The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-07-21
Prominent Men and Women Start
Movement Whereby Every
one May Help.
TO EXTEND Community idea
Works Out With Great Success In
New York-PIans TO Coordinate
and Direct on NonmiIItary
Side Patriotic Efforts of
All Citizens.
BY DAYTON STODDART


New YOrk.-PrOminent men and
women here have started Il movement
whereby every man, woman and child
In The United States may aid their gov
eminent 10 win the world war.
IL has been under way but a short
time, yet assistance of great value was
gwen to both the Liberty loan and
Red Cross campaigns; the next goal
SET Is such cooperation with Hoover
or Belgium as To make waste in the
Kitchen and on the table IA problem Of
the past
The new organization is called the
Patriotic Service league. II WINS CON
reivcd by Prof. Ellery G. StOwell. cx-
pert on international affairs and mem
her Of the Columbia university faculty.
Inc leagues purpose Is to weld the
nation together. with the community
idea extended to include the whole
people.
impossible" you may remark. 1T
can't be done. Community spirit is
very fine for small place or for
section where folks OF similar inter
rsts and tastes live. But II wouldn't
work out in big place. Not bit"
Works" In New York.
But II has worked out In New York
and that In n section where live both
reformers Of the purely theoretical
type and insurgent workingmen in a
board strip running across New York
city. the political designation Of
which is the Nineteenth congressional
district Ii includes the homes of some
OF the richest and the poorest families
OF the metropolis.
In New York, of all places. the com
nunity idea Of natiOnalism has worked
out, and very successfully, too. As
The terms community spirit" may
seem rather indefinite TO some. the ex-
act Significance of what Mr. StOwell
means when he uses the term may
best be set forth by himself.
Several months ago, when the ne
cessity of rOusing the country to the
TACT that every resource of the United
States should be available for war.
MIR. Stowell thought of the old town
meetings In New England.
IF" he asked himself, this plan |
worked to weld together town or
village, why could not the same prin- |
ciple be applied TO the entire nationY" |
Intensive thought on the question |
confirmed his idea that II could. He |
selected the congressional district as |
the best geographical division for a
unit of the league
He chose the Nineteenth congression-
nj district to try out his plans. He
had as cowOrkers other members of
the Columbia university faculty and
women who volunteered their serv-
ices.
Canvas House to House.
Friends of those working directly
with Mr.. Stowell were obtained and n
was made up with at least
one representative from each election
district. These, in turn. canvassed
apartment houses and dwellings in
The surprising part about the be-
ginning of the movement was that the
pioneers found no hostility. only wei
come. In the houses they visited. This
in spite of the fact that although
they may have lived for years ada
cent to family, neither had spoken.
Ii was a means never before offered
for everybody in the district getting
10 know almost everybody else.
When the district haG been can
vassed. neeting was called Tenn
porary officers of the small unit of the
league were chosen. All il was neces-
Sars to do to become n member of
The league was TO pay 80 cents initia-
ion fee. This is the only contribution
paid to the league proper; other con-
ributions depend solely on the ex-
DenseS and aims of the organization
n each congressional district or i'm
zach election district.
Suppose that your own meeting. aft
'r IL had been organized. decided that
{ would be mighty good plan to
Idopt one or more orphans across the
ea. Such a plan was actually put I'm
operation In one of the precincts of
he Nineteenth congressional district.
Two French orphans were adopted a
title boy and a little girl. and the
cost Of 81 is being raised by
eaving a tin box out at every meet
ng IN which contributions may be
ropped.
In the Nineteenth district. one Of the
rst steps taken was the enrolment
( every woman by woman workers.
Every woman was asked what line
work she was best fitted for. and {
ne list was made up. election district /
Y election district. So that Mr.. Stow |
u. as chairman of the entire Nine 4
zenith district. knew exactly how '
any stenOgraphers, cooks. clerical /
orkers, members of any calling. were
his territory.
The actual good this does is that IL a
lows every chairman 10 know the v
lone strength" of his district. He K
IN tell you, after consulting his lists. y
st how many cooks. nurses and other =