The Mankato free press., 1917-11-16
Head Of the Winona Diocese
Made Splendid Talk
WOMEN ARE INTERESTED
Move Made to Organize Forces
In Mankato to Help Win
The War
From Mondays Daily.

in accordance with the wishes o
President Wilson and Food Admins
traitor Hoover were commenced at tn
mass meeting held at the Mankat
theatre yesterday afternoon. 1t was
well-attended gathering, variously es
timated between eight and nine hun
dred. The entire seating capacity of tn
house on the lower floor was filled an
part of the gallery was occupied. TIL
meeting was attended by people o
Mankato and vicinity, by men ant
women, Catholics and others.
On the wall at the back of the stag
hung a very large flag, the one that ha
often flown from the staff on the to-
of the Elks' club house and which ha
been borne through the streets in pa
rades.
Rev. Robert Hughes, pastor of 81
Johns Catholic church, opened th
meeting, explaining that it was callet
to take up the problem of the conser
vation of food. He remarked that the
time for such a meeting was opportun,
the harvest had been gathered and th'
products that had been collected from
the fields must last through until tht
next season.
He observed that on the women de
pended very largely the work of con-
serving the food, so that this country
would have not only enough for itself
but surplus to be sent to the allie.
across the sea in this time of the
worlds crisis. 1t was a familiar prov
erb that a woman could throw out a
the back door with spoon faster thai
a man could throw in at the front dool
with shovel. 1t was the woman wh(
managed the household that was in {
position to see that food was no.
wasted
In the present crisis, the pastor de.
clared, waste was not only very fool
ish, but it was little less than criminal
He expressed his pleasure at seeing
the meeting so largely attended. He
now called on the Right Rev. P. r
Heffron, bishop of the diocese of Wi.
mona.
Letter From Cardinal Gibbons.
The bishop explained the reason why
he was taking a particular interest il
the conservation of food, and speaking
at such rallies in different parts of his
diocese. Two months ago he received
letter from Herbert Hoover, fedora
food administrator, in which was en-
closed letter that had been writer
by Cardinal Gibbons. 1t was showr
that President Wilson and Mr. Hoover
had asked Cardinal Gibbons to ad.
dress letters to the various bishops
inviting them to take special Interest
-, 60,
of food, and to form organizations ir
each diocese for this purpose. St
Bishop Heffron got busy at nee. II
the last six months he had been en-.
gagged in this work.
The bishop now presented Mrs. M
E. McCahill of Lake City, official or.
ganizer of the women of the diocese o.
Winona. He said she had already or.
ganized 10000 women of the diocese
and it was hoped to have 10000 Cath.
olic women organized in the diocese
for this cause soon
Mrs. McCahill told how she hat
come at the invitation of the pastor tt
assist in organizing the women fo
household economy. The president o
the United States had asked the pa
trict help of the Catholic church.
Work of Every Man Important.
She remarked that the work of ever.
man in every line of industry was a.
important as the work of the soldie
in the field, though not so dangerous
The housewife who could economic
enough to feed soldier in the fiel,
was as important as that soldier. If th
cho y,
amount of sugar they used to just on
half, they would save lives in France
Rye flour should be used so that ther
may be more wheat flour to SEN
abroad. Woolens should be conserved
Bishop Heffron said the soldiers a
the front were the fighters in the field
but the people at home were the fight
ers at home. Everyone should do bi
in order that the country might sue
ceed in the terrible struggle in whic
it was engaged. After the America
soldiers had gone across the seas
these men must be fed by this coun
try. England and France could nc
feed them. These allies could not spar
the food for the men from the Unite
States. Mothers, wives, sweethearts,
he said, "these boys are going to tn
front and we are the people who mus
feed them" 1t was of paramount i'm
portance that the conservation of foo
receive prime consideration. 1t was
great thing when people signed th
pledge cards, but a greater thing whe
the women kept the pledge by actuall
following up the conservation.
He said he would not suggest jus
how the housewife should conserv
the wheat, wheat flour, fats. meats an
sugar She knew better about thu
than the men did. He asked his hear
ers to think what vast work th
women of the United States would &C
complish if in every household ther
should be certain amount of cor
servation of food.
The MeatIess Day. e =
The bishop spoke of the meatles
day, and said the Catholics had bee
used to sucha thing. Friday had bee
kept as a meatless day by the churc
for 1000 years. Some of the othe
churches had chosen Friday as th
meatless day. The Catholics would /
just as well satisfied if some other da
shOuld he chosen as the national n,eai