The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-16
WOMEN HERE TO
 DO THEIR PART
 TO HELP NATION
Four Hundred Studying Nursing and First Aid to
 Be of Service to U. $.
SUFFRAGISTS READY
 TO TAKE UP BURDEN
Red Cross Chapter Members Supply Soldiers With
 Many Accessories.

| bTTOSepOTL women are dcClVely pre- airing for war. Not only are they prg- ing their sons and sweethearts to en- list but they are giving their time to
 Red Cross work and to various ilurs- ing and first aid classes.
 Four hundred women are already working several days a week in these classes under the supervision Of phy- I sicians and nurses and at the Red Cross headquarters in Seaside insti- tute. a great many women give their | time daily to preparing pajamas,, hos- pital shirts, and surgical dressings. 1 The suffragists of the city, the mem bers of the Bridgeport Art league, various church, literary and social clubs, including practically every group of women in the city are now eagerly engaged in or are about to begin the work of preparation for war.
 The activities of the local chapter of the Red Cross are helpful. A com mittee has been organized to find out the wants of the soldiers stationed here and these have been supplied as the need has been made known to the members of the Red Cross chapter. Tooth brushes, tooth paste, soap, combs, towels, shoe laces, mirrors, tin basins and considerable medicinal, sup plies have been in this way provided the men.
 The chapter has 500 pairs of pa 1amas and hospital shirts, and large quantity of surgical dressings for any local, emergency which may occur. hE 1a Nf been distributed among the workers to be knitted. into sweaters, mittens, wristlets and mufflers for the men on the battleship Connecticut, the care of which has been assigned to Fairfield county. Tn addition, a great many hospital shirts, wool nitttens, wrsstlets, mufflers and sacks have been sent to the national headquarters of the Red Cross.
 The Art league, with it's netr1y 400 members, has been especially active not only in the work of the Red Cross but has formed first aid and nursing classes which are taught by physicians and nurses. The teach CTS of the High school have organiz- ed first aid class of whilR Miss Evelyn Davis is president The class meets several times a week for in struction by a physician. Classes in dietetics are also about to be formed, meeting at Warner Institute.
 The woman's Christian Temperance union which has membership of 25O women has offered it's services to the Red Cross society to take any work that it can do.
 A census, similar to the military census of the men, will soon be taken in this city by the suffragists to deter mine what women are available for war service. This censsu will be part of a national wide one and a class1- fication will be made of the women who are able to go away from home as volunteers or paid workers and those who are able to work at home only. Miss Caroline Ruutz- Rees of Greenwich, has charge of the taking of the census in Fairfield county.
 A number of women have also made out pre-enrollment papers at the Naval Reserve force. Their names are now being held by the govern ment and they are subject to call for clerical work and nursing.
 While in some cities a plan has been instituted to curtai1 all large social activities during the war such a movement is not. likely in Bridge port as most large social events here are of a charitable nature.
 The agriculture movement which has been started in Fairfield county has not as yet been taken up by the women's organizations of Bridgeport although it is likely that the Art league through it's nature class and it's plans for the Anne Hathaway cot tage, will be particularly interested and probably will throw a large share of it's membership into the work. The Bridgeport Equal Franchise league is also interested in the movement through the offering by Miss Caroline Ruutz-Rees of Greenwich, head of the F'airfeld County Woman's Suf- frage association and Miss Grace Ryan also of Greenwich of a 70 acre farm in Mianus for an agricultural training school for girls. As yet there have been no enrOllments but it is eX- pected that several young women Srom Bridgeport will be included in the class which is limited to 20. Any woman over Is years old is eligible.
 Through the Parent-Teachers as- sociations of the city and their close cooperation with the activities of the school children another large group of women probably, will be drawn in the agricultural wtrk.