Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-23
WOMEN STAND READY
TO OORGANIZE FOR WAR
national Service League and
suffrage Association Would
Supervise Work
leaders POINT TO NEED

NEW YORK, May 90.
:, ,s the Governments duty to organize
,.artr,ent as comprehensive and efficient
:. tbe war Department itself for the vic
.,oine. housing. medical care and clothing
~ mothers and children
Slammed up that was the verdict today
,9u,n national women's organizations, with
osSouarters o. in New York; the Women's
nrt,o FOR National Service and the Ma
biaei woman Suffrage Association.
rhov suggested two plans whereby the
s1r,ent which rs now seeking a sou-
~. n the problem, may use national or
uSn,,stions W. already in existence as basis
tksrthls woman's war department.
The Service League favors reorganization
=, ,be National Red Cross, under Govern
snsnt control to shoulder the task.
The suffragists favor the development Of
,bsir own national, state, county, city VIII
~ and election district organizations of
.ss r1irIon women to handle the work for
,be Government.
Moth bodies stressed their attitude that
,.ISre must be no hint Of charity or phil
snthropy about this work
.srbe Government" said Mrs. Coffin Van
poreselaer of the WOmen's League organ
i,sfjon committee, today, has discharged
nnly half its duty to the nation when it has
,rsined, equipped and sent its soldiers to
hght
"It must also train, equip and empower
ts women to do their share at home in
r,snv ways and It must protect the chill
Srsn already born and see that those who
rill he born have every opportunity to grow
straight and strong, that they may take
their fathers places.
APPLIES TO ALL
..,,1ioe not onl,y IN tho ,t.iya nj
children of fighting men, but TO all the
women and children Of the nation who need
help and training
"How this work is organized is up to
,be Government our league Is pledged to
support the National Red Cross, and If the
work is turned over to the Red Cross, that
will suit US But both the Red Cross and
ourselves are behind the Government in
whatever it does
dThe Government owes a double obliga-
tlon TO the women. For they not only give
up their loved ones to fight in the trenches
but they also face many difficulties at
home"
Miss Maude Young, of the National Amer
iran Woman Suffrage Association, outlined
that bodys attitude in the matter.
THE development of woman power in the
nation and the protection of the feminine
home forces by the Government is a far
more vital problem in this war than the
'Goyernment seems to have realized" said
she.
IF we bunge the problem Of woman
power al the beginning the nation will seri-
ously handicap itself in this war for a long
time to come,
THE two million women of our organiza-
ton are alive to the fact that the women
at home will play as great a part in the
winning os this war as will our men at the
front.
WHAT WOMEN WILL GIVE
women are going to be called upon TO
labor in the field, the factories, the busi-
ness offices. the professions and the admin
istration of local and municipal affairs
'They are going to be called upon to bear
children and to give mp those they have
already borne.
"But whether the task is assigned to
US or to- others we stand equipped and
ready to help"