Part III. War Relief Organizations.
Chapter XXIX. The Federal Council
CHAPTER XXVIII
VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, WASHINGTON, ETC.
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 county organized---Many things done in West Virginia---Every woman's organization cooperating.
Virginia. Virginia women have been industriously at work since the war began in every field in which the assistance of women has been called for, and it would be difficult to say where they have excelled most. Through its many organizations the state was already doing effective relief work through the Red Cross and other recognized agencies when this country entered the war. Upon the call from Washington for organization under the Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense it was only necessary to intensify the work already begun and to coordinate the efforts then being made. At this writing no official report of the work in Virginia was available, but the enthusiastic patriotism of the women of that state is too well known to be further emphasized here.
The Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense, Virginia Division, is affiliated with the State Defense Council. The officers are: honorary chairman, Mrs. Claude Swanson, Washington; chairman, Mrs. B. B. Munford, Richmond; 1st vice chairman, Mrs. W. W. Sale, Richmond; 2nd vice chairman, Mrs. John Hagan, Danville; 3rd vice chairman, Mrs. Wm. Ruffin Cox, Richmond; 4th vice chairman, Miss Alethea Serpell, Norfolk; 5th vice chairman, Mrs. Lucian Cocke, Roanoke; secretary and treasurer, Mrs. E. R. Williams, Richmond. The departments and their chairmen are: Organization: Mrs. E. C. Minor, Richmond; Registration: Mrs. John Lewis, Lynchburg; Food Conservation and Home Economics: Miss Ella Agnew, Blacksburg; Food Production:--; Women in Industry: Miss Lucy Mason, Richmond; Child Welfare: Mrs. W. A. Burrows, Richmond; Maintenance of Existing Social Agencies: Mrs. S. H. Cabaniss, Richmond; Education, (a) Literature and Speakers: Mrs. St. G. Bryan, Richmond; (b) Information, or Organization of Training Classes for Women Miss Virginia McKenney, Petersburg, and Mrs. M. S. Moffet, Radford; Liberty Loans: Mrs. Egbert Leigh, Jr., Richmond; Home and Foreign Relief: Miss Gabriella Page, Richmond; Safeguarding of Moral and Spiritual Forces: Miss Katherine Hawes, Richmond; Finance: --; Publicity: Mrs. Sally N. Robins, Richmond; Public Health: Miss Agnes Randolph, Richmond.
Washington In the state of Washington the first organization to systematically plan war emergency work was the National League for Woman's Service and many of the things accomplished by the Washington women have been directed by that organization.
However, Mrs. Winfield R. Smith, chairman of the National League for Woman's Service, was appointed chairman of the Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense for her state when that Committee was organized some time later, and from the beginning there has been complete cooperation. Much of the work that had been begun by the National League for Woman's Service was carried on to successful completion without interruption. The Woman's Committee has directed from time to time certain features of the work and has detailed certain assignments to the various organizations affiliating with the Woman's Committee.
Of the work in her state Mrs. Smith says:
"The League has established classes in telegraphy, salesmanship, running elevators, general office work and classes in French; motor driving, cooking and canning, as well as preparing for Civil Service examinations. They have corps of women learning to use rifles, who will be ready for home defense or patrol work, if necessary. They have had classes in gardening and women have assisted largely in this state in gathering and packing fruit and vegetables.
"In Social and Welfare work they are establishing home clubs for soldiers and sailors, where entertainment is offered under wholesome and attractive surroundings, and being a city located on the ocean we have both soldiers and sailors to care for, and we are cooperating with the Y.M.C.A., in their reading rooms and other activities.
"In Washington we have Camp Lewis at American Lake where 40,000 men are stationed, and we are assisting in many ways to help meet the problems such a large cantonment presents.
"The Hostess House of the Y.W.C.A., is about finished there and will soon be thrown open for the use of the men and their relatives.
"The Woman's Committee has in particular the work of the registration of the women of the state, and, meanwhile, we assisted in the sale of Liberty Loan Bonds with Mrs. Overton G. Ellis,Olympia as state chairman of the Liberty Loan Committee and with the Food Pledge to be taken up in November with Miss Agnes Craig, of Pullman, State Chairman of the Food Administration in charge; the Social Welfare work in all our camps will be under the two organizations working together.
