Secretary
McAdoo and George Creel, as we have seen, often stumbled upon fundraising
approaches from outside sources. Indeed, Creel complained in his memoir of the
“flood of people that poured into Washington during the war, each burdened with
some wonderful suggestion that could be imparted only to an executive head.”
Though he conceded it was their “right as citizens, but it was equally the case
that the idea might have real value.”[1]
Such was the case with the Boy Scouts.
 |
| A Boy Scout aides Lady Liberty in raising War Funds. |
As
bond sellers, the Boy Scouts were perfect. In line with their mission,
President Wilson lauded giving “every Scout a wonderful opportunity to do his
share for his country under the slogan ‘Every Scout to Save a Soldier.’”[2]
Not only could they save soldiers; they could do it for free.
Initially,
the young bond salesmen were unsuccessful. Apparently, they had a tendency to
lose their nerve after knocking on the door. Partnering remedied the problem,
and scout tandems sold 139,654 bond subscriptions worth over $23 million in the
First Liberty Loan.[3]
