The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-04-21
MOBILIZATION OF HOUSEWIVES


MOBILIZATION Of HOUSEWIVES.
Bismarck, n. D., April II, 1917.
Editor Tribune:
OF the modified forces OF Uncle
Sam that remain to guard home ter
ritory, the most important are, with
out doubt, the housewives. They are
the commissariat department of the
nation. . If these forces are to do ef-
ficient work it is necessary that they
be as thoroly drilled and instructed
in their duties as the fighting troops.
And the first watchword for the
housekeeper in war time is Economy.
No matter how well to do the indi-
vidual may be, no matter if maid and
not mistress does, the actual work of
preparing the food, thrift must be the
law of every American woman.
Hers is the task of safeguarding
the foodstuffs and textiles of the ma
ton. If she wantonly wastes food
or clothing, the whole country must
suffer for her carelessness. If she
husbands carefully the necessities OF
life the resisting power of the coun-
try will be UNNECESSARILY increased
and the strength of her armies will
be corresponding greater. .
1t is the patriotic duty of every
American housewife to exercise the
most rigid economy. Are you doing
it? Are you ordering your household
If it were, necessary to cut down
expenditures to the very last cent? Do
you save your scraps for hash and
for potato balls? DO you save po:
tato water for your soup and thus
conserve the nutritious salts? Are
you substituting beans, peas, rice
and hominy for lettuce, potatoes and
cauli1Ower? Do you make the gar
nents of your family out of the most
durable cloth that you can buy? Yes,
hat is what economy means, and
what every h]ousekeeper must sooner
Dr. later conform to if this country is
10 weather the storm with cOlors fly
Ing. The country cannot afford the
waste OF one ounce of food, m cal
orie of heat. Our factories must De
turned into munitions plants. Our
grains must be conserved against the
lime when the output will become
crippled. Our coal, must go to fire
he engines of war and keep the fires
II factories and boundaries. ~ : I
Let us e how real a thing this
help will be. There are approx
twenty million homes in the
United States. Suppose that these
homes would save one dollar a week
OF course there r many
homes that are so economically run
that this would be impossible
but. on the other hand, there are in
Vulnerable homes that could save
many times that amount. But If the
average were n dollar apiece that
mean a saving Of twenty mil
lion dollars a week., This, is the
amount of money itstakes to build
and equip n b~a&tlesINp. Just think
Of it,! ! The home, makers of the
United States can give, their country
one battleship a week. Or, looked at
from the other side, the women Of
America by their extravaganza can
cost their country one b~attleslip a
week or a whole feet of submarines.
And in a year that would amount to
a fleet nearly equal to the one that
the Unitde States now sails. Think
what it would mean to the var de-
partment to have twenty million dol.
lars a week flowing in from the wOm-.
en- Of the country. And the women
can do it. too, can do it and will.
II women will substitute whole
wheat flour for the worthless bleach
ed -four now used, the saving in n
year will nearly equal the entire
wheat, crop of North Dakota. Ana
and stronger men, women and
children will result. Picture the
women of America taking over the
wheat of North Dakota for this n
year and presenting it to Uncle Sam
for their share of the wars burden.
And what about your back yard?
And the vacant lot next door? If you
can get your son or your husband to
garden it you a reduce the cost OF
One!half this sumer. =
Peas, beans and potatoes should be
your staple crops with only a small
proportion of the space given over
to perishable vegetables such al let
tuce and tomatoes.
II you will drop a card to the de-
partment of agriculture at Washing
ton asking for information, you can
secure, not only plans and directions
for a model garden but information
concerning food values, sample
menus and directions for the best
and most economical methods of pre-
food as well. 4
"A SUBSCRIBER.