"In this state the women assisted materially in the saving of the fruit crops. In one of our smaller cities the women have put up 10,000 jars of fruit and vegetables for hospital use. Hundreds of quarts have been sealed in tin cans ready for transportation to France. The Motor Division went throughout the county and gathered fruit and vegetables, which might otherwise have been wasted, for this purpose. That same town has made, approaching 25,000 garments for the Red Cross aside from all their surgical dressing work and work in other departments. Of course, our larger centers have done the greatest amount of social and welfare work, in caring for men in the beginning of volunteer enlistment, who even required food and clothing, and in helping civilian relief to provide for dependents, etc.
"Our women are well organized and are doing splendid service work continually and have many plans for the future, particularly in regard to our training camps; the special cantonment at Camp Lewis and the navy work at Bremerton. One plan carried out was to have a Christmas tree in our hospital at Camp Lewis for the men ill at that time, and we undertook to provide a Christmas package for every man in every camp and fort who would not be otherwise remembered on that day. "
The officers of the Washington Woman's Committee are: honorary chairmen, Mrs. Ernest Lister, Olympia; Mrs. Henry Suzallo, Seattle; Mrs. Eliza Feery Leary, Seattle; chairman, Mrs. Winfield R. Smith, Seattle; acting chairmen, Mrs. W. S. Griswold, Seattle; Mrs. J. H. Mendenhall, Seattle; Mrs. L. B. Steadman, Seattle; Mrs. Helen N. Stevens, Seattle; vice chairmen, Mrs. N. S. McCready, Snohomish; Mrs. J. C. Todd, Takoma; Mrs. O. G. Ellis, Olympia, Mrs. W. P. Harper, Seattle; Mrs. Mary G. Ewing, Pullman; Miss Sue Lombard, North Yakima; executive secretary, Mrs. Milo J. Loveless, Seattle; corresponding secretary, Mrs. R. A. Ballinger, Seattle; treasurer, Mrs. A. O. Downey, Seattle; parliamentarian, Mrs. George N. McLaughlin, Seattle; Publicity, Mrs. W. S. Griswold.
Wisconsin. The women of Wisconsin have worked in all branches of war relief work, but the Woman's Committee of the Wisconsin State Council of Defense has accomplished much in two important ways. In distributing the various branches of patriotic service the Woman's Committee delegated the work of the Americanization of aliens to the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Wisconsin Woman's Suffrage Association. The outline of work prepared by the Americanization Chairman of the suffrage association was heartily approved by Mrs. John P. Hume, state regent of the D.A.R., and was adopted without change and with commendation by the Woman's Committee of the State Council of Defense. A letter was sent out to the women of the state to this effect:
"Your organization is urged to give cordial support to the working out of this plan in your city, providing that city includes un-Americanized aliens. All people interested or societies interested, are invited to cooperate in this undertaking. You cannot do more valuable patriotic service than to help make good American citizens of those who are among us and not of us."
The plan adopted for Americanization classes is interesting. In the Milwaukee Social Centers from 7:30 to 9 P.M., classes in English, American history and government are held from September to March, three nights a week. Similar work is done in Madison and Oshkosh. The work was carried on vigorously throughout the state to hasten the process of assimilation. Instructions for organizing classes were as follows: "Procure the names of men who have declared their intention of becoming citizens from the United States Naturalization Bureau in your county court house. Write these men of your classes. Also advertise classes as follows: 1. Dodgers in English and foreign languages suitable to your community to be taken home by school children; 2. Posters in English and foreign language placed in public buildings and in and near factories; 3. Newspapers-English and foreign. Teachers should, if possible, know the language of the foreign groups they are teaching. Special text books should be used; those used in the ordinary grammar school are not suitable for adults of foreign birth and should be avoided.
"Classes can be supplemented by individuals visiting an alien family, interesting themselves in its problems and teaching English and American ideals. Arrange patriotic meetings for foreigners in the public schools. Have speeches in English and in the language of the group attending. If possible, have moving pictures or stereopticon slides of scenes of the home country to attract your crowd."
