Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-16
EAST SIDE WOMEN
FOR FOOD CONTROL
Delegation Coming to Wash
ington to Urge Passage
of the Measure.
MISS RANKIN THEIR PATRON

ave don't know much about politics,
but We know We can't get food. If the
government wants to take our sons to
be killed in France it must pass the food
bill, SO we can feed the children left at
home, or our young men will go to war
only over our dead bodies"
This is the gist Of message dozen
or moro East Side mothers are coming
to Washington to deliver to President
Wilson, to Herbert G. Hoover, and to
Congress.
Miss Helen Todd. who. with Miss
Elizabeth Watson, aid to Representa-
tive Jeanette Rankin in her probe into
at tho bureau Of engraving
and printing. Investigated living con-
ditions in New York. came to Wash
ington today to arrange an audience OF
the East Side mothers with the Presi-
dent. with Mr.. Hoover and a congress
sional committee.
be glad to talk with them at any time.
Miss Rankin is seeking to make an ap-
pointment for them at the White House,
and Senator Gore has invited them to
appear before the Senate agricultural
committee.
Wives Of Working Men.
These women are not dependents"
Miss Todd explained today. They are
the wives Of working men whose wages
are no longer sufficient to buy food for
their families. They have been dis
pensers Of charity In their own COM
munities. Now they must send their
children hungry to school
Moreover the government must ar
range some way to educate women like
these, thousands Of them. in the mean
ing Of this war You can't preach
belief that war is cruel and unneces-
sary, then have policemen club them
into sending their sons to war.
1.-The only chance they have to hear
what this war means is at the anti
meetings. They go there
to learn, and there they are told this Is
a rich mans war. a war for the Nor
gans and Rockefellers to grow richer.
and then the meetings are broken up
to their homes.
"What If My Able Is Killed."
"These women don't know where France
is They have not been taught the prin-
and patriotic, and they would gladly send
their young men to war il they were told
what 1t all meant One woman summed
up their feeling when she said. What for
TO Ynv g
Miss Todd and Miss Watson brought in
a report on living conditions adverse to
that Of the mayors investigating commit
tee The trouble with the mayors COM
garded the women who were Totfng for
bread as paupers, and sent out investiga-
tors with typewriter lists Of questions.
such as. Are you in want%
"of course, they replied No." Miss
Todd continued. For these women are
the ones who have prided themselves on
being independent, upon running their
homes on the SIS or $1S week their
husbands made in the cloak and suit or
the building trades. Suddenly they found
that this sum was not sufficient to feed
their families.
Met With Discouragement.
"They looked first to the mayor, then
to the legislature to remedy this condi-
tion. When they started for the city
hall they were dubbed back by police
men. Then they looked to the Presi-
dent and to the man from Belgium,
who, they had been told. was wonder
fully kind to the women of Belgium.
about not eating four meals a day.
when they already are eating but two.
and they are urged to can surplus
when they cannot get
for their daily use. and advice
about saving bread. when the only
bread they buy is short weight loaves,
at an enormous price, made of an alum
like substance that seems about as
as perforated tissue paper.
Acting as agents of the International
Child Welfare Society Miss Watson and
I visited fifty schools. with an average
attendance Of 1900 children, and the
principals of forty-three of these told
how the children were falling back In
their lessons, because they were under
nourished, and had become preys of
disease. because they had not enough
to eat"
Need Bureau of Information.
The rumor that Pershings armies had
been sent to the bottom Of the sea be-
cause of an attack on the transports. Miss
Todd said, ran like wildflre around the
East Side, and there was no bureau of
and find out>th truth about that report.
"These women are tired OF having rich
Women'S committees come down and
study them. They are tired listening to
science teachers who know less
a about cooking than they do. Why many
domestic science teacher could profit by
studying these women's kitchen methods, |
by learning how they prepared potatoes |
and onions. when they could buy no more /
meats, and by studying the things they |
lid with yellow lentils when the potatoes |
and onions no longer could be had. !
MY hope Is that these women, repre- |
sAnting no organization, but typical OF |
he East Side mother, may help humanize I
The attitude of Washington toward them. |
They say they would rather shoot their
sons themselves than send them away,
never to come back, and their agony
when their young men go away Is pitable. |
They can see no reason for the sacrifice,
md the government must show the sym
oathy and love toward them which will |
lelp them see the reason.
Mr.. Hoover Glad to See Them.
when 1 talked to Mr.. Hoover he told
ne he would be glad to see them any
ime, for he said it was the thought of
uch women that sustained him in the
ght he is making. He said If the food
i'll passed he meant to see to 1t that
hese women could buy full-weight bread
t a reasonable price.
s'There is no inspection system in their
The food they buy is
hort weight and Is adulterated. They Z
annot get good milk. For the most part
hey cannot get milk at all.
ssNow II is these people who ara To