The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-16
A CHRONICLE OF SOClEI

C1F1HE women throughout the land
 are all eager to do their bit in
 = the war work and now that the branch of the National Defense league has been organized in our city they are doubly glad to be able to aid. The following letter from Mrs. c. F. Orr, one of the citys foremost women, to Mrs. J. M. Mccoy, the president, will be of vital interest just now, and is as follows:
 My Dear Mrs. Mccoy: It is a great thing for our community that a %ranch of the National Defense league sas been organized among us. and we ere most happy in securing your leader ship.
 'sThe part of your work that in- of paramount importance now is the active cooperation with the army.
 'T hope with this start we will de- velop as the Canadian women have done in efficiency and helpfulness- visited there in December, 1915, and thought they were doing all that women could do, but visit in Sep tember of this year has shown me that there is either nothing that is impossible or that organization and devotion do the impossible.
 About half of our women are deeply patriotic and making every sacrifice to help the country. Another fourth would help if they knew how and could get started. An eighth are con- additionally shallow, but would do anything that everybody else is doing The remaining eighth are just Slack ers," but even slackers can be coerced by public opinion into working. If we are to win this war and we can con- sider no alternative we will need ths woman power of the nation. We are not getting it now. l am prepared to prove this if proof IS needed.
 The department of justice Is work ing day and night apprehending propa- gandists. Why do we leave fruit full field to the German to sow the seed of disunion? Ignorance furnishes that field. There Is a remedy.
 Personal touch with our army in the field is the best instructor in pa- triotism we can have. It Is hard for our enthusiastic women to remember that patriotism in many hearts is a tiny plant and requires cultivation, and that we must be the gardeners and encourage the plant in that twenty fifth hour of the day that this crisis requires of us
 T was told in Canada that every fighting unit abroad had it's mother unit at home This was in answer to my question as to what was the needs of the soldier abroad, and whether it was possible to supply those needs and how. I think you know that the Canadian Red Cross does not supply them we'll, so that another organiza- ton was necessary, and the Trench Comfort league was formed, and is now a branch of the government. Mrs Arthur VanKoughnet is the dominion chairman. and Canada is most fortI- nate in having such a woman for tho place. I have written her as you re- auested, and will have her account of her work for publication in few days. The mother is not independent of the Trench Comforts league, but red tape seams to be emphaticafiy In the discard except the small amount that is absolutely necessary.
 "When I say that weekly letters arc exchanged between the mothers and soldiers. I can hardly believe 1t my self. and am tempted to make them further apart. But this is the kern51 of all that am writing about increase of patriotism and the way to kill Ger man propaganda, and increase inter- est in the Red Cross and other na- tlonal causes. It Is getting in personal touch with the war zone. The letters from the boys abroad are read in the churches. do not mean these letters are long or of literary merit. The few I heard were thanks for packages re- ceived, and stated what was needed,