Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-01-23
WITHIN THE IRON RING--VI.
nY FREDERIC }. mAskIN.

III
EElsI.iN. November @l.--Sincc the
outbreaks of the WA. organized chart
ties have given way bcfur, son,ibin.
Tar more effective organized n,nnIc
he war relief work in Germany sci
"o'h pears the stamp of professional
charitN. Ii rnthcr has the character
oi mutual emdcar"r 10 bear the un-
p""ccdentcd burdens that war I'm.
brought upon the people Tho nr,nn
iHations built up by the ucnc.tin,o
charities have been absorbed into IN.
greatest work. They have been made
I" 1T into national scheme broader
ahd more human than the old sn,,,
devices for giving. Womhn's brains
administrative ability and energy ,rc
largely To be credited with the remark
ablc accomplishments Of tho WORRIES
hr"i business like. billion dollar relief
trust.
Great in her military and ccounmic
preparedness FOR The war, Germany wa,
woefuly without social preparedness
~ was "a fatal flaw In the war aruor
an oversight in II Hand whose bureau.
cracNS boast Is tina, uvcraiphts ARC
impossible. ON til. day Of mobilizn-
Ton. the social welfare workers Of the
empire faced chaos, a situation heavy
with unlimited possibilities Of disaster
/" prevent which no machinery had
been created. no plans worked out. ana
II" efficient workers Instructed. Hun
uredS Of thousands Of families of wage
carncrs saw their bread winners march
away, leaving them helpless. the sport
81 evil chance, and without an idea for
tit" future. other thousands were
thrown out OF work And to swell ali
this misfortune to appalling magni-
iHdc. there later came the high prices
tn" bitter pinch in food supplies. and
iuturc restrictions OF certain indus.
tries.
II was The women OF Cormany. and
u 1fi hi
breach IN the lands dcfenscs Scarcely
HAD IN" wild excitement Of mobiliZa-
ton subsidized before III. club women
"I IN" country organized the National
Woncn's Service League, enrolled 600
u"n OF their number as workers there
IN. outlined scheme for national re-.
lief and placed this whole, magnificent
machinery at the service OF the gov.
eminent linking up their organization
Win the established governmental or
@aniZaiinn all along the line.
Women Crcntcd the Machinery.
In" women took over all the existing
rhilanthropicS. and reinodclcd them for
the gigantic war tasks Of conservation.
There existed. besides. tho law OF 1855.
WHICH provided "a tritiing stipend for
tho families OF soldiers at tho front.
The rest Of the machinery the women
had 10 create. And they did create it
40 one In Germany is good-naturcd
Is witty at the expense Of the German
'.
Tor II was TINS federation that organ
iIrd the service league and that fur
uishcd body OF disciplined women to
make history IN the realm Of social or
SANITATION.
Thief Service League co-operated
through its local branches with the
municipal authorities. Tho first prob
lens. with which IL was called upon
10 deal. were those Of tho unemployed
and of soldiers families left without
incomes. Later problems had 10 do
with tn" care Of refugees. with the
food shortage. with the scarcity and
high prices Of clothing. with tho train
ing OF dependent women FOR new lines
OF employment. with the care OF the
helpless victims of the battle fields.
ana with the instruction OF tho whole
people iu new principles Of household
economy made necessary by war con
d:tions.
Tia. women worked in conjunction
with tn" municipal authorities, with
the government boards and bureaus.
and on their own account. AS the work
took shape social survey Was un-
dcrtaNcn. In ccnters where war con-
ditions We're pressing most heavily.
surveys wcr" begun. and these wcr"
gradually extended until great part
Of tho poor and needy Of tho country
We're card -iudcXcd The needs of all
ar these families were Kept track of
aud towns. to which all might take
their difficulties and find relief. The
women in these bureaus adjusted rent
questions. aided soldiers widows to So
cure their stntc support, helped the
wives OF absent soldiers {" get their
monthly pensions OF - marks, with
the additional - marks for each child
under fifteen thcsc pensions were
later iucrcascd). aud performed free
legal service.
Labor Trained by system.
out Of tho work in behalf of TIA" UNI
employed has grown MP well ordered
system for the training of unSkiil-
ed labor. as well "a for E'arkcin';
it, rnc women opened sewing rooms
al over the country. secured govern
ncnt contracts for stndbass. clothing
and menling. ana employed in these
rooms many thousands of women who
had been throwa out of work or who
found themselves confronted with the
necessity of taking the place of the
Dissent bread winner. though unframed
for any line OF commercial work. But
a short while ago tho government smut
| n Il