New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-22

the one thing that il was necessary for
me TO do for the soldier at the front.
Colony Club Aided Plan
81 had luncheon that day with a
group of friends at the Colony Club.
explained my idea to them. They
were enthusiastic. They promised to
do what they could to help. | talked
10 other members of the club whom
met around the building. Every one
seemed not only willing to help me
with their hands. but enthusiastically
assured me they would enroll others.
| asked them TO get anything, to look
through their closets for old cotton
and linen TO make congresses, to pick
lint, just as their grandmothers had
in Civil War times. The idea caught
on. / began the work Immediately at
this table and worked all night. with
the help of my night Waterman.
"Old linen began pouring in. Old
ladies brought in priceless linen, fine
lingerie, material that was like spun
silR,so fine, so yellow-these were the
things women found on their linen
shelves and in their old chests, and
sent with a message Of love to the SOL
diers in France. An old-fashioned
chemise was sent in-the kind that
buttoned up TO the neck-one hundred
years old Another old woman sent
in some old linen she was saving for
her niece's bridal Chestnut she had
received permission from her niece to
use it for soldiers wounds instead.
Indeed, so many were the patiently sac
rifcial acts that poured out from
givers that / used to be in tears all
the time.
1--WE got a floor at Thirty-eighth
Street rent free. We made congresses
and bandages and sent some of the
material, whole, 70 the front. The
New York City Board of Health ster-
ilized the material for us free. Every
one helped Here was something ap-
pealing, something simple, something
every one could do.
Money Obtained by Auction.
"The first money we ever got was
from selling at auction to our own
workers nice old sheets and tablecloths
that were too good to cut up. That
was the start of the committee. Now
we have 1000 committees in thirty-slX
states and send out at least 100000
dressings a month Women of all
sorts, from all over the country. are
helping. We get appealing letters from
farmers wives away off in lonely
places who want to do their bit. We
see that they do it. Invariably they
get a few of their neighbors interested,
too.
"They send in queer, weird dressings
at first. But we never tell them so.
We teach them by shipping them pat
terms of the dressings, from which they
make up a kit of samples, which are
criticised gently and kindly. There are
no charges; there is no teaching other
than this done.
''The consequence of all this good
will is that the women take pride in
doing fine work. If by chance the
standard of their work is low, we sug-
cest this and that way of improving
their work. They respond beautifully
"Doctors at the front will tell you
we send over perfect stuff" Mrs. Will
lard continued with pride. "On the
other hand. we don't fuss over our
things. 1t is both quantity and quallty
that count, and it is the quick, the
rapid gun-fre preparation Of the dress
inrs and the quick shipping OF them
which we ever keep in mind as most
imperative. We never forget Tor mo-
ment that the soldiers need these oand-
ages and need them right away.
Appeals from Hospitals.
at was very exciting in the begin
ming 70 get word from people this lit
,ia bosnital in a corner in France
needs this and that and we'd ship II
m modiately to that particular hospital
without any expense 70 our ini4 Tno
whether the hospital was IN France
England or Italy. OFTEN we never
ceived word of the arrival Oh our
goods. 49,. o+b-
od Of s1nplving hospitals was HT very
efficient. We would send boxes Oh as
smrtod dressings 10 hospitals that need
ed only special dressings. we a semI
10 eve hospitals things for apdomi .iai
wounds. etc Often surgical h0sPlta'
would be turned into a medlcal Hos
initial without our knowledge. JILL =.
bospitals were moved. II was not eIA-
Gent. But it was no ones faulI. go IT,!
a year of this we began 10 essaotIsn
distributing centres, to wnlch uoctoI ,
in that particular uiSOi'N' = l
their acquisitions TO meet their Spe''"'
awe established the first centre IN
bordeaux for the Gironne district III III
Paris the second, for the north oI
France. The latter started IT'S career I
incidentally with a box as desk ana
otber boxes as chairs. Everything was
dona as economically as possible. Inc
hosnitals began to request dressings un-
III from the first ten hospitals we were
sunnlving from Paris we now ship from
that centre 10000 dressings Gay 10
awe are kept advised by cable when
any changes are needed in the type Oh
Jrsssing. or of any change of demand
We give the doctor what he wants
ratber than the kind Of dressing we are
TO use in America. ana
the doctors are grateful for TINS
Keeps in Touch with Work
"Everv few months | or another OF
our representatives go to Europe 70
rsce;ve reports, to inspect our distrlp,,
ut;ng centres and TO get any revised
IN stTuction for our workers. 30 tna'
We arc on the oui vive every minute
II is only from ten to fifteen days from
tbe time that a doctor asks Tor any
snecial dressings that they are shlppeu
from America and that he gets them. .,
"Jt is to Mrs. C. X. Austin, who TOOK
cbare. of our Paris bureau IN re,
aartahle way. that great credit should
he given FOR the growth of our organl-