The women of Wisconsin accomplished a great deal through the Consumers League, of which Mrs. Kittle is chairman. Of the vocational emergency education, Mrs. H. M. Youmans said:
"The aim of vocational emergency education is to provide classes for women and girls who are without training and who are doing unaccustomed work. Many girls for instance are taking the places of men in clerical work for which they have no equipment. We shall provide evening classes for these girls in bookkeeping, stenography, and other branches. We have a system of vocational instruction in Wisconsin under which a group of fifteen may demand that a teacher in any desired branch be provided at public expense. It will probably be better at first to handle our vocational emergency education through this agency; possibly we may appeal to the University Extension Department. In any event we plan to have this work done through regular educational channels. It will probably begin with such classes as were indicated and we hope to make it cover any other classes for which a considerable number of girls seem to have need.
"The Red Cross Committee of the State Council of Defense has been one of the most active organizations in the state. Mrs. H. H. Morgan, Madison, is chairman, and associated with her are, Dr. J. S. Evans, Madison, and Adjutant General Holway, Madison. Advisory members are Mrs. Joseph W. Hobbins, Madison, and Mr. S. M. McFedries, Milwaukee, State Director of Red Cross Chapters. As a result of the activities of this Committee twenty-one county chapters of the Red Cross Society had been organized by September 1, 1917, and branches and auxiliary had been established in more than 200 towns. The Committee secured the cooperation of the Red Cross Chapters throughout the state with the Adjutant General in the administration of the State Fund for the Relief of Families of Soldiers and Sailors. More than 100 people took the course in civilian relief work given at the University of Wisconsin, which was arranged by the Committee and paid for by the State Council of Defense. Red Cross sewing and knitting is being done by inmates of state and county institutions through the consent of the State Board of Control, and materials are furnished by the Red Cross Committee. The work is also being introduced in the home economics departments of public schools.
"A great deal of valuable work was done by the sub-committees of the Woman's Committee. Home and foreign relief has been looked after by Mrs. E. L. Maloney, The Women in Industry Committee, of which Mrs. William Kittle is chairman, cooperates with the Wisconsin Industrial Commission. This Committee assisted in securing women workers in eight pea canneries. The chairman of Registration is Mrs. John W. Mariner, and the conservation work is directed by Miss Abby L. Marlatt. Out of seventy-one counties in the state forty-seven reported canning clubs in canning centers by the fall of 1917. This committee was instrumental in having the State Council of Defense pay for the publication of 50,000 bulletins on drying, which were widely distributed. Intensive training for canning demonstrators was given for one week during the summer session at the University of Wisconsin and 392 women took the courses. Chairmen of other committees are as follows: Health and Recreation: Mrs. W. A. Lawson, Education and Americanization: Mrs. H. M. Youmans,Mrs. John P. Hume, Home Work for Town and Country, Mrs. C. E. Estabrook, Red Cross: Mrs. Joseph W. Hobbins, Liberty Loan: Mrs. John W. Mariner."
In sixty-five counties a woman member has been appointed on the County Council of Defense. She is chairman of the County Woman's Committee, which is formed in the same way as the State Woman's Committee-of representatives from all the women's organizations. Each town has a local committee under the supervision of the county committee.
The chairman of the Woman's Committee of Wisconsin, Mrs. H. H. Morgan, Madison, was appointed by Governor E. L. Philipp, member of the State Council of Defense. The Committee consists of: Mrs. H. H. Morgan, chairman; Mrs. E. L. Maloney, Woman's Relief Corps; Mrs. John P. Hume, Daughters of the American Revolution; Mrs. Wm. Kittle, Wisconsin Consumers League; Mrs. H. M. Youmans, Wisconsin
Woman's Suffrage Association; Mrs. John W. Mariner, National League for Woman's Service; Miss Abby I. Marlatt, Home Economics Department, University of Wisconsin; Mrs. L. D. Harvey, Wisconsin Federation of Women's Clubs; Mrs. W. A. Lawson, Women's Christian Temperance Union; Mrs. Joseph A. Schumacher, State Conference of Catholic Women's Clubs; Mrs. George H. Noyes, Association of Collegiate Alumnae; Mrs. Mary F. Grimshaw, Order of Eastern Star; Mrs. C. E. Estabrook, Wisconsin Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage; Mrs. Carroll M. Towne, United States Daughters of 1812; Mrs. Imogen Hatch, Ladies of the G.A.R.; Mrs. J. A. Aylward, at large; Mrs. Joseph W. Hobbins, at large; Mrs. Blanche Burrowbridge, Pythian Sisters.
