The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-07-09
The Transformation
OF Washington Society


| mention she Transformation OF
! Washington society because am
! more I;lmji;H, with its present work
| Ing than | am with those OF Dthcr
! places except that OF my own city Of
! Baltimore, which is likewise follow
: ing the footsteps OF the National
! Capital.
! Before The war began there We're
vast numbers Of receptions dinners
| and other social activities Each
| while giving much pleasure ana graf
| itication TO the participants. left 40
| permanent or lasting benegtS Tor The
! community and the country at large.
Al the outbreak OF the war. however.
many persons closely Interested in
| those abroad began taking up lines
of endeavor for the relief of the
| suffering ana for The greater COM
| fort of those in the hospitals and on
| the battletields, notably Belgian re
/ lief work These activities We're
| confined at first, TO those more OF
| less interested in persons abroad and
those accustomed 10 such work 1t
has now spread throughout the entire
social fabric of Washington to such
an extent that aside from social ac
tiVitieS rendered necessary by the
visiting missions from foreign ma
lions. and dinners and other affairs
to show them the great welcome
which the American people have 10
bestOW upon them. the social actiVi-
~ of Washington is almost solely
confined to those affairs wherein the
participants not alone enjoy them
selves, socially, but h-ve combined
charity and relief work With il.
[ mention for instance the. vast
number of women who meet often
for the purpose Of sewing for the
soldiers abroad, the making of COM
fort bags, bandages and all those
things which are necessary on the
field OF battle. and in the hospitals
abroad. Then there are the Red
Cross workers who work day after
day in the interest of that splendid
organization. There are those en-
gagged in food conservation and in
the spread OF information which Will
tend to help our people in preparing
for the months to come in the ma
ture of food products In fact the
great body Of women who formerly
knew little other than society work
have become efficient social workers.
The situation has been of great
benefit to womenkind in general 1t
has shown them that each and eVerr
one can do her part to ameliorate tht
hardshipS OF this cruel coma grafton.
At home, in the club. in the social
center or whatever place it may be-
they are doing their bit. just as much
as the soldiers on the fields of battle
1t has shown American women
who heretofore have engaged only
in the social affairs of life that they
can enjoy themselves Just as we'll in
doing something for humanity as
they could in pleasure seeking. 1t |
has enabled each one to find herself. |
as il We're, and 10 demonstrate that !
they can accomplish along this line
just as we'll as those who have been |
practicing it all their lives. One may
be a good Seamstress and do SPLEEN |
did work along that line: another
may be adapted to nursing and find |
that she can accomplish great re-
suits in her particular line: another !
may find that she can teach others |
to conserve the food resources OF +!
the country, and then there are those |
who can teach health regulations |
and first aid work.
That America is ready to give |
physical as well as moral and tinan- |
cial support to safeguard her own |
people and help her oppressed allies |
was demonstrated when 10000. 600 |
Americans of legal fighting age. plac~ |
ed their names on the nations roll |
of honor and published to the world |
that the truths enunciated in the |
Declaration of Independence over a
century ago were no mere scraps Of
paper, but living, breat hing mes
sage that has gathered force and
breadth as the years have passed
Back of this 100000 men from
which will be selected the first ac- !
tual fighting forces, stands a popula-
ton of 100000 raeady to help
sustain them in the field, and. if
need be. furnish more fighting men
to keep the aggressor from strewing
the seas with the bodies Of American
women and children and laying
waste the broad acres of the g"eat-
est agricultural and industrial coun-