New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-29
War Volunteers
By ARTHUR GLEASON

The temptation in a time of national Il
element is TO offer ones self for pictureSJ
dramatic service in work for which one
not trained. But war in its essential prj
esses has no use for unframed persons.
highest service which unframed wealthy Il
cety women can render is to draw thJ
check for trained persons TO disburse, and
organize groups TO raise more money. AMI
teur volunteer organizations can create Il
thusasm. Their final value rests In Y
wise direction of that enthusiasm in eiiesf
unadvertised ways.
There Is no place at the front for Il
trained helpers. Red Cross work must
conducted exclusively by fully trained II
geons, physicians, nurses motor car driysf
and stretcher bearers. 30 give a Red CHt
car and then insist on accompanying It to 4
front is to clog the gift IN the early mont
of the war / saw several hundred pers'1
manPuvre 10 get to the front for sight l
shells and a taste of adventure, while n
organization found It difficult 10 obtain Il
person for work in a food-and-clothing suNI
station in London.
Above all. well-to-do men and women NJ
not volunteer their services without reco'I
pense in industries. They must not offer
work without d wage in munition faction
and government Offices. This unpaid yols'i
tecr work seems generous and ooUeI
thing TO give. But the result OF II Is TO FnI
cuitate labor trouble. /; spreads untj
through the wage-earning classes and do1
more than any other single thing to destr'I
the Sacred Union" of all classes in the E'
Of war; War Is an affair Of industrial orgs1
zation. and any attempt to tamper with "
wage-scale impairs that organization.
hundred wealthy women. offering their tlr|
free of charge, create more disturbance th'l
their unframed services justify.
Trained Workers Bear Burden
Tho entire industrial burden Of the war
England has been carried by the WORKER
mon and women, under training anS reesl'
ing wage. The same three and ns'
million women who were wage.esrners r
fore the war have carried on the WORK =
she'll making and the other industries. lnel
women leaders are the same trained bushes
women and social workers who received
salary before the war. The newcomer,
into industry were for the most part 'o's
timers" who returned to work.
The women in America who will carry =
% per cent Of the work done BY women W
be the same millions Of women slrssdy 81
ployed. The per cent OF volunteers ms
not be permitted 20 interfere with that pc
orful organization by well-meant but ii'-,.
yised attempts to lower the wage scale. y
finitely the most patriotic work iof Nv.
combatants is to remain quietly ~ h0".
give what money they can 20 war needs 70
lowing that money to be used by trained ~.
sons) and TO transfer their services 10 esss.
tial industries as rapidly as their trains
warrants. The highest service is 10 eooe
nate ones own patriotism with the requu.
ments of the very intricate social mees'
ism. Individual single-trsek impulse ana :
tlvity are damaging In time OF soeiSl W.
centra.ion. Collective enterprise |" nee.
sary to successful war-msking, and eoiisen.
enterprise rests on just standard OF w.
fot all servants Of the state. IL We wage - 4.
energetieally we shall be driven 10 ." :
creasing measure OF state socialism,
Another lesson which Europe has ies ''..
Is that multitudinous separate orssni.su. !.
will do we'll to combine into one poweriu,
lief organization. under the direction ol
man of the Hoover, Devine. 1os'ns" ~ ~.
The same collective effort wh'eh WA sVs'
railways and munitlon factories mus q.
practised by volunteer conlmittsea
charity trust" must become iaes "
time.