did not respond as they should to call of patriotism and duty. Unworthy suspicions and lame excuses were advanced as a cloak for their narrow-minded selfishness. Such a spirit is astonishing at this late day. To argue that money is no longer needed now that victory is in sight is to misunderstand, fatally, the actual position of affairs. It should be obvious to all that the demand for money will be most urgent, even when peace does come, for the purposes of demobilization and reconstruction. Peace will rather accentuate the need of money. Sir Thomas White, the minister of finance, has made this clear. ‘The allies,’ he said, ‘including Canada, will necessarily be on a war basis, so far as expenditure is concerned, for a considerable period after the close of the war. It will take many months to effect demobilization. All the money that we are asking will therefore be required.’ ”¹

¹ “Victory Loan Day”

Herald editorial

Hamilton Herald.    November 04, 1918.