The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-28
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS


 Too much cannot be said for the good
 work done in the Red Cross drive by
 Madame le General Kirkpatrick and her
 most efficient staff. She handled her va
 Nant troops with marked ability, and
 they showed great activity, both in skir-
 mish and tank warfare.
 Now, getfit out of your head that it was an easy task for the maidens and matrons of Birmingham to stand on ! street corners, in stores, in hotels and
 other public places soliciting men and women to join the Red Cross. It means long and weary hours, yet no one was heard to complain.
 Then there was any amount of hard clerical work in the folding, stamping and sending out literature and supplies that was done away from the eyes of the public by women whose unselfish- ness deserves to be noted. Detail work Is never interesting, yet there was no lack of volunteers for such inconspicuous service.
  Kirkpatrick and her staff at the daily luncheons at the Tutwiler was an inspira- ton to the men, for they knew that they could not fail with such band of noble women at their backs. They had little to say, but they caused the men to do lot of talking, for southern chiv-
 airy always catches on fire at the sight of lovely women.
 There Is no work in which women shine more than in Red Cross work. Every now and then I hear some crusty old bachelor complain that he is tired of seeing women knitting on the cars, in churches theatres, hotels and other pub lie places, but I pay little attention to his churlishness, but way down in my heart I pity him for having missed the pleasure of coming home at nights to see a dear little wife busy with her needle ar she piled the stitches which were to hold together her little man childs garments.
 Here is to the brave mothers of men who silently knit while they think of the lads oversea, for to the mother heart when 1t grows tender at the thought of danger coming to loved ones they have given to their country it makes no diff ference how big and stalwart and cour- ageous they may be, it is as the little babe that nestled at their breast that they appear before their tear-dimmed eyes.
 Every man loves the womanly woman just as most men fight shy of exagger-
 ated fen?inism. It has been said the only trouble with the new woman, she isn't a gentleman. I am not throwing off on the women who want to vote, but am going on record as having a decided pref erence for women who retain their wom- anliness while fighting for their rights.
 This is not tended as an Irish bull. I am getting on dangerous ground and so like timid man I am going to back out before I get into trouble with some woman who has punch
 I am against the exaggerated femin- ism that wants to go in the line of bat tie as fighting units to take the place of men. I am for the self-sacrificing ones who garbed in the costume of Red Cross nurses work for. men in hospitals at home and abroad, in safety and under fire, as they have done in Belgium, Servia, Po- land, Rumania, Italy and France and wherever death has taken his toll or lal T., ,1,,f ants.
 There comes before me the picture of Elizabeth Shelley, the brave sister of my courageous soldier friend, Col James Shelley, all alone there in Servia amidst l the gruesome battlefields or walking in 1 the poisoned air of the makeshift hos pitals, or putting up with the horror of 1 the improvised ambulance trains; and tten I see her in her happy young lady, hood here in Birmingham careless and | free, surrounded by ease and luxury and | I know that what she has done there
 are others here who. if the chance and
 the need came, would meet it with equal heroism.
 1 I know the old saying 'that woman's s place is the home" I am ready to ad- init that it is good place for many women, but it is just as equally true that there are other places where women are needed, and if this war does not call for women, then womanliness is losing tits force but I am loath to claim that | the world was specially created for man
 and that women are no longer needed Perish the thought that women are not to play big part in helping to win the war and after it is over in having their share of the national rebuilding.
 am one who believes it the height ot
 wisdom to make full use of the unmined possibilities in women to do their part
 in accelerating the time when peace shal come again by assisting them to find lavenue in which to develop their full tai ents. Too long we have not only per mitted but encouraged them to hide theiI talents in a napkin or bury them out oi sight by claiming that to display then
 shows a lack of femininity We hay robbed ourselves of their aid and crip Irled their usefulness.
 'l Now one of the best things to come out of the Red Cross drive was tn,
 offer of General Kirkpatrick of her serv
 iices and the services of her staff ane
 l..