American women and the world war

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Foreword

The purpose of this booK is twofold: first, to discover to American women themselves their tremendous opportunitie.3 and responsibilites in the present world conflict; second, to record in a form that is in some degree permanent the actual beginnings of the greatest massed effort of women the world has ever known. History has not been attempted, because history has not yet been made; events of engaging interest, often of international import, follow each other with lightning-like rapidity, and scarcely can a situation be described before one more vital, more interesting, develops. But if this book shall serve as an inspiration, or shall form the groundwork of a future history of woman's part in the war, one of its chief purposes will have been accomplished.

I wish particularly to emphasize one fact. The basis of the story I have used of the work in the various states is the organization of the Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense. In every state, the work of individual organizations has been of supreme value — the Federated Clubs, Daughters of the American Revolution, Young Women's Christian Association, Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Congress of Mothers and Parent-Teachers Association, Council of Jewish Women, National League for Woman's Service, and scores of other great organizations of women have worked intelligently, unceasingly, and to fine purpose, in every state. But in each

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FOREWORD

case I have sought information only from the State Chairman of the Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense, because this Committee was appointed by the Council of National Defense, and was charged with the duty of coordinating the war work of existing organizations of women, and therefore its authority and its province are not to be questioned. Where reports from the states seem to be brief or inadequate, it does not signify any lack of patriotism or enthusiasm either on the part of individual organizations or individual women. It usually means that, because of some uncontrollable local condition, organization of the Woman's Committee was delayed, or that the State Chairman was "too busy doing things to write about them."

The book was made possible because of the unfailing courtesy and the kindly personal interest of the officials of the Woman 's Committee of the Council of National Defense and the Committee on Public Information, of which Mr. George Creel is Chairman and Mrs. Clara Sears Taylor Director Division of Woman's War Work. These and other national centers of war activities in Washington were always open to me, and to them as well as to hundreds of women from Maine to California, I wish to make grateful acknowledgment.

As an American woman, I feel a sense of distinct pride, of high privilege, in presenting to the public this wonderful story — a story transcribed by me but written in golden deeds by twenty million loyalhearted women in every state of our great American Union.

Ida Clyde Clarke.

Part I The Woman^s Committee Chapter Page

I Introductory 3

II The Woman's Committee Created . . 17

The creation of the Woman's Committee — Its purpose, as set forth by the Secretary of War — Its general plan of organization and operation — Some of its early activities.

III Organization 35

The current of inspiration is turned on from the Woman's Committee at Washington — Wheels of organization begin to turn in the States — A model town — General plan of work adopted by Woman's Committee.

IV Registration 44

Registration of America's woman power begun by many private organizations — Confusion results — That taken by the Woman's Committee recognized as official by Government — All organizations then cooperate for common good and work proceeds throughout the nation.

V Food Conservation 61

Food production — Food conservation and home economics — "Food will win the war," says Mr. Hoover — Gigantic task is assigned to women — Back yard gardens yield crop valued at $350,000,- 000 — Secretary Houston's appeal — Mr. Pack's great work. ix

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VI Child Welfare 74

Children's Bureau under Miss Julia Lathrop — General Federation of Women's Clubs and other organizations intensify work in interest of Nation's children — Women work to make Federal Child Labor Law effective — New department of Children's Bureau under Miss Abbott.

VII Health and Recreation 84

Moral and physical welfare of enlisted men the government's first consideration — Woman's Committee, Y.W.C. A., and other organizations assist Commission on training camp activities — How women have helped in many States.

VIII Patriotic Education 95

Nation-wide plans are set on foot to induce 3,000,000 immigrants to attend night schools — "America First" campaign launched — Woman's organizations asked to help — Woman's Committee appoints Mrs. Catt Chairman of Education — Foreign women flock to night schools in Chicago, bringing their babies — Volunteer nurses called for.

IX The Liberty Loan 107

More than 1,000,000 women subscribe in first sale of bonds — One-third of all Liberty Bond buyers are women — Remarkable campaign of organization and education conducted by Woman's Liberty Loan Committee, Mrs. McAdoo, Chairman.

