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ELBERT HUBBARD penned his classic essay, A Message to Garcia" in one hour after a dinnertime discussion with his family. At dinner, Hubbard's son, Bert, claimed that the true hero of a particular Spanish-American war battle was Rowan -- a messenger who braved death by carrying a note behind the lines to Garcia, the leader of the insurgents.

The essay originally ran in Hubbard's magazine, The Philistine, in February, 1899. Inspired by its message, George Daniels of the New York Central Railroad asked permission to reprint and distribute 500,000 copies. Prince Hilakoff, Director of Russian Railways, read one of Daniel's reprints and had it translated into Russian. A Message to Garcia was distributed to every one of his railroad employees.

The Russian military then picked up the ball: each Russian soldier sent to the Japanese front was given a copy. The Japanese found the essay in the possession of the Russian prisoners and subsequently had it translated into Japanese. On an order of the Mikado, a copy was given to each member of the Japanese government. 

Ultimately, forty million copies of A Message To Garcia were published.
This copy and article are from The Rotarian, August 1923.
 

 
   

Rotarian articles from Wolfgang Ziegler

There is more on this subject, including the author's life, death and involvement with Rotary International at www.messagetogarcia.org

• Section Home • An Historian Looks at Rotary • The Rotary Reader • Harris says "Advertise in The Rotarian" • WE LIE ALIKE • 1943 Paul and Jean at Home • Editors/Contributors • The Message to Garcia • J. Edgar Hoover • Early Rotary Humor • Advertising in The Rotarian • Madame Chiang Kai-Shek • Seven Milestones in Rotary History • 1929 "Word to District Governors" From Ches Perry • The Question of Plagiarism • Here Comes the Sergeant-at-Arms! • George Bernard Shaw in The Rotarian • Wages and Guilty • A "scrapbook" History of Rotary •

The contents of this website, our electronic features and newsletters have been researched, collected, compiled, and written by Rotarians.

RGHF Mission: As an effort to serve others, RGHF accumulates and preserves the complete history, values and philosophy of the Rotary movement, as well as encourages others to do the same at every level of the Rotary movement, and publishes those histories, values and philosophies on the internet, as well as other forms of media as expedient. 17 March 2003, amended 20 December 2007, Rotary Global History Fellowship Board of Directors.

This fellowship is not an agency of, or controlled by, Rotary International, but is affiliated with individual Rotary districts, clubs, other Rotary organizations and enjoys the support of Rotarians, clubs, districts, and zones world-wide. The views and opinions expressed on this website are not necessarily the collective views and opinions of Rotary International or all Rotarians. Rotary International is not responsible for any content and accepts no liability therefore. © 2000-2008 RGHF (Rotary Global History Fellowship)