April 24, 1917 . . . Missouri Council of Defense Named
Complying with the Secretary of War's request for state defense councils, Governor Frederick D. Gardner called on Missourians April 12, 1917, six days after the United States declared war against Germany, to lend all idle money for purchasing seeds, machinery, and teams with which to raise more crops.
Four hundred executives from towns all over the state came to a meeting in Jefferson City April 23 to devise ways and means for increasing and conserving food supply since they thought Missouri could assist the nation best by furnishing food. The conference asked for an official state council of defense. April 24, the governor named Dean F.B. Mumford of the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Agriculture council chairman with twenty-eight men to work under him. Twenty-one more were later added.
The council met four days later in St. Louis. Its duties included mobilizing and conserving all state resources, cooperating with national and state organizations, helping prevent speculation in life necessities, leading movements to assist farmers, and promoting municipal and community gardening. In general, the council became the supreme authority of the people in relation to their duties to the nation during the war period.
County councils of defense and later township councils were appointed, all under the state council's direction. When it finally dissolved January 31, 1919, the council had about twelve thousand members. Under the council's direction, Missouri's yield of wheat from 1917 fall sowing was 52,258,000 bushels; the previous five-year average was 31,500,000 bushels. Wheat acreage in 1917 was four times the percentage increase the Federal government requested. Too, Missouri rose from fourteenth to fifth-place in value of food crops in 1917. Flour consumption decreased and Missouri's sugar savings was 93,250 tons—enough to supply 2,500,000 soldiers with six pounds each for three months and three days.
Mumford was appointed Missouri's federal food administrator October 19, 1917. In proportion to population, Missouri stood first in number of signers to the Hoover food pledge, and ranked second in total number of signers.
Missouri's defense council spent $76,085.47 of $100,000 available, and was rated a class "A" council. Only eight other state councils won that distinction, and none had an appropriation under $100,000.
Agricultural Copy Service bulletin, 28 August 1917, from the Missouri Council of Defense Papers For primary source material on the Missouri Council of Defense (1917-1919) see: