Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-14

MA SCNDAf that awful skeleton
,.ce Of war which up to now has been
mercifully on your far horizon. But you
will respond to the great call when II really
sounds definitely in your ears and In your
heart I am just as sure OF II as 1 am
4 NJ the inspiring record of all the women OF
America who have gone before you
7 have Just heard two little stories Of
yomen's heroism In the war-stricken zones
OF Europe, stories which may help to strike
home TO you something OF what the red
horror of war really means
In England it has been necessary for the
ron,en TO go to work in the munition fac
corles in thousands to allow their men TO
march off to the rigors of the trenches
fhey have been forced to labor in an at"
nnosphere of powerful chemicals that was
turning the English bloom of their cheeks
An ugly yellow, bleaching their hair an
unnatural white. and even making their
finger nails shrivel and drop away. Face
masks and gloves were provided for their
Srotection. They served their purpose, but
they lessened their ability at the watts and
benches, and the output of the factories was
falling off.
The result in at least one great plant was
that the women voluntarily cast aside the
protecting masks and gloves. They were
willing to bear their physical Disagreement
rather than have the supply of munitions
lessened. When the war is finished hum
dreds Of English women who before were
buxom beauties of the countryside will be
earicatures of what they once were-but
hey will have sacrificed their, physical
beauty on the altar of their flag.
Here is the second story of women's war
lacrifce from the horror swept Serbian
frontier: A British nurse happened on a
sative woman. weeping piteously over a
aew-made grave. 1t was that of her third
and youngest son, the last sacrifice she had
been called upon to make in the cause of
Aer country The nurse tried to console
her as best she could, for even a sister
soman's sympathy is lame and awkward
before such spectacle.
II am not weeping for the loss Of my
sons 7" she burst out. II am weeping be-
cause they left me two Rr lndsons who are
sot old enough to fight for their fag!''
There you have it-something Of the
yrimly inspiring but heart-gripping hero
i'm which descends on the women of a
country face to face with the gaunt hideous-
ness Of war. We women Of America do not
realize yet. in our SNUG. complacent, pro-
tected lives the frightful ravages which a
warning nation may produce. We have been
thrilled by the stories Of Revolutionary
heroism of our great-great-grandmoth
but as something from the closed pages of
history. and some of us have been moved
to our soul depths by the stories that have
drifted to us Of what the women of Europe
have done in the great moment. But that
, such conditions could ever strike to us has
been problem too remote to be consid-
cred.
As a matter Of fact, the awful intimate
horror Of the world war will probably
never reach us-but II It does. our escape as
nation will depend in a supreme degree
upon what the women Of America do to pre-
vent 1t. 1t is not the extent of the physi-
cal sacrifice tn 1t counts. but the spirit
with which that sacrifice Is met. 1t is not
wnat Is taken from us, but what we con-
tribute freely and voluntarily and enthu-
sastically that Is going to win this war.
yes and keep us az a nation from first
nand acquaintance with that terrible red
ude that has deluged Europe. I have
enough faith in the vision and splendid pos
soll'ties Of the women of America to know
mat they will rally to the call.
+, Copyright. 1917. by The Bell Syndicate. Incl
friday--"Wanted-Wive