A campaign for funds was organized, and in keeping with the spirit of the times this was military in form. Eleven men of prominence from the eleven congressional districts in the state were summoned to Louisville to take the lead and the responsibility in the campaign to provide illiterate soldiers with books. Not one refused. Leaving their law offices, the courts, their banks and corporations they came. They became the eleven division commanders, and with their county captains, precinct lieutenants and numerous faithful privates, made the speediest finance campaign on record, and carried their part of the enterprise through with success. Teachers volunteered faster than we could assign and equip them. Some were out of the state, it being their vacation time, and from their retreats up in the mountains, on the lakes and even from Canada they came hurrying home. New text-books were written to meet the need and to partake of the spirit of the times. The peaceful lessons on building roads, spraying fruit trees, rotating crops and conserving soil were not for men like these who were putting such things behind them. Theirs must be lessons martial in tone, so some were prepared centering around “men and guns, flags, camps, tents, kaisers and kings.” To make their training as much an inspiration as possible their books and school supplies were given the appearance of war. Their covers were gay in patriotic colors, even the pencils being in red, white and blue. A soldier with his gun was the cover design, and he appeared in all his glory, wreathed about with a border of flags. _The Soldier’s First Book_ and _Soldier’s Tablet_ were the names given to their readers and writing books. Brave though our countrymen are, there is no question but that many an American boy was hesitant in the early days of the War about going to fight on foreign soil. The first lesson in the _Soldier’s First Book_ had in it a trace of psychology, as well as a content through which men were supposed to master timely words and sentences: I go. I go to war. Do you go? Do you go to war? Yes, I go to war. Yes, we go to war. There was considerable debate at first as to the part which the United States should play in the War, some believing that her remoteness from the theatre of action would practically prohibit her sending anything but money, munitions and food. “The man with the hoe” was acclaimed a patriot, so a lesson that delicately suggested a preference for the gun was produced: The war is on. Some will fight with gun. Some will fight with hoe. All will fight with gun or hoe. I will fight with gun. You may fight with hoe. To inspire something of enthusiasm for the approaching life in camp, about which there were many rumors, some distressing and some vague, this lesson was prepared: Is this the camp? Yes, this is the camp. See the flag! See the tents! See the men! See the guns! This is fine!