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The 1947 Friendship Train in Alabama
Dorothy R. Scheele
Drew Pearson, well-known
columnist and broadcaster in the United States, was the originator of the
Friendship Train. He had been in
Europe after World War II and had seen communists giving food to Europeans
with the intention of proselytizing them to their ideology. Pearson saw no reason why Americans could
not donate food to their European neighbors. Hence, the Friendship Train exploded into
American life on November 7, 1947.
Alabama was a contributor to
the nation’s unique Friendship Train.
Robert O. Morris, Jr., the Jaycee Friendship Train committee chairman
in Birmingham, had asked residents to contribute cash to the Friendship Train
rather than food, explaining that Drew Pearson had told him that cash was
advisable because the Train’s route was so far removed from Alabama. The cash contributions were to be sent to the
Birmingham Junior Chamber of Commerce headquarters. The deadline for the cash donation was
for November 30. As of November 19th,
$150 had already been collected. In
addition to monetary contributions, residents of Alabama also contributed foodstuffs.
In Mobile, H.M. Gaustad was chairman of the Mobile Civic Round Table’s
Friendship Train Committee, which was in charge of the city’s food drive. Near departure time, 2,200 cases had been
donated, but 3,000 cases were needed to fill the freight car. Mr. Gaustad
stated that he believed there would be no problem acquiring the additional 800
needed cases because Mobilians were known to be
generous. To fill the additional
requirements, residents were asked to send their monetary donations to H.
A. Longshore of the 703 First National Bank Annex and the food donations to
the Redmond Brokerage Co., 111 Commerce Street.
On November 11, 1947, Armistice
Day, Mr. Gaustad issued a statement “. . . It seems to us that we could take
no better step toward avoiding a third World War than through this act of
charity to those who, ignored in their time of need, could quite possibly
become our strongest enemies in some future day.” It was quite fitting that the Friendship Train
boxcar departed on this day. To
celebrate this event, a small ceremony, with Representative Frank W.
Boykin, and Mayor Baumhauer in attendance, was
held on Front Street in Mobile. This
ceremony was chaired by E.V. Knight, and marked the culmination of Mobile’s
food drive to help the hungry people of Europe. The Mobile Press-Register featured a picture of several Mobilians loading a freight car for the Friendship
Train preparing for its departure. The men in the picture are Charles
Redmond, Willie Skipper, H. A. Longshore, W. L Hammond, and Arthur Smith, Jr.
Waterman Steamship Corp. of
Mobile transported free of charge, a substantial portion of the Friendship
Train relief supplies from New York to Europe. W. B. Garner, executive vice president
said, “Our firm is very happy to make this contribution in behalf of this
most noteworthy humanitarian cause.”
On Thursday, November 13, 1947, The Dothan Eagle printed a large
advertisement which declared: “Give
For Friendship Train” “Drive Starts
Friday- Goal- $5000.00” “Give Cash” “Give Now For Europe’s Christmas Dinner”.
Louie “Sonny” Williamson was President
of the Esquire Fraternity, which sponsored Dothan’s “silver car”
campaign. The enthusiastic members
of the fraternity manned a collection booth on the corner of Main and
Foster streets and also conducted a house-to-house campaign. The day prior
to the close of this “silver car” campaign, $450 had been contributed. Other civic clubs were involved with
working on this project, among them the Debonnaires
and the Sub-debs Clubs. The Dothan
Kiwanis Club also contributed to this project.
The Bay Minette Civic and
Garden Club contributed $10 to the Friendship Train.
Mrs. Ackling
Kay of Lacey’s Spring informed the Red Cross that
she wanted to donate a truckload of corn to the Friendship Train. A plea was made for suggestions as to
how to transport the corn. Lacey’s Spring is part of the Decatur Metropolitan area.
In the same way that Americans had collected food
for Europe, France collected gifts for the Americans. A train crossed France asking the people
to give something of theirs. A radio
announcer told the French to give from their hearts something meaningful
and valuable to them in the same spirit of America’s gifts. This became
known as the Merci Train, the Frenchmen’s “thank you” in appreciation of
the Friendship Train. There was a
boxcar of gifts for every state, and one to be shared by Hawaii, not yet a
state, and Washington, D. C., both of whom contributed to the train.
Alabamians gratefully accepted the gifts. The Merci Train arrived in Montgomery on
February 11, 1949, to much fanfare.
French Consul General Lionel Vasse of New
Orleans presented the Merci Train to Alabama and it was accepted by
Governor James E. Folsom. A parade
was held with high school and college marching bands, Air Force troops and
World War I veterans. The American
Legion “40 & 8” Association received Alabama’s Merci Train boxcar for
permanent display. The majority of
gifts were turned over to the State Department of Archives and History,
while a few gifts were given to Birmingham, Mobile, and Decatur, as these
cities were the leading contributors to Alabama’s Friendship Train.
The Alabama Merci boxcar is located at the address
below.
U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum
Paul Bolden Building
2060A Airport Road Huntsville, AL 35801
The Friendship Train was the genesis for the French Merci Train.
Website www.mercitrain.org has information about that train. Copies of Mr. Bennett's Book The Merci Train, A Big
Thank You From the French Merci Train is
available at ejbennett89@yahoo.com. The price is $25.00 per copy, including postage.
The author welcomes any corrections or additional information.
LIST OF WORKS CONSULTED
“Alabama to Get Car of French
“Thank You Train” The Clayton Record Feb
11, 1949: 1.
“Cash Gifts Preferred For
Friendship Train” The Birmingham News
Nov. 12, 1947: 12.
“Ceremony
Marks Finish of Drive” Mobile Press -Register Nov 11, 1947: 1+.
“Civic and
Garden Club Has Speaker” The Baldwin
Times [Bay Minette, Alabama] Dec. 4, 1947: 6.
“Decatur’s Diary Intimate
Glimpses About Your Community and Mine The Decatur Daily News Nov. 16,
1947: 1.
“Dothan ‘Car
Of Silver’ May Join Freedom Train” The
Montgomery Advertiser Nov. 16, 1947: 34.
“Dothan Gives $450 To
Friendship Train” The Dothan Eagle
Nov. 21, 1947: 1.
“Friendship Train ‘Car’ Started
Here By Esquire ‘Frat’” The Dothan
Eagle Nov. 11, 1947:1.
“Friendship Train’s Gift
Deadline Noted” The Birmingham News Nov.
19, 1947: 16.
“Friendship
Train Gifts Increase” Mobile Press-Register Nov 11, 1947: 4.
“Give For
Friendship Train” The Dothan Eagle
Nov. 13, 1947: 8.
“Kiwanis Club Hears Musical
Program” ” The Dothan Eagle
[Dothan Alabama] Nov. 19, 1947: 5.
“Mobilians Load Food For Hungry Europe” Mobile Press
-Register Nov 11, 1947: 1.
“Montgomery
Puts On Parade for State’s “Thank You” Boxcar The Dothan Eagle Feb 11, 1947: 2.
“Waterman To Haul Friendship
Train Food Across Ocean” The Dothan
Eagle Nov. 25, 1947: 7.
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