The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-07-20

Men spend years In school and years
more in practice, and then at their
most useful time are cut off. Make 1t
your business to capture and retain
some Of the things that men have
learned. Nobody will refuse to teach
you. A man owes his knowledge and
skill to his country as much as he
owes his life; all the more If he loses
his life.
Can Learn at Home.
Women are the natural conservers Of
civilization. 1t Is our duty to gather
up and hold fast every bit of gain.
Women are only Just learning what 1t
costs men to be proficient, and even If
there is no definite objective in view,
we could not go far wrong In attempt
ing to save something of the proficient
mans purchase. have spoken of these
particular occupations as being direct
ly connected with the government ma
chine, realizing something Of the hun
ger of women to be identified with it
as men are. There IS q sense in which
any work which releases q man for
the front Is government service; but l
have particularly wished to point out
how women may fit themselves Cor ma
tional service in their own homes.
There are other things than these, new
openings every week, things which can
be mastered on the farm or In the
smallest village. You do not, for ex-
ample, have to 60 out Of your own
town to learn how to be postal clerk.
There is in every town a good job
for somebody in keeping IN touch with
the needs of the government machine.
If you can do nothing else, be the CO.
herer; find out from your state officials
and from Washington all about the
qualifications, the dates and places of
civil service examinations, the Jobs for
which no examination but merely q
certificate Of fitness is required. See
to 1t that your circulating library has
such books as are needed by students.
If your state has travelling library,
know what helps 1t can give. There is
no real reason why any American
should not be able to learn anything
he-or she-puts her mind to.
There is another branch Of patriotic
service which, though it has not been
departmentally opened to women here
as in England, is open through COM
munities and committees to American
women. This is the branch Of the COM
missary. It includes all sorts Of knowl-
edge supposed to be native to the
genius of women. of food buying and
storing and cooking on a large scale.
The basis of commissary work is q
natural aptitude for 1t and knowl-
edge Of food values. This you can
teach yourself at home, making lab
oratory of your kitchen. The rest you
can learn through community activi-
ties in your town, community store
houses, community kitchens, COM
munity canning clubs and buying clubs.
Demand Exceeds Supply
The department Of agriculture can
supply you with information on the
conduct Of all these enterprises. AL
ready the demand for instructors in
these branches exceeds the supply.
And If the war should surprise us by
the years it holds out, there Is nc
doubt many of them will be made
part Of the government machine, just
as they have been abroad. In that
case the women who will be chosen are
the women who had the initiative to
prepare themselves long In advance Of
the necessity.
Food production is as important as
food conservation, but It can be
learned only by those who have a GER
tain amount Of capital at their dis
posal, lands or tools, or stock. All the
things I have mentioned call for very
little more than the personal equip
patience and staying
power.
And this war Is different from other
wars for women, simply as 1t uses
more of these qualities than any other.
Wives and mothers have never lacked
for war service, but this
war calls for qualities in woman
which transcend her sex and establish
her social value on her power to do,
rather than on her power to give. More
than any war that was ever fought, it
is q lone woman's war. Women have
played the part of scabbard for the
sword, they have been the belt which
binds it to their sons; now comes the
day when the woman must be herself
the sword. NOBODY who knows Ameri-
can women can doubt that the occasion
will find them well femnered. SI.iG