Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1918-04-05
(7y VIRGINIA TERHUNE VAN DE
WATER Of the Vlqllantes.)

(ey VIRGINIA TERHUNE VAN DE
WATER Of the Vlqllantes.)
A good woman was discussing the
rules Of the food administration.
Il I'M doing Il lot for my country"
she said, but there are certain trifes
that do not intend to give up. Such
as white bread and bacon"
NO she said in response to my
astonished look, 81 mean to have white
bread when l want it. Why should I
eat corn bread and other substitutes?
l like white bread just as much as
the soldiers and sailors do. And, any
way, what difference can 1t make If 1
use Il little white flour and a few
slices of bacon every day? l am only
one person"
Only one Of millions! Suppose they
all took that attitude!
81 am ne Stacker" she added. II
work at the Red Cross four afternoons
Of each week, and l have made dozens
of knitted things for the soldiers. But
l draw the line at bacon and white
bread and rolls
Is this patriotism? l remembered
the text These things ought We to
have done, and not to have left the
other undone."
Another good woman was talking Of
the next Liberty Loan drive.
WELL she declared, "they need not
come to me for help! / am Il business
woman, and l have lost money on
heatleSs Mondays, ana since the gov
eminent has made me do that | do not
propose to help with their Liberty loan.
l love my country, and l am II Red
Cross worker, and all that-but there
is Il limit
ShoulS Be No Limit.
A limit. Is there any limit to what
she would do If her nearest and dear
est were fighting for his life? Would
she stop to argue that she had given
the suffered expensive wooden under
wear, but that she drew the line at the
remuneration of certain comforts so
that he might have them? Would she
be considered a good wife or mother
or daughter If she held this attitude
towards husband, child or parent?
Let us stop all these ridiculous res
ervations, these talks of what we will
do and won't do. Let us bold back
nothing. DO the women who are send
ing their sons abroad hold back any
thing? DO these sons grudge riskinp
their beautiful youth, their lives, for
their country? Yet some people hest
tate at white bread and bacon. and
refuse to buy Liberty bonds!
The last-named hesitation is not only
unpatriotic, but it is absurd. Later
we will know the meaning of the eX
preston, "What ! give l have The
money we invest in Liberty bonds Will
he IRIS when other money that We
now have is gone.
All such talk as | have quoted Is
wlckedly unpatriotic. Let us give a.
our sons give-ungrudgingly, proudly
because we are counted worthy I,
make sacrifices for the greatest cru
SADIE against evil that the world ha'
ever known.
Make II An Honorable Service.
What would the Son Of Righteous
ness say to our hesitation about triflini
luxuries? He died for his cause. w,
women are o called upon to do that
(Some of us may wish that we were,
But we are called To sacrifice GU.
selishness for It..
lam not making light of the wonder
full work done by those women VIII,
toll at Red Cross stations; | am no
forgetting the noble and vast army o
wives, mothers, sisters and sweet
hearts who stop at nothing In their de
sire to help end the war honorably.
But l hope that such sentences as
have quoted 90 no further than the III
Of the tongue. If they do, shame Il
the speakers. And shame to us VIII.
let such speech pass unreproved.
Ellis very livlng-such was Christ
giving"
We women "have not yet r~eslste,
unto blood" But SOME of our me-
have, and-GOd help us!-many NOR
may have to. Can we then endure tn
ignominy Of remembering that even Il
our inner hearts we have paused L
consider what d%ellcacies we may use
Shall we not-in the language Of GU
dear fighting boys-"cut out" nj
doubtful articles? And let us make o
the trining duty an honorable service
The cause ennObles all that IL tOuche,
True Responsibility.