New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-18
Women and the Food Crisis
If Mr.. Hoover Does Not Enlist Their
Aid He Will Fail
To the Editor OF The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: In connection with the debate going
on in Washington over the food BILL want
70 call your attention TO the fact 'ha' Nc
woman has yet come forward in support oil
II. Here in America, where women take 50
keen an interest in public affairs, and their
opinions are listened TO so respectfully NOT
one has volunteered an expression on TINS
matter so vital to women, matter on Wnich
Mr.. Hoover himself says women VIII nave
the last word.
And not one prominent womans name mas
been mentioned in connection with 1he ne"
department Of food administration.
do not wish to decry Mr.. Hoover's ability.
II we must have a food dictator, he Is the
most experienced man; but this silence IS
significant. II Mr.. Hoover cannot succeed
in winning the women we know that a large
mart Of his work will fail. 1t will fail the
wav his work for the Commission for Bel
gian Relief failed in America.
We know that it did fail because Mr.
Hoover told US so. We were Inundated by
being told By him in front of the whole world
that We had not contributed our share OF the
relief fund
Yet. when Mr.. Hoover himself came and
told the story Of Belgium, look at the way
in which New York responded. The truth was
that the American contribution fell short ne
cause in America we arc accustomed TO leave
that kind of work to our women and the
Belgian Relief never got in touch with the
right women
The women themselves all knew this. They
.bo ftss4e
charge failed by trying to make it society
affair and the men who took 1t up later never
even seemed to know that there were women
in America who were accustomed TO manag-
ing large enterprises of that kind. If you
talk to these women they will tell you that
they went and offered their services, but
that they could never get into working con
nection with the commission.
Nobody blamed Mr.. Hoover for this. lie
was fully and efficiently busy with his end
Of the work. and rather than put anything IN
his way the women who knew kept still, even
though it was not very pleasant 20 have
America criticised for not contributing her
share.
But this food administration is our own
business II is not to be supposed that the
women will be Indifferent to this food prob
lem. in fact, far from being Indifferent, in
every city and town they are hard at work.
But they do not seem to be working with Mr.
Hoover and they are conspicuously silent
about the food bill. Yesterday ] read that p
man had been put in charge Of the women
propaganda Why should 1t be a man when
we have women Of international experience
in propaganda? Why should it not be Mrs.
Gait Mrs. Philip Moore. Mrs. Whitohousc,
Mrs. Raymond Robbins, Mary Austin, or any
one of half dozen more women who are
known and respected throughout the coun-
try?
If this Is woman's job, as Mr.. Hoover
says it is, why does he not enlist the women?
We know that Mr.. Hoover has lived much OF
his life out of America, in spite Of his being
such a loyal American, and it may be only
that he is ignorant of the ability Of Ameri-
can women and the following these women
have mentioned have. Isn't there some way
IL can be presented to him so that he vii.
understand? MRS. RUTH MAfO.
New York. June Is. 1917.