The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-09-16

MN HAT is not the question. In fact,
there is no question about it.
Everybody must knit Our men
are in need of warm, knitted garments
to fight the cold of northern France as
we'll as the Huns. These garments are
as necessary to the boy in khaki as are
bombs to hurl at the enemy. They are
his first line Of defense, to protect him
from tuberculosis and kindred diseases
which are deadlier foes than poison gas
and dum-dum bullets. Statistics show
that the devastation wrought by the great
white plague in the ranks of the allies is
appalling, and has been largely attrib-
uted to lack of warm clothing for the
soldiers.
Shall our soldiers suffer for what is in
the power of their wives. sweethearts,
sisters and mothers to provide? The click
of countless knitting needles all over the
nation answers mo" Women every
where are responding to the call of the
government through the Red Cross, and
are laying aside their own personal work
and pleasure to insure comfort for their
men during the hard winter to come.
They cannot furnish bombs and bullets
but those other not less important adj
juncts of aredness''-sweaters, muf-
flers, socks, and wristlets, are fast emery
ing from the wool in their flying fingers,
The Birmingham unit Of the Red Cross
has answered nobly to the summons All
during the past week the headquarters
at 400 North Goth st. has buzzed like
bee hive. Under the leadership of the
joint chairmen of knitting, Mrs. T. Q.
Smith, Mrs. Crawford johnson and Mrs.
w. l. Grub, the ranks of knitters have
been recruited rapidly and thousands of
hanks of wool have been distributed.
committee of instructors has been at
headquarters each morning and each aft
ernoon, teaching all applicants how to
cast on, knit two, purl two, and cast or.
A junior knitting league has been or
ganized among the younger set, with
Miss Margaret Gage, Chairman; Miss
Margaret Bradshaw, secretary; Miss Ami
ia Eustis in charge of wool; Miss Alma
Messer chairman of finished garments
Knitting groups will be formed by these
enthusiastic young women in their re-
spective neighborhoods, and to this end
the following district chairmen have been
appointed:
For Fairfield, Miss Alma Perkins; for
Graymont Miss Emmie Terrell; for West
End, Miss Helen Terrell; for Norwood,
Miss Marie Rosamond; for Idlewild. Miss
Dimmis Wilkinson for the Young Won
ans Christian association, Miss O. May
jones' for Bessemer, Miss Mary Louise
Thornton for Avondale, Miss Lucille
Frey; for Woodlawn, Miss Cora Thomp-
son; for North Birmingham, Mrs. Glenn;
for the Young Matrons, Mrs. Stuart
WEIGH.
Members of the Junior League may
obtain wool from headquarters, second
floor, on Saturdays and Wednesdays
from 10 to 1 O'clock, and are asked to
turn in completed garments on the same
days.
So great has been the demand for wool
by the knitters Of the Magic City that
the supply was exhausted on Saturday
morning. However, let none be discour-
aged, nor weary In well doing. A new
supply will be available on Tuesday
morning. Mrs. T. o. Smith, chairman,
wishes it stressed that hereafter wool
will be distributed only OIL Tuesdays and
Saturdays of each week from $3.50 to
o'clock. In the following letter to chair
men OF the UNITS MfS. SIIlltH IldhSS tWo
important requests:
ITO the Chairmen of Red Cross Units
"By order of the knitting committee,
all articles knitted by units must be- re-
turned to the chairman Of each unit and
by her returned to Mrs. Marx, chair
man of finished garments, and not re-
turned by individual worker. Mrs. Marx
will be at headquarters each Tuesday
and Friday from $3.50 to to receive fin
ished articles.
TT Is our earnest desire to send as
large shipment Of finished articles
as possible the first week in October.
Please cooperate with us in this respect
and return as many by October l as
can be finished and the entire guam
tity by October Is, If possible. Respect
fully. MRS. T. o. SMITH,
Chairman Knitting Department Red
Cross Chapter"
Mrs. Morris Marx, chairman of fin
ished garments, spoke most cheeringly
when questioned concerning the prog
ress of the work. She said:
I'VE are delighted at the splendid