X Women in Industry 118

More than 2,000,000 of America's women who work in factories deeply affected by war — Women's Labor Organizations work to maintain standards — National League for Woman's Serv- X

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ice renders valuable aid — Value of this work recognized by the Secretary of Labor — United States establishes employment agencies throughout the country — The Gompers Committee.

XI The Red Cross 137

Woman's Bureau of the Red Cross — Its purposes and plans — A general survey — Supply service and Bureau of Standards — Knitting, hospital garments, surgical dressings, comfort kits, etc. — Home service — Volunteer aids — Work organized and canteens established in France — Junior Red Cross — School fund — Red Cross school activities — How to organize.

XII The Red CRass Nurse 148

Some details of Red Cross work in which women are especially interested — Fields of opportunity suggested by Woman's Bureau — Nursing service — Emergency detachments — Town and country nursing — Instructions for knitting, comfort kits, hospital garments, etc. — Home Service Institutes in twenty-five cities.

XIII Junior Red Cross 170

The school fund — Red Cross school activities — Steps in organization — Infant Welfare Unit for France financed by American women — Children's Refuge — Children's Bureau undertakes great work in France.

XIV National League for Woman's Service 181

America's largest and most remarkable war emergency organization — Its various departments and some details of its plans — With branches in every state this organization has far-reaching influence and is officially recognized, xi

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XV Permanent Organization

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How the great permanent organizations of women turned to war work — General Federation of Women's Clubs, Daughters of American Revolution, Colonial Dames, United Daughters of Confederacy, Council of Jewish Women, Y. W. C. A., Navy League, Congress of Mothers, etc.

Part II

XVI Alabama, Arkansas, and Arizona . . 215 Alabama women quickly perfect organization in every county — Work financed by voluntary contributions — First activity was distribution of President's war message to men who enlisted — Governor proclaims Woman's Registration Day — Women work in Arkansas and Arizona — Alaska furnishes inspiration to her sister states.

XVII California, Colorado, and Connecticut 223

Heads of all women's organizations form California's Central Committee — Cooperate with national and state defense work — Women share in $100,000 defense fund — Colorado's organization unique — Women have equal representation on State Council — Connecticut furnishes example of perfect coordination and cooperation — State Chairman gives story of work — A defense.

XVIII Delaware, Florida, and the National

Capital 237

War work in Delaware centers in Wilmington — In first month of war over 1,000 community gardens are planted — Outline of work done by women of national capital — Ladies of the Senate xii

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organize to sew for Red Cross — President's wife a contributor — Women set fine example to the Nation — Florida women follow suggestions from National Woman's Committee — Presidents of State organizations form Woman's Committee .

XIX Georgia, Idaho, and Illinois .... 247 Remarkable work of Georgia women — Agricultural rallies prove effective — First Red Cross diet kitchen in South — Negro women work for negro soldiers — Idaho women get quick results in every undertaking — Society women pack prunes — Illinois fortunate in having many prominent women identified with defense work — Great work of women in Chicago.

XX Indiana, Iowa, Kansas and Kentucky 263

Registration first consideration of Indiana women — Market exchange to be operated permanently — Interesting things happen in Iowa — Kansas organized along practical lines — Women of "Blue Grass States" among first to report perfect and active organization — Educational work a feature.

XXI Louisiana, Michigan and Other States 275

Louisiana Governor issues proclamation making registration of women compulsory — Defense work in Maine — Existing organizations in Maryland form woman's committee — Results amazing — Admirable plan of organization adopted in Massachusetts — What Boston has done — Michigan women help save cherry crop — Wayside markets es« tabljshed — Lavish use of posters proved effective — ^Meals for soldiers, xiii

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XXII Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska AND Nevada 294

Minnesota women cooperate with Public Safety Commission — Perfect coordination in Mississippi — Thirty women's organizations unite in war work — "One can for the Government" from every woman — Missouri adopts unique method of food conservation campaign — Woman's patriotic special train — What the women of Montana are doing — Nebraska early in the field with complete organization — Registration accomplished in one day — "Drying and Canning Week" in Omaha — Nevada women have various activities.