West Virginia. Mrs. J. G. Cochran of Parkersburg, who is chairman for the West Virginia Division of the Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense, is president of the State Federation of Women's Clubs, president of a music club, instructor of parliamentary law, director of a big choir and, at the time the Woman's Committee was being organized, she was supervising the building and furnishing of a new clubhouse. Speaking of the splendid work of the West Virginia women, Mrs. Cochran said:
"Nearly every woman's organization in the state has come in and all are working with our State Division. Community kitchens have been opened in the larger cities of our state, and in the smaller towns the school houses have been used to give demonstrations in canning and preserving fruits and vegetables.
"West Virginia pledged 50,000 cans of tomatoes to the government. Earlier in the year nearly every family responded to the request to have kitchen gardens. All vacant lots were planted in vegetables. We oversubscribed our Liberty Bonds, Red Cross and Y.M.C.A. pledges. Now we are collecting books for the soldiers. We had two food campaigns. Classes in auto repairing were started and girls are in training for ambulance driving. Everybody is doing Red Cross Work. In August, 1917, our State Council of Defense put on a war pageant in five of the largest cities of our state. But the work was largely done by the women. This pageant was to arouse the spirit of patriotism and it did the work. "
The officers are: chairman, Mrs. Joseph G. Cochran, Parkersburg; 1st vice chairman, Dr. Harriet Jones, Wheeling; 2nd vice chairman, Mrs. R. L. Hutchinson, Huntington; treasurer, Mrs. John L. Ruhl, Clarksburg; department chairmen: Registration: Miss Lucy Prichard, Huntington; Food Production: Miss Hepworth, Morgantown; Child Welfare: Miss Nola McKinney, Fairmont; Maintenance of Existing Social Agencies: Mrs. J. F. Waddell, Huntington; Red Cross and Allied Relief: Mrs. Harry Whitaker, Wheeling; Education: Mrs. J. S. Cunningham, Charleston; Home and Foreign Relief: Mrs. Ellis Yost, Morgantown, or Driscoll Hotel, Washington, D. C.; Health and Recreation: Mrs. Walter Snow, Clarksburg.
Wyoming. The State Council for Defense for Wyoming was organized soon after the National Advisory Committee It was in time to encourage the planting of gardens, with the result that the acreage was increased at least 150 per cent. Later, with the cooperation of the extension department of the State University, demonstrations in canning and drying, and preserving and storing of vegetables and fruits, were held in practically every community in the state. It is much easier to reach a large proportion of the women in a sparsely settled state such as Wyoming than it is in a state where there are cities with congested centers. The demonstrations were held first in the counties of lower altitude, and were then concluded in counties such as Laramie, where the altitude is 6,000 feet and more.
The registration of women took place on the 17th of July, 1917. The state had been organized previously with a chairman in each county and in each voting precinct. A total of 29,000 cards was sent out; about 12,000 were returned. There were two registration cards prepared, one Mr. Hoover's pledge card and the other the war service registration blank.
Wyoming women rendered valiant service with the Liberty Loan and the Red Cross Drive, although the state was not fully organized at that time. Mrs. Taliaferro, Rock Springs, was appointed chairman for Liberty Loan.
While these are the things that have been done in a state-wide way, many other things have been done by the local or county committees. The women of the state generally are very much interested, and are active in Red Cross Work.
The officers are: Mrs. T. S. Taliaferro of Rock Springs, chairman of the Liberty Loan Committee; Miss Emeline Whitsomb, Laramie, Wyoming Chairman of Food Conservation and Home Economics, and Mrs. R. A. Morton, Cheyenne, Chairman of Women in Industry. These appointments were all made in Washington.
Chapter XXIX. The Federal Council
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