‘How did World War I affect Santa Barbara?’— Jon Landes
By: Michael Redmon
Although the First World War did have an impact on Santa
Barbara, it did not have as large an effect as World War II had on
the community. The war broke out in August 1914, but the U.S. did
not enter the conflict until spring 1917. Europe seemed very far
away from California and there was not as much apprehension about a
direct attack — a contrast to the fear in the months following
Pearl Harbor. Still, Santa Barbarans certainly did not ignore the
War to End All Wars.
The German invasion of Belgium at the beginning of the war and
subsequent atrocities against civilians caught local attention. In
November 1914, author Stewart Edward White, one of the most popular
novelists of the period, threw open his upper Eastside home for a
benefit food drive for Belgian civilians. This and other efforts
raised some $1,400 for the food fund and drew praise from the
Belgian National Society of Relief. Another campaign urged folks to
spend $1.50 to buy a 50-pound bag of flour, which would then be
shipped overseas.