The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1917-11-14
OUR COUNTRY'S CALL
By Mrs. Lon Dickey

the base hospital at Camp Wheeler
last Friday. viewing the several hun
dred sick soldiers, many OF whom
were on cots in plain view from the
streets of the great cantonment. |
suddenly became overwhelmed with
genuine sorrow over the seeming fail
urc Of our Fitzgerald Red Cross chap
ter realizing as never before the
great need Of the work, this being
only little corner Of the great army
OF soldiers our country is preparing
to send across the water, and all the
time a young girl of Macon was re-
citing to me how hard even the school
girls worked making pajamas and
other garments for the soldiers
On reaching home, my mind filled
with these thoughts, | found awaiting
me letter from Mrs. Fred keefer.
OF Orange, n. :, formerly Miss Mary
Loblngicr, OF our city from which
| extract the following
81 am working hard for the Red
Cross, yet not doing all | should. |
go to the Woman's Club building
they have given it up to the Red
Cross chapter) one day. and another
day go to the ID. A. Rs and another
day to our Church unit. All churches
and every organization are not doing
anything this year but Red Cross
work
My, but it is sad up here be-
lcvc that as far inland as Fitzgerald
is you do not feel the awfulness Of
this war like we do here SO near New
York. All the little girls are knitting,
the boys are shipping" for pillows
for soldiers-in short. every one is
trying to do their bit" wish you
might be able to realize the great
need OF this work down there"
The idea came to me after reading
this letter that if only the heads of
our patriotic organizations would
consider the ACCESSIBILITY of Hoover
izing" in benevolent work that for
awhile all activities along their va
rious lines of work might be suspend
ed, and that everyone might concen-
trate on one common causc-Red
Cross work. Many of us cannot knit.
but there are so many other kinds of
work to be done, and so much to be
learned that would not only help us
to help our soldiers. but would be Of
incalculablc value to us in years to
come.
| think. too. that French lessons
should go along with our work AS
the situation appears now, it is alto
gether probable that our high school
boys will be called to service for their
country in 4 few more years | be-
lievc that we should learn French
sufficiently well to converse with
them in order that they may learn to
speak the language fuently when call
ed to the trenches in France.
This is in no way intended as a
criticism of any organization. They
have each felt the need of this work
and have signified their intention of
devoting a certain portion of their
time TO Red Cross work, but so far
as | am aware, nothing definite has
been accomplished, and nothing def
mite will be accomplished unless all
rally to the Red Cross chapter, hold
ing only such meetings as are needed
to hold their organizations together
until this work is no longer needed.
Nor is it intended to strike at church
organizations, believe, as the little
song goes. Our God comes first. our
country next" etc.
There arc a number OF capable
women who might fill the office OF the
late Niccpresideut, resigned, and no
time should be lost in securing such a
person. Ns the writer explained dur
ing the Fourth Of July campaign. she
could serve only as a starter. but it
takes heavier machinery to move the
great work Of this chapter. and now
that this machinery seems to have
stopped this is intended as a starter
only to second great move. And
ID She has said anything that might