Hamilton Plan

Month ago the manufacturing city of Hamilton, Ohio (pop. 52,000) stirred with awakened patriotism. It wanted to do something about U. S. national defense, didn't know where to begin. Captain Arthur D. Fille of Hamilton's one National Guard company gave it an opening. Personnel and morale of his company were low, said he, because Guardsmen couldn't afford to give up their salaries for the three weeks' training period (pay: $1 a day) at camp this summer, were afraid that if they did they might not be able to get their jobs back. Would Hamilton help him?

Hamilton would and did. Mayor Leo Welsh and his City Council appointed a Hamilton Citizens Military Affairs Committee, chairmanned by strapping, greying Vice President Clarke Marion of Champion Paper and Fibre Co., staffed with local businessmen. The committee drew up the Hamilton Plan for National Defense.

Last week the Hamilton Plan was in full swing. Ready to start for camp next week was Captain Fille's company--its personnel upped from 62 to 90, $4,500 in the till to pay the difference between Guardsmen's camp pay and their regular salaries. At Joseph Hogan's private airport, excavation work was under way to turn it into a military field for the civil aeronautics training program. Awaiting only a Government go-ahead signal were 400 unemployed young men to take initial courses in shop and foundry work and advanced technical skills.

To celebrate its achievement Hamilton let go with a big preparedness parade, in which virtually every Hamiltonian took part. Meanwhile some 50 other U. S. communities have adopted the Hamilton Plan and were putting it into effect.

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