XXIII New Hampshire, Nevp- Jersey and New

Mexico 313

New Hampshire follows interesting plan of organization — State Chairman gives her residence as headquarters — New Jersey women initiate many novel forms of patriotic service — Canning centers in every community — Markets opened all over the state — New Mexico furnishes a thrill to Mr. Hoover — Drying food not a "lost art" in that state.

XXIV New York and North Carolina . . . 325

New York State organizes early and plan of organization is interesting — — Constructive work for maintaining home with present standards chief concern of State Committee — Mayor's Committee of New York and its great work — Suffrage organization makes valuable contribution to organization work — North Carolina's splendid record.

XXV North Dakota and Ohio 359

W. C. T. U. and Suffrage Association initiate war work in North Dakota — xiv

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Eighty towns completely organized — Stirring letter from State Chairman — Work of women in cities of Ohio — How state defense work is organized — What women have done in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Toledo.

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Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Oregon and

Rhode Island 369

Oklahoma women wide awake — Work to eliminate commercial waste — Efforts in interest of families of enlisted men — Pennsylvania's wonderful record in war work — Chester County model for the nation — Women's organizations in Oregon constitute Woman's Committees — Clubwomen active — Rhode Island women distinguish themselves by taking military census.

South Carolina and Other States .

What the South Carolina women have done — State thoroughly organized — Work in South Dakota difficult — Women persist and work valiantly without funds — Tennessee falls in line with all varieties of war work — Utah women specialize on kitchen gardens — Texas women thoroughly organized under National League for Woman's Service — War work in Vermont.

XXVIII Virginia, Wisconsin, Washington, Etc. 396 Personnel of Virginia Committee — National League for Woman's Service and Woman's Committee work effectively in Washington — D. A. R. and Suffrage Association in Wisconsin cooperate in Americanization — Vocational emergency education — Wyoming Woman's Committee encourages garden planting — Acreage increased 150 per cent. — Every

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county organized — Many things done in West Virginia — Every woman's organization cooperating.

PART III XXIX The Federal Council 411

The Federal Council and some of its cooperating committees — National Allied Relief — Great bazaars of New York, Boston and Chicago — "Alley Festa" of 1917 — International Reconstruction League — American Fund for Fatherless Children and Munition Workers — Women's Hospitals — National Surgical Dressings Committee — American Women's War Relief — Stage Women's War Relief — American Ambulance, Millinery Branch — Statement about "Godmothering."

XXX Vacation Association, Needlework

Guild and Other Agencies . . . 422

Organization and growth of Vacation Association War Relief — Flotilla Committee and its wonderful work — Militia of Mercy — Needlework Guild of America — Committee for Men Blinded in Battle — Emergency Aid of Pennsylvania — Committee of Mercy and its contribution of over $2,000,000— Hudson River War Relief — League of the Allies — League of Catholic Women — Mercy Committee of New Jersey.

XXXI Special Aid Society, and Work of Jewish Women 433

National Special Aid Society — Trench Comforts Packet Committee — Artists' xvi

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Committee of One Hundred — White Cross Guard movement — Southern Women's Patriotic Committee — Physicians, Surgeons and Dentists' Fund — Council of Jewish Women and some of its cooperating organizations — Joint Distribution Committee of Fund for Jewish War Sufferers — Zionist organizations — Authors' League fund.

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XXXII Relief for Belgium 446

American relief work for Belgium — American Committee for War Charities of Queen of Belgium — Sou du Mutile — Committee for Relief of Belgian Prisoners in Germany — Ouvre Beige du Lait pour les Petits — La Sante de VEnfance — Mayfair War Relief — Millicent Sutherland Ambulance — King Albert's Civilian Hospital Fund.

XXXIII Relief Work in France 453

American women who have given generously of their time and means — What the American Canteen means to the soldiers — American Relief Clearing House — War Relief Clearing House for France and her Allies — American Ambulance Hospital in Paris — Committee for Training Maimed Soldiers — Edith Wharton's war charities — Le Paquet du Soldat.

