The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-11-02
MRS. KIRBY SMITH
 TALKS OF WOMAN'S
 EFFORTS IN ITALY
By PATRIOTIC PATRICIA

Annlston, November 1-(Special. )-Witf
 food conservation and the problems oi
 Italy uppermost in the public mind, was
 so delighted to obtain an interview today
 with Mrs. Kirby Smith of Baltimore, ar enthusiast on both subjects.
 Mrs. Smith Is one of the many promi-
 nent visitors brought to Anniston by
 Camp Mcclellan. She waa visiting in
 Rume. Italy. when war was declared, and seeing the vast needs. went Into one oi i the military hospitals, where, without
 remuneration. except for g. medal given
 by the Italian Red Cross, which she prizes
 highly. Mrs. Smith gave her service for
 two years.
 T suppose everybody in Italy makes sacrifices" I remarked.
 "oh, yes" she said. "The Americans arc doing nobly, but compared to Italy
 we have no conception of sacrifice. have seen the most arstocratic women in Italy wash dishes, scrub floors and take turns at every form of manual la- Dor tn these big military hospitals. We can nerve ourselves to such things for Q short stretch. but they keep at 1t day in and day out.
 The English women do not don mourn ing any more. Even when news reaches them of 2 loved ones death they will not giva up. Not one minute do they stop, Royalty is as busy as the lowest peasant. The Queen mother has given all except a small suite of rooms for a hospital. The Queen herself has turned most of her palace into hospital wards. Prince Aldibrandi Is greatly interested r.. I..,I l. turned over for the use of blind men. am hoping that Miss Winifred Holt, who has done so much for the blind in New York may have her wish fulfilled and be allowed to go to Italy to work with the blind. The Italians pity the blind too much, which often makes them in their discouragement go to pieces Miss Holt understands dealing with them and brings out always the bright side, and arouses their ambition. The blind are not so pitiful to me as the mutilated. Oh, how have seen men wish for death with both hands and arms gone, practi- cally useless for life; merely at the mercy and kindness of their fellow men"
 T hear you have done so much for the people of Italy since you returned" l said.
 q was able to raise 5000 at fete in Baltimore just before I came to An niston. just long to send morei Every time see a bod of coal poured on fire I just wish to call out: Stop, don't make that roaring fire! Don't you know there Is no coal in Italy. Don't you know there can be no warm firesides there this winterT"
 "Our soldiers" Mrs. Smith continued, Tive in clover compared to the soldiers over there. Scrappy beef. black coffee and soup Is their menu day after day. Ma adame Louis Con, the wife of a French officer, who gives her time absolutely to working for soldiers. wrote me this week: Ten of my men are ir German prison camps, and packages to prisoners are expensive, yet cannot abandon u n to slow starvation. Northern France is filled with devastated villages and hu- man wrecks These are the homes of my soldiers, and they are so grateful for everything that Is done for them"
 "Oh, if the women of our country had seen the starving Servians as I saw them, they would not need to be urged to save while they can. Every time 1 see plate leave the table with un- touched food just want to cry out to everybody to stop, please stop waste! We just must give, and go on giving until 1t hurts and save, save save! American women are patriotic to the core and I believe the time has come when they really are going to heed Hoo- ver's nationwide appeal, and thereby furnish supplies for the soldiers of lib- erty!'