Report submitted to the Honorable J. Willis Martin, Chairman, Philadelphia Council of National Defense

Home Education Primary Sources Report submitted to the Honorable J. Willis Martin, Chairman, Philadelphia Council of National Defense

Report submitted to the Honorable J. Willis Martin, Chairman, Philadelphia Council of National Defense

Report submitted to the Honorable J. Willis Martin, Chairman, Philadelphia Council of National Defense.  The Pennsylvania Council of National Defense was established in March 1917 as a civilian organization to provide safety for the state.  The council’s activities included promoting  Liberty Loans, the draft, relief aid, and Red Cross work, and it served as a patriotic institution to support and maintain the civilian war effort.  This report specifically details conditions in Philadelphia during the 1918 influenza epidemic and the Council's involvement in the government response and relief effort.