gn for twenty…five million dollars would be launched six weeks hence； and that Pennsylvania's quota was three millions of dollars。 He was to set up an organization throughout the State； conduct the drive from Philadelphia； speak at various centres in Pennsylvania； and secure the allocated quota。 Bok knew little or nothing about the work of the Y。 M。 C。 A。； he accordingly went to New York headquarters and familiarized himself with the work being done and proposed； and then began to set up his State machinery。 The drive came off as scheduled； Pennsylvania doubled its quota； subscribing six instead of three millions of dollars； and of this was collected five million eight hundred and twenty…nine thousand dollarsalmost one hundred per cent。
Bok； who was now put on the National War Work Council of the Y。 M。 C。 A。 at New York； was asked to take part in the creation of the machinery necessary for the gigantic piece of work that the organization had been called upon by the President of the United States to do。 It was a herculean task； practically impossible with any large degree of efficiency in view of the almost insurmountable obstacles to be contended with。 But step by step the imperfect machinery was set up； and it began to function in the home camps。 Then the overseas work was introduced by the first troops going to France； and the difficulties increased a hundredfold。
But Bok's knowledge of the workings of the government departments at Washington； the war boards； and the other war…work organizations soon convinced him that the Y。 M。 C。 A。 was not the only body； asked to set up an organization almost overnight； that was staggering under its load and falling down as often as it was functioning。
The need for Y。 M。 C。 A。 secretaries overseas and in the camps soon became acute； and Bok was appointed chairman of the Philadelphia Recruiting Committee。 As in the case of his Belgian relief work； he at once surrounded himself with an able committee： this time composed of business and professional men trained in a knowledge of human nature in the large； and of wide acquaintance in the city。 Simultaneously； Bok secured the release of one of the ablest men in the Y。 M。 C。 A。 service in New York； Edward S。 Wilkinson； who became the permanent secretary of the Philadelphia Committee。 Bok organized a separate committee composed of automobile manufacturers to recruit for chauffeurs and mechanicians； another separate committee recruited for physical directors； and later a third committee recruited for women。
The work was difficult because the field of selection was limited。 No men between the military ages could be recruited； the War Boards at Washington had drawn heavily upon the best men of the city； the slightest physical defect barred out a man； on account of the exposure and strain of the Y。 M。 C。 A。 work； the residue was not large。
It was scarcely to be wondered at that so many incompetent secretaries had been passed and sent over to France。 How could it have been otherwise with the restricted selection？ But the Philadelphia Committee was determined； nevertheless； that its men should be of the best； and it decided that to get a hundred men of unquestioned ability would be to do a greater job than to send over two hundred men of indifferent quality。 The Committee felt that enough good men were still in Philadelphia and the vicinity； if they could be pried loose from their business and home anchorages； and that it was rather a question of incessant work than an impossible task。
Bok took large advertising spaces in the Philadelphia newspapers； asking for men of exceptional character to go to France in the service of the Y。 M。 C。 A。； and members of the Committee spoke before the different commercial bodies at their noon luncheons。 The applicants now began to come； and the Committee began its discriminating selection。 Each applicant was carefully questioned by the secretary before he appeared before the Committee； which held sittings twice a week。 Hence of over twenty…five hundred applicants； only three hundred appeared before the Committee； of whom two hundred and fifty…eight were passed and sent overseas。
The Committee's work was exceptionally successful； it soon proved of so excellent a quality as to elicit a cabled request from Paris headquarters to send more men of the Philadelphia type。 The secret of this lay in the sterling personnel of the Committee itself； and its interpretation of the standards required； and so well did it work that when Bok left for the front to be absent from Philadelphia for ten weeks； his Committee； with Thomas W。 Hulme； of the Pennsylvania Railroad； acting as Chairman； did some of its best work。
The after…results； according to the report of the New York headquarters； showed that no Y。 M。 C。 A。 recruiting committee had equalled the work of the Philadelphia committee in that its men； in point of service； had proved one hundred per cent secretaries。 With two exceptions； the entire two hundred and fifty…eight men passed； brought back one hundred per cent records； some of them having been placed 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 circumstan