The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-23
WOMEN IN WAR.
Earnestness of Their Patriotism
Proved by the Recent Crisis.


Earnestness of Their Patriotism
Proved by the Recent Crisis.
To The st. Paul Globe;
from The lob of Feb q / clipped q
little paragraph which / have kept through
all these months because I wanted to see
how 1t would look in the light of subsequent
developments. 1t was this:
what VIII women do in case of war?
Ihelr awakened energies have found an outlet
In clubs and federations In social functions
ana RAD phllanthropies- good in that they
have given them a mental nimbleness, even
though the efforts themselves have been
futile Women have been like squirrels in
revolving cages; they have run and run and
Whlle they have not gotten anywhere they
nave nevertheless acquired great agility.
And now In case of war will they have
chance to run In earnest? Will it be possible
for them to continue the monotony and bore
dom of club quibbling and federation fights
the insipidity of their teas and luncheons
(Which prosperity and peace have hitherto
made toierable) while their husbands and
brothers go to defend the honor of their coun-
try?"
Since that was written war has been de-
clared. battles fought and peace proclaimed,
but have the women of st. Paul run in
earnest?'
Your columns have printed full reports of
the two Red Cross societies in this city, and
the connected story is a rebuke to our previ-
Gus doubts. 1 have heard st. Paul women
called "cliquey," without public spirit and
sef-centered, and therefore l took pecu lar
pleasure In leaning against the fence and
looking on" when they were given an OPP
portunity to exhibit these alleged character
istics in no uncertain way. But 1 didn't see
oil cd 70
The st. Paul women may be "cliquey;' if
they are it must be in their purely social
relations. They certainly not so in their
patriotic work. You will remember that when
you first called the attention of the women
to the needs of the Red Cross, to avoid the
possible opposition of the clique spirit you
suggested that work could be done through
the existing clubs. 1t was a matter of no
little surprise to many that objections came
from the most aristocratic quarters of the
city on the ground that clubs were too mar
row: that they would bar out many who were
not club women. not only so, but that the
women wished to work with the help and ad-
vice Of the men and preferred to effect
comprehensive organization. AS a result we
soon had two Red Cross societies, made up
OF rich and poor, Protestant and Catholic,
Jew and gentle, Democrat and Republican,
and two rooms opened whence emanated COM
fort and cheer, not only to the soldiers en-
camped in st. Paul, but to those in the COM
fortress camps of the South. In these rooms
one could see women working all day long
who were supposed hitherto to have been de-
voted to the affairs Of their own cliques.
Here many an anxious parent got news of
his soldier boy and help went out to more
than family whose supporting member
had gone off to the war. Thousands of
Gated gauze and mosquito netting were ship
ped to Minnesota boys. 1t makes ones head
reel to read through the list of clothing
articles, to say nothing of the boxes OF medl-
cine soap, spoons, cups cans Of food fruit
juice, bottles of wine, filling nearly fifty
boxes from one organization alone.
Does any one think that some of these arti-
cles are foolish things to send to soldiers?
He would fall on his knees in worship before
a bolt of mosquito netting had he been in
the place Of some Of the fever-str1cken pa
tients who were too weak to brush away
the swarms of flies that were almost masking
their faces.
The manner in which the local Red Cross
lifted the fever patients of the Fifteenth
over the red tape Of the war department into
the hospitals of the Twin Cities was indeed
refreshing. The fact that the societies did
not have to bear the expense for which they
made themselves responsible to the hospital
officials in order that the patients might not
have to wait until the government should
sanction the expenditure does not detract
from their spirit The men were dangerously
i'll. and the Red Cross came to the rescue.
One could go ON indefinitely, but your
readers know the story and If they wish the
details refreshed in their minds they need
but to read again the resume Of the work of
one organization, in The G o b of Sept. 80.
1 cannot but call attention to the depot work
done by the women when the boys were COM
ing back, many Of them hungry, feverish,
moneyless and homesick. The story of the
quick, quiet and effective help given there
is as gratifying to read as the description of
the grand climax at the auditorium when the
Fourteenth returned and were banqueted and
cheered by St. Paul women.
Now the war is over and these same ladies
will doubtless return to their own circles
or "cliques" If you please. But the last
six months have been an object lesson to US
all The women did run in earnest" and
"they got somewhere" tool w. D. A.
st. Paul, Oct. q.