The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1918-01-25
WHY WOMEN SHOULD REGISTER
To the Editor:

| 4 mere SeGlIlS W DS IullC BSilSi al
Misunderstanding in regard TO the
! registration of women now being IN
augerated by the Woman's Committee
Of the Council of National Defense.
1t is not simply an exploitation OF an
! idea of the committee but is in re-
sponse to the request Of the Federal
Government that this committee pro-
cure the registration Of all women in
all the states throughout the union.
| Nor will such information be laid
aside as valueless, but instead held in
reserve by the government until such
| time as the resources Of the women
Of America may necessarily be drawn
upon in order so release more men
for the great conflict now in hand.
1t is to be an inventory OF the wo-
men of the United States and their
possibilities of assistance in order to
place war value upon each one.
"No service is asked or expected OF
"A woman except what she may freely
offer but she is requested by the gov
ernment TO register in any case, that
the woman's war census may be COM
plete."
Many, and in fact the great MAORI
ty of us, have been living for years.
some of us always, protected against
everything in the world, and not hav
ing been wage earners feel now our
inetfciency. But do we wish to con-
tinue in such helplessness and allow
the fathers, husbands, sons and bro
theirs, under whose protection we
have so safely rested, and who are
going TO the front SO bravely and will
ingly to wage still more battles for us,
make the supreme sacrifice OF offering
their lives while we remain supinely
in the security Of comfortable homes
with no effort upon our part to do
our share too? No! a thousand times
No. Here and now is the time for
every self respecting and loyal Ameri
can woman to examine herself and
her resources and if unprepared quail
fy for something. There is nothing
too trivial to be of some service when
the world and all humanity need so
much.
1t may be only in raising garden,
a few more chickens, or pigs or sew
ing and helping to care for the child
rem of neighbOr who may have been
trained along broader lines Uhan we,
and who, through our assistance, may
be enabled to fill some position in
the business world where there is
fast becoming such dearth of men.
What the women Of our allies have
accomplished since the beginning OF
the war i'm the way Of replacing men
in industrial positions is almost in
credible. Surely we can do as much
as they Even though we have ne
trained ability we can all learn to do
something, SO if we can spare only a
day or half day week, let us do
our bit willingly and unreservedly.
| once heard French woman say,
IAN American woman never fails u
do whatever she sets out to accomp-
lish. Age provides no limitations and
no task is too great" That is a
splendid tribute to the American wo-
man, SO let us all make ourselves es-
pecially worthy of it in this great
crises. Let us form some purpose
and adhere to it tenaciouSly SO that
when peace shall have again been rc-
stored to the world we may feel justi-
fed i'm our share Of its security, know
ing we have shirked no duty, how
ever small, and That our sacrifices
have formed part of this great mo, e
ment for the betterment Of mankinS'
1t should be the purpose and effoit
of every woman to help maintain ard
raise if possible the already high
standard Of South Dakota which has
given SO nobly both Of men and money,
and inasmuch as the limitations of
our sex preclude us from the glories
of blood sacrifice for our beloved
country, we should give ourselve
with all the more strength and eager.
ness, keeping in mind the fact that
whatever we do we'll increases our
efficiency and capacity for further
service.