XXXIV Relief for France 466

American Fund for French Wounded — Funds for Heroes of France and her Allies — French Heroes Fund — Blind Relief Fund — Ecole des Beaux Arts — Union des Arts — Comite Franco- Americain — American Girls Aid — ^^Fathxvii

CHAPTEB eriess Children of France — American Distributing Service — War Babies' Cradle— Children's Fund for Baddies' Kits — Relief for Liberated Villages of France.

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XXXV Relief FOR France 480

American Ice Flotilla Committee raised more than $100,000 in 1917 — American Field Service in France — Appui aux Artistes — Mrs. Stuyvesant raises more than $20,000 through "One Dollar Fund" — Duryea Relief — Franco -American Committee — American Branch French Actors' Fund — French Bureau — French Tuberculosis War Victims' Fund — Hospital Under Three Flags — Lafayette Fund — Le Bien-Etre du Bless e — Secours de Giierre — Secours National.

XXXVI Relief for Great Britain 490

Relief work for Great Britain — British- American Relief Fund — Receipts amount to over $164,000 — British War Relief Association — Chelsea War Refugees' Fund — American Branch Lord Beresford's Fund — Lady Helmsley's Fund — London Motor Volunteer Coi-ps —American Auxiliary Woman's Health Association of Ireland — Shamrock Fund — Scottish Highlanders Relief Association — Queen of Roumania Fund — New England Italian War Relief.

XXXVII Relief for Poland and Russia . . .

Poland's pathetic appeal — Madame Helena Paderewski joins her husband in relief for native land — ^Polish Central Relief — ^Americans seek to relieve distress in Russia — Lithuanian War Relief Committee — Armenian and Syrian Relief — Serbian Relief Committee, xviii

Part IV A Directory Of Leading Women's Organ- Izations Doing Defense Work

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General Officers 515

Division of Women's War Work of the committee on public information — Woman's Committee of the council of national defense — American Red Cross — Bureau of nursing — Division directors of women's work — General federation of women's clubs — Daughters of the American Revolution — Women's Christian Temperance Union — Young Women's Christian Association: War Work Council — National Congress of Mothers and Parent-Teachers' Association — Council of Jewish Women — United States Emplojonent Service.

State Directory 524

Chapter I Introductory

American women of the year 1917 are no braver, no more patriotic, no more self-sacrificing than women have been in all wars of all times. ''Earth's women of every generation have faced suffering and death with an equanimity that no soldier on a battlefield has ever surpassed and few equaled," says Olive Schreiner, "and where war has been to preserve life, or land, or freedom, rather than for aggrandizement and power, unparasitized and laboring women have in all ages known how to bear an active part, and die. ' '

The spirit of Florence Nightingale and Clara Barton lives today in the Red Cross — kindled into a flame of love that warms the heart of the whole world. It is said that the calm and poise with which Martha Washington met the great crisis in her life was in a measure due to her constant habit of knitting; and her tender ministrations to the sick and to the suffering are part of the history of those memorable days at Valley Forge. Gay and frivolous Dolly Madison gave "twenty dollars and a good cow" to the first orphanage in Washington established for the children of the soldiers and the sailors, and was the inspiration and the staunch supporter of that institution.

