On this page we will look back at life in the city during the war years. Here we will provide the visitor with the stories making the news, what was happening in sports and entertainment, city politics, the social scene and the prominent people at the time. So, check back often for new editions. To share your family or neighborhood stories, please email PhillyWWIyears@gmail.com

TODAY IN PHILADELPHIA – WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1917

There will be clear skies over the city today with light winds from the west. The high will reach 65° with the low about 47°. The School Mobilization Committee of the Board of Education has approved a plan which will have 9000 high school girls sewing for the war effort. The girls will be enlisted into the Red Cross and sew socks, bandages and other garments for the men in the military.

Marines from League Island staged a mock battle along the Parkway this afternoon. About 150 Marines in total were divided into 2 companies to face off for the fight. The Marines used the gutted buildings and dug up ground of the Parkway for cover and to act as trenches. About 3000 civilians watched the action which began at 11:30am and ended a few hours later. When it finished the battle was judged a draw, which disappointed both the Marines and onlookers.

In business news, 40 Jewish bakeries are closed today due to a strike. The employees are members of the International Bakers and Confection Workers Union. The bakeries average 60,000 loaves of kosher bread each day. Most of this city’s Jewish residents use only kosher bread so the loss of this staple of their diet will be distressing. The employees are demanding a $2.00 per week wage increase which the owners are willing to grant. However, other demands which include allowing employees to remove bread, cakes and pies for their personal use and a 15¢ per loaf payment to the Union are unacceptable to the owners.

In Washington, D.C. the Navy Department announced that it will build a Marine barracks at Quantico in Virginia. And in Richmond, Virginia the Stars and Stripes has been raised on the main flagpole of the Robert E. Lee Camp Hall by confederate veterans and members of the club. This is the first time “Old Glory” has been flown by this organization.

In news from Europe, information has been smuggled into Amsterdam that the German War Ministry has compiled a list of war dead. According to the Ministry’s calculations 1,300,000 Germans have been killed in the war to date.

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