Arkansas and America were gearing up for war at this time 100 years ago.
According to the June 7, 1917, edition of the Arkansas Democrat in Little Rock, 72 of 75 counties in Arkansas had reported the number of men who had registered for the draft on June 5 of that year, as required by the Federal Selective Service Conscription Law.
The nationwide call required men in each county, ages 21-35, to register for the draft in the precinct of their home.
The draft was implemented because the United States had declared war on Germany in April of 1917, and was committed to send millions of men into the fight that would later be known as World War I.
America didn't want any part of the war in Europe when it broke out in 1914, but ongoing interference in American shipping and the loss of American lives meant that she could no longer remain on the sidelines.
In its afternoon and evening editions in the spring of 1917, the Arkansas Democrat chronicled the pathway to war from an Arkansas perspective.
"Now that the United States is in the war," a May 8 editorial began, "...it is absolutely necessary for this country to raise an army of formidable proportions."
The May 18 "6 o'clock edition" of the Democrat told of how five new sites were announced for camps to train soldiers for war.
A large two-line headline across the top of the front page on June 7 read, "10,000,000 Americans Offer Their Lives to Crush Rule of Autocracy."
Another headline read, "Little Rock Registrars Kept Busy." The story detailed how there wasn't any controversy in Arkansas about the war or the beginning of the draft, saying, "There was not a single report of trouble from Little Rock or any part of the state during the morning."
A patriotic fervor was established in the articles and editorials of the day and war-related reports continued in future editions.
Ordinary life went on as well, according to articles back then in the Democrat about the Chicago Cubs, a reunion of Confederate war veterans, teacher training workshops and how to make employees more productive.
But overall there was no doubt about the effects of war on everyday life for Arkansans a century ago. Out of a sense of loyalty and duty, families were prepared to do whatever it took.
Almost 72,000 Arkansans served in World War I and it is good that we can remember their dedication. An interesting website about Arkansas' role in the war has been set up at www.wwiarkansas.com.
A hundred years ago the United States was, in many ways, like it was today. Some people followed baseball. Information was available about making things run more smoothly at work. In their minds and in public discourse, people were sorting out the most appropriate way to remember the Civil War. There was also much discussion about how to improve education.
And the country was at war.
It's a different world in Arkansas today. But the matters that require our attention remain very much the same.
DAVID WILSON, EdD, OF SPRINGDALE, IS A WRITER, CONSULTANT AND PRESENTER, WHO GREW UP IN ARKANSAS BUT WORKED 27 YEARS IN EDUCATION IN MISSOURI. YOU MAY E-MAIL HIM AT [email protected]. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.
Editorial on 06/07/2017