The Congressional Record of the United States contains the names of three women who distinguished themselves for bravery in battle and who were pensioned for military service. These were ''Molly Pitcher," Margaret Corbin and Deborah ^'^anette. The brave deeds of these women stand out against the background of history, and yet no one doubts but that the same dauntless courage, the same seflessness, that inspired their acts lives in the souls of thousands of American women of today, waiting only to be expressed in action by the call of love or duty. It is recorded that upon report of Molly Pitcher's act by General Washington the Continental Congress voted her "a, sergeant's commission and half pay for life.'* And on February 21, 1822, an act passed in the State Senate of Pennsylvania gave to Molly Pitcher "The sum of forty dollars immediately and the same sum half yearly for life." In the British attack upon Fort Washington, John Corbin was shot and killed while serving his gun. His wife, Margaret, saw him fall and, running to the officer in command, begged to be allowed to serve the gun. Her request was granted and she continued to serve the gun until seriously wounded. Her heroism was reported to the authorities at Philadelphia and the State promptly provided for her. Later the Executive Council referred the case to the Continental Congress and on June 29, 1779, there was this entry, *'That Margaret Corbin, wounded and disabled, while she heroically filled the post of her husband who was killed by her side while serving a piece of artillery, do receive during her natural life, or continuance of such disability, one-half the pay drawn by a soldier in the service of these States, and that she now receive out of the publie stores one suit of clothes, or the value in money." Deborah (^nette, alias Robert Shurtleff, was officially recognized for enlisted service covering a term of years.

"When our hearts beat high and our pulses thrill over Russia's grand old woman, Catherine Breshkovskaya, known as the * ' Grandmother of the Revolution, ' ' and over the stories that come to us of the '' Battalion of Death," let us not forget our own Molly Pitcher and Margaret Corbin and Deborah Janette; and let us not forget instances of woman's heroism during the Civil War — stories that many of us have heard first hand. If the so-called *' histories" of the women of these days read, for the most part, like funeral notices, the charge should be laid at the door of the historians and not to their subjects.

And still, the achievement of American women in the world war of 1917 will stand out in no shadowy and uncertain outline against the background of the history that the future generations will read; for woman's share in the nation's task in this gigantic struggle for the freedom of the races is to mark a new era, both in the conduct of war and in the history of the woman movement.

There seem to be two outstanding reasons why American women, more than the women of any other country, in the present war, are to furnish an example to the world of woman's efficiency and woman's power. First, the fact that so large a proportion of American women are organized ; second, the fact that the value of woman's work in the prosecution of war was immediately recognized by the United States Government, and by individual national leaders. This recognition on the part of the Government was expressed in the prompt creation of the Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense, which, theoretically at least, bears the same relation to the main body as do the other sub-committees. The writer fully agrees with many of our national women leaders who would be glad to see women more definitely represented in war work; who would like to see the Woman's Committee empowered to initiate instead of merely to advise; who believe that the genius of the women composing the committee is practically paralyzed so long as the committee is expected to act only in an advisory capacity ; who would like to see a woman at the head of the conservation department of the National Food Administration, since women are the natural conservators of the human race ; who agree with Helen Ring Robinson, of Colorado, that ''we can not win this war by shutting up women's energies in a garbage can," A great leader of Napoleon's day bewailed the fact that out of millions of people there could not be found two men. America was more fortunate. Our national leaders had no difficulty in finding ten women — real ones, capable of generaling any army of women.

When the Government created its war body, at least, it followed the precedent set by the Creator of the universe, in that it created its man body first and made woman a side issue, extracting or subtracting nothing whatever from the man body in the process — not even a rib or a piece of governmental backbone. That is why the Woman's Committee — for all the intelligence and experience and executive ability that comprise it — cannot stand alone; that is why it is so frequently reminded by its superior body that it is not expected to initiate but should only advise. It was a consummation devoutly to be wished that the Government, having created the woman body of its war machine, should have breathed into it the breath of life.

But out of the doubts and questionings, the wondering and the speculation, there looms this bright and shining fact, the Committee was created — the impulse in the right direction was there, and its resultant act will be as a white guide-post to other governments of future days as they stand on the gray uncertain roads of destiny — a guide that points a straight, ascending way to a larger, surer victory than any other generation has achieved.

It would seem that this impulse was well grounded, for no sooner had this country been forced into the conflict, than national leaders, as individuals, began to pay high tributes to the value of woman's work in the prosecution of war, and to ask for the cooperation and assistance of the women in formulating the war emergency program.

