Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-08
German Women IN War Time

Coming from country OF peace, prosperity
and tranquility, | was reused to admiration OF
the women of Germany In all the warning
countries it is the woman who bears the greatest
burden, the anguish, the misery and the heart
ache. 1t was inspiration to me to see now
wonderfully the women of Germany-the haus-
frau the factory worker, the social leader the
artist and the peasant woman-have responded
to the nations need The uplifting influence OF
my daily experiences among them will live with
me as the richest possession gained by my ten
weeks in the Fatheriand Great numbers OF the
vacancies left by husbands, brothers and sons
have been taken-and government officials al
ways impressed me how ably-by the women,
many of whom had lived life OF ease and luxury.
The great problem Of femnsm in Germany,
which had on account of the great number OF
women workers, become vexatious to the gov
ernment the war bids fair to solve. The gaps
the men will leave the women will fill. Woman's
status as worker and as citizen appears to
have been permanently, established. Minor gov
ernmental offices, positions clerks secretaries,
letter carriers, executives in commercial institu-
tions, street car conductors and, in some cities,
motormen-these are few of the various jobs
that, by of the war, the German women
fill today.
The natural occupations of woman nursing
and teaching, with which in America usually
associate her, have now, of course, called her in
greater numbers, and, wonderful to relate, she is
replacing the male teachers in the lower and mid
die grades of some gymnasiums The number
of young girls to be trained kindergartners, to
take care OF the soldiers children when the wives
must do the husbands work, is steadily increas-
ing
saw one Of the new kindergartens 1t was
in ordinary house, surrounded by little gar
den. The principal was trained nurse. She had
the care Of twenty-five children. These were di-
vided into four classes according to their age,
from to years, and each class had room by
itself, with little tables and tiny chairs. The prin-
cipal had four young girls who had left the
public schools at ID or Is years of age, whom she
was training to become efficient childrens maids
They were taught to clean the house properly, to
wash the children, to sew and repair children's
clothes and something about the modern prepare
ton of chidrens food. After one years course
they receive diploma. At the same time this
work that follows graduation from the theoretical
courses. They played with the children taught
them all kinds Of games and how to devise their
own games. The children were particularly EN-
couraged to invent new toys. The collection of
toys, some novel and showing inventive power
surprised me- Germany hopes to establish many
such small kindergartens
A startling revelation was the power to organ
ize which women, coming from the humdrum
life of their housewifely surroundings, evineed
Frapenvereine (womens societes) for relief work
are to be found in every, city and town in the
empire and it is impossible to estimate their
manifold benehcent activities.
| should like to tell the story OF what one
hausfrau accomplished Not to have any unneces-
sary waste, the German government had ordered
a week in which all cast-off clothing blankets and
rugs we're to be collected The Reichswollen-
cammNing Imperial wool collection) had taken
place all over Germany and the government had
gathered tremendous quantity. After this Off
cial harvest woman of Hamburg, Frau Dettmer,
concluded that the people had not given up all
their cast-offs and she instituted private collec
ton. She began among her neighbors and friends
and was so successful that the city authorities
fostercd her scheme on large scale. When |
saw her collection Of wool, found it established
in large warehouse several stories high She
had districted the city and one day each month
detailed Boy Scouts to collect every piece of wool
or cotton and all old shoes that people would
give. They were put into furniture vans and
driven to the disinfecting establishment. Then
they were warehoused, usually filling one of the
large halls up to the ceiling.
Here great sorting of material ensued; wool
ems separated from cottons, mems suits
from women's dresses; all mems clothing resorted,
the worst from the better and the best. Most of
best suits were speedily made serviceabe; from
the better, bad parts were cut off and smaller suits
made for boys; from the worst, good pieces were
cut out and with other material fashioned into
hospital shoes, quilts and covers. The same was
done with the women's dresses What could not
be thus used was sent to the mill for shoddy.
Old boots were repaired, small boots and shoes
were made of big boots. The day I was there
1000 pairs of cast-off boots capable of doing
good service were made ready for sale.
The keynote of every internal effort and the
reason for its success is the Germans obedience
bred in the soul of boy and girl-thc natural
respect for superiority where it exists and the
passionate desire to serve his country to the ut
most of his ability.