Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-29

oT takes "A stout heart and consider
able courage for one man to under
take to prepare 100000 women
& and girls for first aid to the in
jured so that they will be acceptable
to the American Red Cross and ready at
= moments notice to render war serv-
ice TO the nation. to save life or to
alleviate suffering. Yet this is what
Van II. Manning. director of the bureau
of mines, Interior Department, has IN
dertaken for the government.
when the entire country is modified
and some OF the great manufactures
are Offering to operate their plants fer
the government without profit. when
she husbands, sons and fathers are
working night and day in the coal
mines. the steel mills and other con-
Germs which have announced their
readiness TO aid in the war and place
The country on a war efficiency basis,
their wives and daughters have accept
I'd the opportunity proffered them and
are entering into the work with pa
trotic zeal
This nationwide campaign. begin
ming in Washington, stretching from
ocean to ocean and reaching women
who spend their lives in remote mining
towns and camps. will have a lasting
influence upon future generations as
well as upon these women to whom
lectures. Red Cross talks. club meet
inss and many of the progressive move
mepts of their sex are denied because
of their isolated position. At best the
mining settlements are not habitations
Of bright skies and green fields, but
are smoke begrimed, with uninviting
surroundings, located as they are in the
coal fields of Pennsylvania. West Viz
ginia and Illinois. or in the metal
lurgical mining districts of far western
states. The lives of a million or more
of them must necessarily be spent
largely in the more sordid duties of
life, and where the disasters so fire.
quently attendant on the work in which
the men are engaged have a depressing
influence. So they have cheerfully re-
sponded to the great service movement
among the women of the outside world,
Tor they, too. are patriots and the
knowledge that they are TO be a part of
this movement with their more fortu
nately situated sisters is inspiring to
them.
In launching this campaign Mr.. Man
ming believes that the bureau OF mines
should do its full part toward national
defense by giving to the employees of
Nllt bureau anu Ine wives ana uduSn-
tiers of the miners an opportunity to
train themselves under expert instruc-
tion in first aid. He has already seen
the fruits of such instruction among
the miners themselves, as the bureau,
since its creation in 1910. has trained
$4,000 miners in order that they may
be able TO treat their fellow-workmen
in case of accident and 4e,045 in rescue
work. These $4,000 miners are now
valuable asset They are capable of
forming hospital corps of the highest
order. They not only know the modern
methods of treating injuries, but they
atso have had actual experience, which
counts for much. This training has re-
suited in the lessening of suffering
from injuries and in the saving of life
TO such an extent that the bureau de-
cioed to extend the benefits to the
wives and daughters on the theory that
the careful dressing of wounds and
sanitary care of the injured in the
homes will still further reduce suffer
ing. Now that the country is at war
the national benefits that will accrue
from this training for women will en-
able them to do their bit for their
country.
centive to the wives and daughters of
the miners. the women connected with
the bureau of mines and the wives and
daughters of the employees should also
take the first-aid course. He called
injecting. which he addressed, outlining
the campaign to be undertaken, the
procedure to be adopted, calling atteh-
ton to the national emergency that
exists and suggesting that women
properly trained in first-aid work
would be OF great value to their coun-
try. He said. in addressing the first
meeting held at the bureau in Wash
ington in the latter part of March:
I'm extending the privilege of taking
the frst-aid training to the wives and
daughters of the miners the bureau is
simply adding another effort to reduce
the number of deaths and the suffer-
ing among miners. The statistics show