President Wilson pays this tribute to the women of America: *'I think the whole country has appreciated the way in which the women have risen to this great occasion. They have not only done what they have been asked to do, and done it with ardor and efficiency, but they have shown a power to organize for doing things on their own initiative, which is quite a different thing and a very much more difficult thing. I think the whole country has admired the spirit and the capacity and devotion of the women of the United States. It goes without saying that the country depends upon the women for a large part of the inspiration of its life. That is obvious. But it is now depending upon the women also for suggestions of service, which have been rendered in abundance and with the distinction of originality. ' '

The Secretary of War, speaking of the national plans for safeguarding the health and morals of the men in the training camps, said :

''I think there is a significance in the fact that the department of the Government especially charged with the making of war should appeal to the women for the success of such an undertaking. One does not ordinarily associate the making of war with the activities of women. Ordinarily, I think one's mental picture of women in a country at war portrays them as the principal sufferers. And so I think there is a certain significance, perhaps an indication of the extent to which our civilization has gone, when a Secretary of War says to the women that the success of the United States in the making of this war is just as much in the hands of the women of America as it is in the hands of the soldiers of our army. ' '

On August 2, 1917, the Secretary of the Nav^^ said : **In my opinion the importance of the part which our American women must play in the successful prosecution of the war cannot be overestimated.

''Not only those heroic women who, as Red Cross nurses, will accompany our soldiers to France, and those who at home are devoting their time, talents and energies to work specifically connected with the war; but all of our women can and must do their part if this war is to be brought to a successful conclusion. The part which the home-makers can do in their homes by careful and intelligent planning, for the most economic and wise use of food supplies, is one of the most important services of the entire war. The question of food conservation is one which we must depend upon the women of America to solve.

* 'American women have always been ready to answer the call of service and have cheerfully undergone the untold sacrifices and burdens which war places upon them so much more heavily than upon men. They are already making sacrifices and enduring hardships with a spirit which commands our intense admiration. ' '

The Secretary of the Interior in June, 1917, said : * ' This war cannot be won without the help of women. I do not mean their help as mechanics or laborers, as farmers or nurses. The help that they can give of supreme value is their moral support, their spiritual stimulus. Unless our women feel the greatness of the moral issues involved in this contest, and unless they have raised their boys to fight, if necessary, for the things for which we stand, the war can not be won. This war from its beginning has been a challenge to our chivalry, as well as to our interests, and I think too little stress has been laid upon the fact that, in a time of such intense national strain, reliance must be placed upon the insight and moral greatness of our women. They have not raised their boys to be soldiers, but they have raised them to be chivalrous gentlemen who can not see the weak attacked and force acknowledged as the guiding principle of civilization without a burning resentment and willingness to champion the cause of the weak and the maintenance of the principle of justice."

The Honorable George E. Chamberlain, of Oregon, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, said: ^'The women of America up to this day have been more active, have rendered a greater service, and have more carefully fitted themselves for hardship and future effort than ever before in the history of our country. And I say this without disparaging the splendid work that has been done by our mothers, wives and sisters in every prior war.

**One reason for the supreme effort that is being made is the broader recognition that is given to woman, and her status as a citizen. She feels more at liberty to act now in the sterner affairs of life than ever before, and by the same token she is placed in a position where she can do more, and well she is performing the allotted task. In my opinion she will in this war, as she has done in the past wars, make the slacker impossible and drive the coward to his duty at the front.

''But her great sphere is in the field of tender effort in the relief of the distressed and the afflicted. In this field no one can take her place, and I look to see the women of America make a record for themselves in the pending war that will stand far and above the work of any organized effort in the world. ' '

Mr. Lemuel D. Padgett, of Tennessee, Chairman of the House Committee on Naval Affairs, said on August 1, 1917: ''Inspired by purpose, zeal, and enthusiasm which challenge the admiration of all patriots, the women of America in unison are working not alone for alleviating sufferings and burdens of our soldiers, sailors and marines, but in an intelligent way are striving to place about the Army and the

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Navy environments which will conduce to improved military morale and efficiency of our fighting forces and place the Army and Navy upon a higher standard. Moreover, their zeal, enthusiasm and unity of purpose in their ideals and work are an inspiration to the whole nation/'