New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-27
Women S0lve Many War
Problems in Germany
Besides Working for Red Cross, They Have HfaPp'e'
with Unemployment Question-fear OF
Training for Girls Suggested

Wowon,s Service succeeded in train
inc n large number OF unemployed
dressmakers to work on tent cIoth'
bread pouches, cloaks and helmet COW
ers for the army.
Many Industries Dead
The clothing Manufacturers WIN
growing confidence, reopened theiI
doors Other branches Of economic
life. on the other hand, remained dead;
as. for instance, the manufacture Oh
stationery and the perfume factories
There is no prospect of reviving tnem
before the end Of the war. The Ma,
tional Women's Service estaDIlsheu
sewing and knitting rooms: Home
work was also distributed. The khit,
ting rooms are very SUCCESSFUL
branch of our activity, and may even
lead TO new factory conditions EarIy
in the morning the newspapers are reau
aloud, and in the course OF the uay
the monotonous work Is enllvened Dy
reading, Rotations and singing. After
the noon meal the girls walk or dahGe'
Through their research Worh 'n'
members of the National " omeh oei
vice gradually came into close relauohs
with their protegees. After the ehoL-
nous rush of the first two mohVhs'
comparative quiet set in ana tne con,
mittees were enabled to get IN t0uch
with and advise the families OF Ihelf
districts. There was the question o.
the rent They had to go to the lShu-
lords and try to induce them 10 De leh-
lent. Later those working on the com
mittees of the Women's Service were
placed on the rent arbitration commit
tees.
They also arranged TO teach the
women 10 manage their households on
rational basis. "War diet menus"
and recipes were published and com
mittee of housewives was established
10 cooperate in the question OF 1000
supply.
All Work tremendously.
What attitude did the women take
toward the work which was assigned TO
them and how did they acquit them
selves? We were especially anxious
about the cooperation of the women OF
the "civip parties with those OF the
Social Democratic party. We may say
now, that everything passed of far be-
yond expectation. Whenever dlier-
ences of opinion arose they were
always solved in a way advantageous TO
the work.
Each party learned from the other.
The National Women's Service OF Ber-
lin is proud Of being one of the first
organizations which took the words OF
the Kaiser seriously: 81 no longer
know any parties. l only know Ger
mans"
Another question might be asked:
How did the men and women work to-
Pether? Whenever the Municipal war
Commission met with the National
Women's Service the women were en-
terprising and the men hcsitant, the
women full Of initiative, the men eau
tious and calculating. The women TN
dervalued the difficulties which stood
in the way of their bold plans, the men
sometimes exaggerated them. The
combination was a happy one.
Helpers from All Glasses.
The volunteer helpers come from all
classes and are of all ages, housewives
who believed that they would have
enough time outside their household
duties, daughters who suddenly felt the
emptiness of their lives, women who
wanted TO give up professions during
the war In September alone the Ber-
lin branch employed 600 new assistants.
They perform the work conscientiously,
and we know that they will continue to
work untiringly until the end of the
war relieves them of their duties.
In the wives of the soldiers, the first
quality we found was the splendid
readiness with which they helped one
another, especially during the first two
weeks, before the payment of the al
lOwances was in full swing and while
dire need prevailed in many families.
Our work emphasized an imperative
demand; we need q general year Of
service for women. Between their
fourteenth and twentieth year our
young girls should devote themselves
for a year to a course of practical
training. For half year they should
all learn housekeeping on very sim
pie scale Then they should be trained
in the care Of children, nursing, gar
dening. sewing, dressmaking. Some of
the girls could be trained in the large
welfare establishments. Barracks
would have TO be built, as for the male
recruits, under the direction and super
vision Of female subalterns and higher
officials. In case of war mobillza-
ton plan would have TO be ready for
the women as it is for the men.
AuN dHldRts VI lHt IAN.
II this plan were realized we would
derive many advantages from it. First,
we would gain a year of physical train
ing for our girls. The objection that
tho required work would exceed the
strength Of the fourteen-year-old girls
is easily refuted. We place them in
factories in which the monotonous
work is more exhausting and deaden-
ing than household tasks performed in
common with girls Of the same age. For
the pupils of the higher schools-who
will in any case have 70 do without the
popular year at finishing school at
Brussels, Eastbourne or Paris during
the next few years-the year OF ply
steal work under absolutely hygienic
conditions would also be very profit
able.
Furthermore, we would be freed from
the intellectualism which has been
gaining the upper hand in the educa-
tion Of our women during recent years.
To be sure, no girl is to study less be-
cause Of this year OF service, but the
Illusion that the happiness of woman
must come from books would yield
somewhat to the proper appreciation Of
the worth of practical knowledge.
u4Iu, what We hteu IOE the eQucallOn
Of our women and what It lacks so
often is discipline, even more-drill.
We want 10 have share in the much
despised militarsm which is producing
such splendid fruits for US, and We be
lieve that the necessary subordination,
the unquestioning obedience and the
fulfilment of duties will be just as val
liable an asset for the future Of our
girls as for that Of our sons
Fourth-Eyery man who has served
in the army considers it an especially
valuable factor that his year Of SER
vice brought him in contact with all
the different classes Of our people lie